If you had to evacuate, what "stuff" would you take?

Fires are raging to our east and west (Courtesy Tusquitee Ranger District)

The brilliant George Carlin once did a very funny (and apt) sketch about all the “stuff” we find important in our lives:

“And I don't know how you are... ...but I need a place to put my stuff. You know how important that is, that's the whole meaning of life, isn't it? Trying to find a place for your stuff. That's all your house is... ...your house is a pile of stuff... ...with a cover on it. It's a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff. Now, sometimes you gotta move... ...you gotta get a bigger house. Why? Too much stuff."

So what happens when an emergency presents itself such as a flood, hurricane or fire? What kind of “stuff” are you going to take with you?

I ask this question because we are experiencing terrible wildfires here in western North Carolina and other southern states. We’ve had no rain since September and nothing is in the forecast.

I'd have to leave my roses behind :(

Yesterday a friend who lives in the Lake Lure area (about 60 miles from us) was surprised by an evacuation order. Earlier in the day she had posted on Facebook they were fine. By 4pm yesterday afternoon she announced they were leaving.

I wondered if being close to the fires, she and her husband made a list of things to take if they were forced to evacuate. They had, and said it was fortunate because they had little time to gather precious belongings and were understandably very stressed when the order came through. 

A rare "rocket" radio from my collection

That’s why we are starting our list today. We are fine as I write this. But there are fires to our east and west and should the worst happen, I don’t want to wonder why I didn’t save the opal ring my beloved aunt left me.

An emergency evaluation checklist can help get your ducks in a row before facing an evacuation order. One site warned the uncertainty of what to take and what to leave behind in an emergency can leave people paralyzed with doubt and fear. It's best to plan ahead just in case.

Our friend Tom made this uke for me

The advice to take insurance policies, prescriptions, passports, birth/marriage certificates and so forth is common sense. I am also planning to engage an online backup company so my all my computer files and photos are protected.

But what about other “stuff”, items of sentimental value or things that can’t be replaced? I will be putting our marriage album and family photos on the list. My recipe file. iMac, iPads and iPhones plus chargers. My London International Advertising Award. Chris’ Mum’s carriage clock. Maybe his sword from the Royal Navy, if I can convince him to take it. 

 

Rowdy, my Gator hand puppet will be in the car. He is home to all my Gator pinback buttons from the past 44 years. And original artwork, including two irreplaceable paintings of our Maryland home. Plus a turtle painting a dear friend gave me before we moved to the mountains.

Carla Huber's painting of our MD hydrangeas

My favorite ukulele will be on the list. And cameras. A couple of radios from my vintage collection. An everglades painting by original Highwayman Ellis Buckner (my aunt left it to me and I had no clue how much it was worth.) My favorite piece of Portmeirion china. And Lord knows what else. There is too much great stuff and too little room.

I hope we never need the list. But I will rest better tonight knowing we have earmarked some of the things we love to save should disaster strike.

What would you take?

 

Squirrels gone wild

My hapless toad

Back in 2016, I wrote a posting about some strange behavior our squirrels exhibited after I placed a feather in one of my pots on the deck.

  

I was recently reminded of this episode. A small stone toad resides year ‘round in my little veggie planter. The other day I placed the toad on the deck while I was refreshing some of the herbs.

  

Not long after a squirrel cautiously approached the toad. It started fussing and lunging at it. Finally, it bit the stone toad on the nose, then ran off. I have no clue as to why the squirrel was so upset. (Fortunately, the toad was not harmed in the attack.)

  

So, in case you missed the original Squirrels Gone Wild, here it is again. Let me know if you have any thoughts as to what squirrels have against amphibians (or feathers.)

A spill in our creek led to strange events in our garden

On June 30, a water utility company that owns storage tanks up the stream from us had an accident.  One of its tanks overflowed sending 220,000 gallons of water and silt down Hogback Creek.

Our neighbor who lives above us came to our door in tears. After years of making sure the creeks and streams on his property were as pristine as possible, his work was washed away. I will write more about this tragedy in my next posting.

Feeling sad and helpless, we offered to walk up there to take photographs to send environmental authorities. While documenting the devastation, I found something that unleashed several weeks of chaos in my own back yard.

The hapless feather briefly guarded my tomato plant

It seemed innocent enough – the wing feather of a wild turkey. I decided to place it in my little veggie planter on the back deck in hopes it would discourage squirrels from digging up my tomatoes and herbs so they could hide nuts.

The squirrels had other ideas.

Not long after I added the feather to the planter, I noticed it was missing.  Later, we saw it on the ground 20 feet below the deck. Perhaps it blew out of the planter, we reasoned.

The next time it was lying on rocks that slope down to the creek. I had to get a long rake to retrieve it.

The third time, the perpetrator not only threw the feather off the deck, the little devil also ate the left hand side of it.

 

 

Donna spied the feather and flew into a fury

Determined to beat the squirrels at their own game, I used a two-foot strand of covered wire to tie it to the railing. On numerous occasions I found it hanging from the wire over the edge of the deck floor. Each time more of the feather was missing.

Now a word about our squirrels. We don’t mind them visiting as long as they don’t get on the feeders. They quite often come to the back door and beg, or stand on the table to attract our attention.  They are well behaved, and we reward them with a few unsalted nuts.

Donna, one of our regulars, is about as mild mannered as a squirrel can be. Yet one afternoon Chris saw her attack the feather with such ferocity, he had to chase her off. She lunged at it, bit it and tried to rip it free from the wire.

Today, this is all that is left of that poor feather. We have no idea what the squirrels had against it.

But  I definitely won’t be dressing as a turkey for Halloween.

The Fungus Among Us

With apologies to friends around the country who are begging for rain, we have had enough. 1½ inches yesterday and 2 inches the day before. And that’s just this week.

Grandpappy fungus?

One of the offshoots of so much rain is the number of mushrooms and downright strange fungi that are appearing in the woods as I take my daily walk. I’ve even seen one specimen with hair!

I know some brave folks like to forage for mushrooms in the wild. Others enjoy growing their own mushrooms at home. One of my gardening friends bought a shitake log, then later was afraid to eat the harvest.  Eventually she did work up the courage to use the meaty mushrooms in a recipe, and everyone survived the experience. 

Others have not been quite so lucky.

Mistaken identity almost proves to be fatal

Writer Nicholas Evans is a gourmet cook who has picked and eaten wild mushrooms without incident for many years.

In August 2008, the author of The Horse Whisperer picked a basketful of mushrooms he found while strolling through the woodlands of his brother-in-law’s 13,000 acre Scottish estate.

Pretty but poisonous Fool's webcap

He later sautéed them in butter and parsley and served them to the family without realizing the mushrooms were not chanterelles, but the poisonous Cortinarius speciosissimus, or fool’s webcap. (Fortunately the children in attendance turned their noses up at the dish.)

Friend or foe?

Evans, wife Charlotte, her brother Alastair and his wife, Lady Louisa were all in critical condition within days. Three of the four suffered kidney failure and Evans required five hours of dialysis each day. In time, the dialysis took a toll on his heart. As of this writing, Evans and his wife have had successful kidney transplants.

Be careful out there.

The National Poisons Information Service in the UK recently issued a warning about picking and eating wild mushrooms citing 237 poisoning cases in 2014. Over 100 people in the US became seriously ill last year after mistaking bad mushrooms for good ones.

Of course certified wild mushroom experts and mycologists know their stuff and can provide guidance on which mushrooms are edible.

As for me, I’m a certified scaredycat. But I do love seeing the many varieties of mushrooms I spy while walking (or waiting behind a foresome of old duffers who won’t let a woman play through on the golf course.)

Since edible and dangerous mushies can look similar, I’ll continue to get my supply at the market.

And admire the pretty ones with my camera.

Another Golden Ticket for David Austin

Chelsea photos courtesy David Austin English Roses

It was another golden Chelsea for David Austin English Roses.

His stand at the legendary show won yet another gold medal.

 He had a “chinwag” with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen meets the King of English roses

And he introduced three gorgeous new English Roses, including one named in honor of beloved children’s author Roald Dahl.

As for winning a 22^nd gold medal, head rosarian Michael Marriott noted "We are absolutely delighted. We were judged on the quality of the stand, the quality of the roses and the overall splendor and we're thrilled to have won a gold.”

 

'Roald Dahl' roses surround the copper peach

He went on to say the Queen met with founder and owner David Austin late in the afternoon the first day of the show. "David was absolutely delighted to meet the Queen. They are both 90 this year, so I think they had a good chat about that. She has only been once or twice before, so it was a rare honor.”

In addition, Felicity Dahl, the author’s widow, was on hand for the launch of Austin’s Roald Dahl themed display. Several years earlier, “Liccy” Dahl had approached the Austin firm to ask whether they might consider naming one of their new roses after Dahl. 

The author in his garden. Courtesy the Roald Dahl Museum

Dahl was a keen gardener and was quite passionate about his glorious garden at Gipsy House, Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire. He wrote in a hut in the grounds he tended from 1954 until his death in 1990.

The father and son team at David Austin English Roses agreed to Mrs. Dahl’s request. The stunning peach colored rose was unveiled at Chelsea alongside a giant copper peach, the centerpiece of Austin’s 2016 display.  

'Roald Dahl'

Dahl’s longtime collaborator QuentinBlake created a new illustration depicting the rose and characters from James and the Giant Peach. 

Stephen Myburgh designed and sculpted the copper peach

James was Dahl’s first children’s story, about a four-year-old boy who escapes from his hateful aunts, Spiker and Sponge, on a gigantic floating peach. 

It was published in 1961, the same year that David Austin launched his first English rose.

Two other English roses also made their debuts at Chelsea. 

‘Imogen’ is a very pale lemon yellow that ages to a light cream. I love the delicately frilled petals, so it looks like a must have for my “yellow” garden.

'Imogen'

‘Bathsheba’ is a new short climber with a warm myrrh fragrance. According to David Austin Roses, the blooms are a beautiful blend of apricot colors.

'Bathsheba'

We won’t get these new introductions in the US for a few years, but when they are on their way, you’ll read all about it in The Dirt Diaries. 

In the meantime, we’ll admire the beauty from afar.

Return to the Biltmore Rose Garden

 
 

Back in 2013, I went to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville to work on an article about the first International Rose Trials that had recently taken place there.

That year, an amateur hybridizer, Mike Athy of Gisborne, New Zealand, walked away with top honors for his ground cover/climbing rose Athyfalaa.  The article included an interview with Athy, and a history of the Biltmore rose garden.  

 

Since then, I have been honored to become a member of the permanent judging panel for the trials, so I get to visit the gardens four times a year and evaluate all the roses entered in the competition. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it!

This year, the judging and gala awards event will be held in September instead of May. (And The Dirt Diaries will dish dirt on all the winners!) So I went up last week to complete my spring judging and see how the roses were coming along after a tough winter and some late freezes.

To say everything looked spectacular would be an understatement. Emily and her crew are doing a splendid job and the roses have never looked prettier.

I had two cameras with me to take advantage of any photo ops. I was not disappointed. After I got home, I went back and revisited the pictures I’d taken each May since 2013. Boy, talk about changes!

For example, look at the Maypole in 2013 and 2016. Those little Rural England bushes have taken off in the past three years!

The Maypole was pretty in 2013

 

But baby, look at her now!

The climbers were also gorgeous. And so were the perennials accompanying the roses. So if you can’t visit yourself just now, sit back and enjoy your private tour courtesy of The Dirt Diaries.

Sadly, the photos aren’t scratch and sniff.  But take my word for it, the fragrance was intoxicating.

Climbers got extra TLC this spring and it shows!

American Beauty and her perennial partners

Climbing roses and the conservatory

The Maypole and Zepherine Drouhin in 2013

Zepherine (background left) and the Maypole this year

Perennial companions add interest between flushes of bloom

Baronne Prevost

New Dawn

Roses and yarrow

Glad I don't have the deadheading chores!

New faces and welcome old ones in our spring garden.

Bleeding Hearts near our trail

 

One never knows what winters in the mountains will bring. Unlike many friends who also live here full time, we don’t escape to Florida when cold winds start to blow. We actually enjoy the season and look forward to being snowed or iced in for a day or two as long as we have plenty of good food and wine.

This winter was a bit different. My mother fell in November and broke her hip and did not recover as well as the doctors had hoped. I went down to Florida several times to help out. Here at home we did have one nice snow, but the rest of the season was pretty much a blur.

Mother passed away somewhat unexpectedly a few weeks ago. Please don’t feel sorry, it was a blessing. She had some serious ailments we didn’t know about, and she went downhill quite quickly.

When I returned from the service in Florida, Carolina wildflowers greeted me. The 14 roses I’d planted or moved the day before she died were displaying vigorous new growth. And it looked like the hydrangeas were setting buds after two flowerless years. I appreciated all these sights more than I can say.

Pink Lady Slippers are blooming

A garden can be a source of joy and a source of solace. The past few months have been tinged with sadness. But I am comforted by the hope that 2016 will be one of our most rewarding gardening years ever. 

We added Yellow Lady Slipper Orchids to the wildflower garden

A segment of our forest has become trillium heaven this year

A clematis we thought was a goner is back and blooming

'Music Box' is a new addition to the rose garden

Can't wait to see my new 'Cherry Parfait' look this yummy

The Bluets down by the stream have been showing off for weeks

'The Poet's Wife'

'The Poet’s Wife’ is just one of six new David Austin roses that will be taking a bow in the Hunt garden this year. You can be sure when they start flowering, along with the hydrangeas, salvias, coneflowers, centranthus and  phlox, I will wax poetic about them all.

Until then, happy Spring.