Beautiful Wisterias
I didn’t realize that D.C. was a zone 7, many plants that are annuals here in Ohio are perennials in D.C. It’s so interesting how hardiness zones work. My front yard is almost a zone ahead of my back yard because of the slope of the lot and the amount of sun it gets. I’ve had tropical vines overwinter there during a mild winter.
While in D.C. last week we enjoyed the wisteria. Here in Ohio the wisteria often gets frozen out like so many spring blooms.
They had wisterias planted on almost every wall in Washington, they really are a beautiful way to accent an old building. You could tell by the vines that they were very old. Some of the ones we saw had vines the size of tree trunks they were so old. They were HUGE (Mr Chiots took this photo of me taking a photo so you could see how big they were).
The wisteria at Arlington was blooming quite profusely as you can see by this photo.
I’ve always loved wisterias but have never gotten one. I have so many other vines I’d like to grow (a hydrangea vine for one) that I don’t know if I’ll ever find room in my small garden for one.
What’s your favorite flowering vine?
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Gettysburg
Last week we went on vacation to Washington D.C. We decided to go to Longwood Gardens on our way out and we stopped by Gettysburg on our way out.
The magnolia trees were in full bloom on in Pennsylvania. We have magnolias here in Ohio, but we often get cold weather when they’re budding so they’re not as pretty as they are out east.
The cemetery at Gettysburg is a somber yet beautiful place. It is filled with old trees that were planted to represent the states that lost men during that battle. I thought about this quote while we were walking around under the canopy of the very old trees, “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
Fought over the first three days of July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most critical battles of the Civil War having occurred at a time when the fate of the nation hung in the balance.
We were only there for an hour or so as the sun was setting. It is so amazing to think about the history of our country and what places like this represent. I’ve been to Gettysburg several times, and each time it’s very moving. I’m very thankful that places like this have been preserved.
Do you like to visit historical places like Gettysburg?
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Open Windows
It’s the perfect weather for open windows here at Chiot’s Run. There’s nothing better than enjoying the breeze blowing through the house and hearing the birds singing outside.
Some summers we can have our windows open all summer here in Ohio, other summers it’s hot and muggy and the air conditioner gets turned on. I’m hoping we have another cool summer this year so we can have the windows open all summer long, I love open window season!
Do you like open windows?
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Quote of the Day: Rachel Carson
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”
~ Rachel Carson
We truly do live in a beautiful world. You can find beauty in nature everywhere you look. We often think of flowers when we think about the beauty of nature, but what about the little things we often don’t even notice, like moss.
What kinds of things do you find most beautiful about the earth?
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Eating Locally
“China wants to be the main producer for the world. The implications are huge. Cheap Chinese labor will provide mountains of “bargain” lettuce to be shipped by freighter around the world. More and more, North American consumers will eat produce from distant places they will never visit, though they might easily have grown the vegetables in their own backyards. In fact, they might be eating that imported produce at exactly the same time that it’s growing just a few miles away. This is called “redundant trade”; consider, for example, the fact that international strawberry imports to California peak during that state’s strawberry season.
No region feeds itself anymore: we all stand in reference the same global food system. Wherever you may choose to go, the same trucks zip across the landscape filled with the same chicken nuggets or canned cream corn, and the fertile fields are turned into housing tracts. The lettuce was grown in Asia and came to port under a Panamanian flag of convenience. All is hidden and anonymous.”
-Plenty (Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon)
It’s farmer’s market season in most of the country, ours opened today. Unfortunately I missed it because we were on our way back from Washington DC, that’s why the posting was sporadic this week (sorry). The internet at our hotel was less than perfect so it was difficult to get things uploaded. I’ll fill you in on the wonderful things we saw on vacation soon, and I can’t wait till next Saturday morning to head to the farmer’s market!
Are you excited for farmer’s market season?
