9 June: some reading

Early June 2022

At home

I finally had a rainy reading day, and can catch you up on two other books I read recently.

While reading Patricia Highsmith’s diaries, I had learned about her last novel that I had missed. I think I own all of her other books. I loved it, her particular style of writing, the sympathetic characters and a beautiful capture of day to day life. It was my bedtime reading for two weeks, leaving me feeling immersed in that world for days, even though I prefer to read a novel in one or two sittings.

Last week, I read Adrian Bloom’s Gardening with Conifers over several days. I felt like I simply did not have enough room in my garden. The alder grove provides enough shade but not the privacy I now need, but makes the selection of conifers that I could add quite limited.

Today, we had another inch of rain so I was able to finish a book that was more pertinent to my garden. Years ago, I saw Adrian Bloom speak several times at the NW Flower and Garden show and was smitten with his river of Geranium ‘Rozanne’.

The detailed information on his favorite perennials and grasses, most of which I grow, had history about each plant, much of it new to me. His writing style has that droll British humor that always pleases me.

But my ‘Whirling Butterflies’ reseed, so maybe they are not the cultivar.

Rozanne is wonderful in the Long Beach planters, blooms from late spring through October with no deadheading.

I always thought that the name Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ meant it was “lower” than ‘Six Hills Giant’.

Never! I grow the catmint for my cats to enjoy. Unfortunately , they like it so much I can’t establish it in the catios.

Spencer in the catmint, Klipsan Beach Cottages 2009

The only displeasing thing is that some yobbo had carefully razor bladed out two pages which must have had beautiful photos. The library has three copies; we ordered another so I can see what was missing.