A Delicate Combination

Pastel pink and baby blue - I would have never planned this combination thinking it too bland. I think it works here because neither bloom is overpowering. The quantity of forget-me-nots seems to balance the larger mum flower.

The self-sowing Forget-Me-Not seeds followed gravity down the mulch slope over the winter and geminated in the Clara Curtis Mums.  It’s what I love about the self-sowers.  Every year I see surprising combination without any effort at all.

Mum ‘Clara Curtis’, Dendranthema zawadskii, planted in 2004 from Wayside, blooms all summer. I cut it back just a little in late fall.  In spring it has always started to bloom early and continues to bloom until frost. 

      

Annual Forget-Me-not ‘Blue Bird’ Myosotis dissitiflora,  planted directly in the garden in 2006 with Ferry & Morse seeds. 

Mum ‘Clara Curtis’ info from Suite 101 here.

Forget-Me-Not info from Backyard Gardener here.

Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM)

I’ve been trying to write this blog for a year. Last year I was diagnosed with Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM).   It is a somewhat rare affliction.   According to some experts, IBM affects about 15 people in 100,000. It is apparently both an inflammatory and a degenerative muscle disease.  The cause is unknown and there is no cure.  Falling down is what we do.

I continue to garden with help.  I continually search for tools to make gardening possible for me. 

There is so much more to explore in the world of gardening.  As I reinvent myself, I plan to post highlights and lowlights of my gardening world.  I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

Pictures from Hortulus Farm, Garden and Nursery  a non-profit foundation in Wrightstown, Pa. Bucks County. The reasonably priced plant sales’ profits go towards preserving the beautiful grounds and gardens.  It was definitely worth the trip.