Even in a bad year for our roses, we get an eyeful at Thornden Park

What a good year for the roses Many blooms still linger there The lawn could stand another mowin’ Funny I don’t even care As you turn to walk away As the door behind you closes The only thing I have to say It’s been a good year for the roses Sorry, George Jones and Elvis…

We have a butterfly bush blossom … but no hydrangea

In this slow season for the backyard butterfly garden behind the Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood, we have finally two purple blossoms to photograph out of the four bushes. I’m still blaming the cold spell and snow cover that did not melt from the first of the year until April. Over…

Somebody needed a haircut in the worst way

Ten inches of rain in June. More on July 1. A whole bunch of writing and working on my busy schedule. I could practically hear the grass growing in the backyard of our Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood. Into every life a little rain must fall … yeah, right. The Lush…

Happy Fourth of July from our colorful garden

My dear wife Karen says she always wanted to have a combination of red, white and blue in a garden for the Fourth. She was sort of surprised when I pointed out that this year in our backyard butterfly garden of the Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood, mission accomplished. The blue…

While we were away, birds ate, waste was hauled and new blooms emerged

Meanwhile back at the Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood … Remember I reported that just prior to departure to Cape Cod and our annual pre-tourist rush week in the Happy Cottage that I noticed red fruit on the branches of our just-transplanted front-yard Snow Fountain you all helped name Cherry Cherry?…

I spotted something red on Cherry Cherry

Before we packed Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle as the last item to fit into the car Friday night in the driveway of the Little Bitty, I took one last walk around the grounds to admire what my dear wife Karen and I had come up with this near-summer of 2015 in the Syracuse city…

Pow go the peonies

It hit the 80s yesterday here in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood. Today they weather guy is calling for a high of 88º F, a record high for this May 26. The peony is front of the Little Bitty likes it. A lot. Almost 3D, is this shot taken a few moments ago not?…

Peony power for Memorial Day Weekend

They call Memorial Day Weekend the unofficial start of summer in our part of the world. It got down to 44º F last night, more fit for another season. Nevertheless the peony standing proudly in front of the Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood has pushed out its pretty fuchsia flowers. My…

Our little cherry tree now has a name

The results are in. You voted with your feet. Well, no you didn’t. It wasn’t the kind of poll where you actually have to drive there and pull down the lever and hang a chad or anything like that. No, a week ago I decided to ask the world with a poll what my dear…

I couldn’t hedge my shaggy thoughts any longer

Two of the front yard shrubs had already gone out of control standing guard at the Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood. So as my dear wife Karen tidied up the hourglass garden and spread red mulch, I grabbed the battery-powered Black and Decker hedge clippers and went to work. One of…