Thursday, May 31, 2012

a little love





I have neglected my Massachusetts garden for the past few years. It's mostly trees and shrubs--low-maintenance, but I do have a few beds. This year I am paying more attention, but I really haven't done much--a little feeding, weeding and pruning...and they are looking so much better--more so than can be explained by my occasional ministrations. More than I deserve. Maybe it's all the rain.


I have developed quite a collection of old natural history books, and just listed a couple of them in the Etsy store. It's hard for me to part with books, but really do I need another book of insects? Even if this one was written by the State Entomologist of New York. Will it be one of those books that I will one day miss? Yesterday I was in a used books store looking for a copy of a book I donated to that store.


This one is on rock gardens, published in 1929 by the man in charge of the rock garden at Kew in London. I think it would still be useful to someone who wants to develop a rock garden. The nice part of selling books on Etsy is that the people who buy them love them. I just sold a book called When Patty Went to College, to a woman in Canada who said she'd been looking for it for a long time. So we are both happy, and the book will live on, loved.

13 comments:

  1. Dear Jen, your garden looks so good! I think I might consider a rock garden since I can't seem to get all those wild greens away for ever...
    I loved the story with the book. It makes one feel realy good, helping somebody find what they have been looking for, doesn't it?

    xoxoxo

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    1. Demie--I love the idea of a rock garden. Maybe one day... Selling books is fun--I enjoy it much more than anything else in the store(s). I guess because I love them so much.

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  2. your peonies will look beautiful. they are some of my favourite flowers. birthday flowers. I hope someone remembers :)

    I admire you for giving away books. I'm trying, but I'm not there yet!

    xx

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    1. Peonies really are dazzling. I'm a lot older than you, and have accumulated SO MANY books!

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  3. Is that Nepeta by the peonies, Jen? It looks beautiful.

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    1. Mise--It is salvia. Full name: Salvia nemerosa x superba 'May Night'. Very hardy and easy to grow.

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  4. that is wonderful that you enjoy and find some great old books that others are searching for too. My mom used ti have the exact same kind of peonies in her backyard
    I will always remember them from my childhood
    -KAT-

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    1. Kat--I never had peonies as a child, but I love them now!

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  5. Beautiful natural looking garden! It's season of poenies here, too, and I wish I had some.It's great that you learned a lot about gardening from these books.

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  6. Your garden looks lovely Jen.Our peonies havent flowered yet, the buds are there so I dont think they will be too long.

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    1. Thanks, Anne. I thought we had the last peonies. Enjoy them!

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  7. Peonies and books- I love them both! I think helping someone find a book they have been searching for is a wonderful thing!

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