Check That, A Fairy Preview

We subscribe to the
Old Farmer’s Almanac newsletter online. This week’s edition had some eye opening information. Here is what they wrote:

“Although Midsummer Day (June 24) occurs near the summer solstice, or what we think of as the beginning of summer, to the farmer it is the midpoint of the growing season, halfway between planting and harvesting, and an occasion for celebration.
Midsummer Eve bonfires and dancing around the Midsummer pole are old customs still observed around the world today. Certainly, it’s a time of magic and soothsaying as well, for as Washington Irving said, “This is a time when it is well known that all kinds of ghosts, goblins, and fairies become visible and walk abroad.”
After the solstice and Midsummer Day, the days start to shorten.”
Hmmm. Annie at
The Transplantable Rose had mentioned that date in a comment on one of the fairy posts. Wrongly I had assumed that the solstice was the same as midsummer. The difference in dates it was thought had been the result of the changing of calenders over the centuries, not doing any research like should have been done. Luckily this information came in time to prevent some embarrassing shenanigans over by the fairy gazebo on the wrong date. Very lucky, indeed. But we still have our rock with the hole in it to view the fae folk. There is a wealth of ox eye daisies, a favorite flower of the wee ones blooming profusely in the area. But the serious business of fairy watching, dew collecting and moonlight mirth will be put on hold until June twenty third evening.
In the meantime, lots of things are going on in the non fairy parts of the garden, although we really believe the entire garden is home to magical creatures of all sorts. In the veggie garden we are starting off with some harvest already. I have mentioned the sugar snap peas. They are finally finished after supplying us with many meals and some were even taken to the beach. We froze several packets for use during the off season too. Pole beans were planted in the place of the peas. Shown above is a tomato purchased on Mother’s Day in Asheville called Black Krim. It was in a small pot but the space shown in the photo is the site of the former compost pile. That is some turbo charged soil it seems for the tomato and the zuchinni Eight Ball planted seeds just to the right are doing very well. There are several balls nearly ready to pick.
Here is a photo of the newly constructed compost bin by dear Gardoctor with assistance from the Financier for mother’s day. The compost was transferred to the new bin from the old set up to the right made from old cinder blocks found on the property. The bit of compost still left in the old pile was added to the veggie bed to help keep the weeds at bay and feed the already nice loam. Landscape fabric lines the paths to keep feet dry and weeds deterred.
The golden raspberries have been giving us nuggets of yumminess as we go about our morning chores, popping them into the mouth on the run.
Still trying to get a clearer shot of the crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ planted in the black garden, the red flowers are just not cooperating. But the look of this group of three plants brings joy everytime we pass this way. Physocarpus opulifolious ‘Summer Wine’ gives a dark background to the reds. A cutting grown butterfly bush is just to the left at the stake. I think this is a b. ‘Potter’s Purple’. All of the butterfly bushes here are grown as standards, staked and pruned as trees in order to be able to grow things underneath and keep them pruned for more flowers. Behind Summer Wine is a lavender ‘Provence’ that refuses to die. The black garden was previously a lavender bed, with ajuga as groundcover. The lavenders kept dying out and replacing them was getting boring so black foliage, black in the name or red flowered plants have been put in as the lavenders declined. The few left have stubbornly prospered.

Even though the calender says it is still spring, we have fireflies now. That has always been the harbinger of summer to me, bringing back the memories of hot evenings in Tulsa catching the insects as they arose from the grass at dusk. I’m not sure that this is a lightening bug, but it looks cool anyway. ;->

We are still on the lookout for all things fairy, however. This plant had a tag that read Fairy Wand. It is a cimicifuga of some sort it is believed, or has the name been changed to actaea? The flower must be the wandish part of this for the leaf does not suggest wand to me.

Sagina procumbens , pearlwort, is said to be a protective herb in case the fairies decided to carry away a member of the family in days of yore. We were delighted to discover that this plant grows naturally here among the mosses that are so abundant. We carefully dug some to put around the fairy gazebo, just in case any fairies with mal intent crash the party.

We also have a good selection of thymes since it is so drought tolerant, evergreen, fragrant and easy to grow in our well drained hilly gardens. It was grown before we knew anything about the way it enhances the viewing of fairy dancing when one is napping in its softness. Look out for bees though, they love the flowers!

The green man plaque on this planter is giddy with excitement at the thought of a visit from his fellow mythical creatures. His thyme has grown well and is named thymus ‘Hi Ho Silver’.

We admit that we are getting slightly tired of the whole fairy thing, you probably are as well. But there has been a lot of prep work and it has been great fun learning so many new things about the big night coming up. It will be interesting to see how this whole affair turns out. Stay tuned for the day after midsummer night’s eve report.

Frances

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