When it rains and one can’t garden…

More challenging than I expected!

Last October, I met my two daughters for a lovely vacation in the London area. One day we were ambling through the pretty village of Woodstock, on a longer walk to Blenheim Palace. AK spotted a charity store across the street, so we quickly went inside to browse. I came away with this charming “Thatched Cottages” puzzle for a euro, certainly a bargain. Doing jigsaw puzzles is normally a family affair, not something I do on my own, but when the pandemic began and the weather prohibited gardening I was restless. So, the puzzle became a fixture on the small table in the living room.

I suspected there was a problem when the outside “frame” seemed complete, but there were 3 “edging” pieces left! So, a measuring tape was consulted and the 14″ x 16″ puzzle was only 12″ x 16″. That wasn’t right! I decided to count the pieces. The box stated “500.” I had 494. It was a slow process, and since I couldn’t trust the “frame” I built from the bottom up. At times it nearly went back into the box, but eventually it was finished. A lesson in patience! Very satisfying in the end, but doubtful I’ll do it again.

Can you spot the missing pieces?

I’m still not entirely sure it’s correct, since there is a piece of sky with a noticeable gap just above the right-hand chimney, but I’m calling it “done!” The lesson learned, “Beware of used puzzles?”

Oh, Happy Day!

On a happier note, on this gloomy, rainy day with 28 degrees F in tonight’s forecast, the box from Fieldstone Perennials arrived! You may recall my brief, overly optimistic dream of adding another island bed to the front lawn that went so far as ordering a few new perennials especially for that shady area under the black walnut trees. Although the plan has been abandoned, the plants are still welcome additions for the existing Front Island. Donning gloves, I carefully unpacked the plants. They are all large and healthy, bare-root packed in moss. I’ve folded the plastic back so the leaves are exposed and placed each bundle upright. Now, as suggested by the informative instructions included, the box is sitting in a bright light, but NOT sunny, cool location in the basement. They should be fine until they can go in the ground on Tuesday, since that’s when our forecast improves to a point that will allow planting. Now I can work on a new puzzle: the best location in the existing bed for each specimen.

Here’s what came for the sunnier areas: Daylily “Elfin Knight,” “Sombrero Way,” “Lime Frost,” “Lavender Deal” and short Phlox “Minnie Pearl. For the shadier side: Helleborus “Sandy Shores” and “First Dance” plus Tradescantia “Little White Doll.” I’m not sure all the daylilies will end up there, but if not they will find a good home somewhere on the property. There’s also a tall white phlox “Danielle” intended all along for the Deck Garden (to replace that hideous pink one!) This sounds like lots more fun, with no missing pieces!

Advertisement