Doreen

Fun and games in the garden?

Well, not really a garden. I only have a loggia, unfortunately, but it is the home for a lot of plants that I tend lovingly. The result is that they tend to take over. Like my pet gourd, for instance.

(I can't remember writing the above sentence, but things are moving so fast on my loggia that I should do an update.)

Before that, I need to remind myself (since probably no one else reads these ramblings) that I write this blog for myself when I feel like it. This morning I feel like it.

corner beginnings, early June

 Who's Doreen, anyway? I think Doreen will be the subject of a horticultural novelle by the time she's finished.  Doreen is my pet gourd. I had to give her a name, since she takes up so much of my time and loggia. I even dream about her. The other night I dreamt she had been stolen along with all my other vegetation. I leapt out of bed and hurried to the window. She was still there, in all her glory. Large as life and twice as natural, measuring about two and a half YARDS now and still growing fast.

early flowers

moved to safety from gusts of wind

opulent leaf structure

bad light does not deter Doreen

The comparison with a child is not idle wistfulness. This huge plant was once the size of a pinhead in my little plastic greenhouse on the window ledge. Who could have guessed at the career she was going to have. The tiny tomato seeds in the other plastic window box are also flourishing. Not quite all of them, and only two of the six gourd seedlings have been allowed to grow so large. So if I keep on watering them all and the sun shines a bit, we'll have a bumper harvest!

Not just a pretty  face?

That takes care of any summer jaunt I might have had in mind. No way can I entrust Doreen to strangers.

You can watch Doreen here, but a few days later and the story is a new one. Doreen had to come off her perch despite my having weighted the pot with a big stone. The risk of her being blown off was simply too great! I'll make a new video soon showing her progress!