Monday, June 6, 2016

Beedie Bump




While working in my perennial flower bed I had the overwhelming feeling I was working in my children's playground.  I always check this bed to see what is coming up and what needs to be pulled up.  Rudbeckia is a wonderful flower to have when the hot summer goes on and on. It's joyful to watch as the yellow finch balance on the ends of the flowers to eat the seed.  Usually I leave the flowers for the birds to enjoy, but doing so, the seeds that the birds don't eat,  means I have hundreds if not thousands of new rudbeckia plants to pluck from the ground in the spring.


Last year's blooms


 This perennial bed has not been a flower bed for the 43 years we have lived in our home.  This area used to be an area that was overgrown with small trees and ivy that our children claimed as theirs!  Our neighborhood was blessed with a lot of children.  Children the same ages as our children.  It was great to look out the kitchen window and see the children enjoying themselves in their fantasies.  Girls and boys shared times in our back yard.  The girls would set up little areas they called their own.  They divided the area into rooms for each child.  This was their domain.  They would play for hours tidying their spaces.  Adding rock boundaries and  taking very few toys out to aid in their play.  Creative play was the order of the day.

The swing set that the children have had since they were toddlers was nearby.  We had not lived in this home very long so it was not exactly a landscaped yard.  I was just learning to love plants and how to pick the right plant for the right place.  In this overgrown area the swings were constantly in use and the small trees were taking a beating.  Noel was always a very imaginative child,  she is still a very smart and imaginative adult.  As the children would swing they would click their shoes against the small trees.  Beedie bump the sound resonated as they would swing back and forth, back and forth.  Noel declared their play area ---Beedie Bump Town.  All of the neighborhood children called it Beedie Bump.



Noel and Grady


I hadn't thought about Beedie Bump Town for a while.  But as I was working on the flower bed it came to mind.  A sweet memory of Noel and Grady and days gone by.

Beedie Bump has evolved over the years into my playground.




  
I spend many happy hours tending to the plants in our gardens.



Climbing Pinkie Rose


While gardening it is a wonderful time to recall happy memories.  Memories spring up about all the years spent living here and raising our two children.



Pinkie Rose Blossoms




Red Knockout Rose



Nellie Moser Clematis


I hope you take time to enjoy the joy of the past and the joy of now. 



Sarah Bernhardt Peony


This old swing set has seen it all.  All the joys of yesterday and those of today.






Beedie Bump we've come a long ways!










28 comments:

  1. Rudbeckia... We call Back Eyed Susans... :-)

    Beedie Bump Town... What a sweet memory... And what sweet memories, you gave the neighborhood children, allowing them to play there.

    And what a lovely oasis, you have made it into. :-)

    Your whole home and yard, must be your oasis, now!!!

    Tessa



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    1. That's true, Tessa. Our home is our oasis. We have been in our home for 43 years and have made many changes to make it our oasis. Rudbeckia are black eyed Susan's. The garden center has many different varieties. The problem is they seed themselves all over! What a problem to have--more flowers! ♥

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  2. You have a bottle tree, too, I see. I was just out in my woods tonight thinking about all the years we've lived here. Our oldest was 2 when we moved in so I have the kind of memories you have. And you're right. It's my playground now. Your roses are lovely. My Eden Rose has a dozen roses open now. I really must stop and smell the roses right now because once the heat and humidity settles in for the summer my roses don't do very well.

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    1. Cathy, when I was working in the garden a flood of memories came rushing over me about our children and the games they played. I know you and I share similar memories. How can it all have gone so quickly? Just like our roses we need to enjoy them today. My roses are now fading and scattering their blossoms on the ground. We now will look forward to other blossoms in our gardens. ♥

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  3. Oh my goodness, how I loved reading about Beedie Bump Town!! It is so good for children to have a time and a place for imaginative play. Your children were blessed!

    I also love that Beedie Bump Town is now your playground. You have made it a beautiful one!

    P.S. Have you ever seen the children's book Roxaboxen by Barbara Cooney? Maybe you could take a peek at it in your local library the next time you're there. I think it will ring a familiar chord.

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    1. Thank you, Cheryl. I guess I was in quite the reflective mode that day in the garden. We were so fortunate to live in a neighborhood with so many children that absolutely loved playing outside. I'm not familiar with Roxaboxen. I will check it out soon. Have a lovely evening. ♥

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  4. Your pink rose blossoms are sweet, Martha Ellen. I love the peonies also. I wanted to plant some in my garden, but the nursery said that it was a bit late and they've already bloomed. They look like a sturdy flower. Your garden angel is darling, and I love that old swing.

    It must have been so wonderful looking out the kitchen window and seeing all the children playing in your back yard, Martha Ellen. :)

    ~Sheri

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    1. Sheri, thank you for your kind words. Remembering the sweet things in life is a joy. Peonies are wonderful plants to have in the garden if you have plenty of sun. I'm afraid I'm pushing the envelope on that issue. There would be many more blossoms if there were more sun in my garden. ♥

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  5. A sweet tale of Beedie Bump! Of course, things evolve and change is inevitable and your changes mean the playground has grown into a place of different beauty now with strong and healthy planting that brings you a different pleasure, and a place to sit and cherish the memories of Beddie Bump.
    I, too, leave the seed heads on free seeders. While I put out bird feeders for the Winter, I think it is important to leave natural seeds in place to encourage proper foraging lest the birds learn to rely too heavily on the feeders. Spring means extra work, but I don't mind that.
    ~~~Deb xo

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    1. Deb, isn't it wonderful to see the birds doing what comes natural to them? It's such a joy to have them visit.
      It's funny how we visit the memories of yesterday. Little things come to mind while tending the garden. I think that's one of the best parts about it. Time to reflect on the good times. xo ♥

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  6. Quiet hours in the garden are the best time for reflecting and remembering! I love your sweet memories of Beedie Bump Town, Martha Ellen. What fun to see young Noel and Grady so long ago! It's so nice that your garden was their playground and has grown into your playground over time. So lovely to spend time amongst the Rudbeckia... and the sweet, sunny memories, too!♥
    You will really enjoy the children's book, Roxaboxen, by Alice McLerran. Barbara Cooney's illustrations are lovely! Hope your library has a copy.
    ♡Dawn@Petals.Paper.SimpleThymes

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    1. Dawn, I just came in after spending time in the garden cutting the spent blooms from the knockout roses. You know the joy of gardening. I can't imagine not having a little space to tend and nurture.
      Thank you also for recommending Roxaboxen. I'll have to mention it to my children and grandchildren as well. This must be a book that has passed us by. I do hope you enjoy a wonderful day! ♥

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  7. How sweet the memories are! Swinging always seemed like so much fun as a kid. I love the term beedie bump! My Black Eyed Susan's aren't easy for me to see so I've never noticed the birds eating from them. Now you've got me curious! Your clematis looks beautiful. I painted one this year and all of a sudden it seemed to die off. I think something broke the main stem. Hoping it will come back. Waiting for my peonies and roses yet to bloom. Love the sweet angel with the bird :-)

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    1. Liz, I think the birds love the seeds in the autumn from the black eyed Susan's. Don't you hate to have something get to your new plantings? It seems a squirrel or some other critter gets to new plantings. You have so many new things waiting to bloom. So much joy to look forward to! ♥

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  8. Martha Ellen, I didn't know that it was called preening when a bird does that. Learn something new every day. Although, I like the "itching" version too. You know, I'll tell you a secret.....I had to cut off his little feet in the pictures because he was standing on a light fixture that was covered in bird mess hahaha.

    Have a wonderful rest of the week, and thanks for the tidbit on the preening. Birds fascinate me.

    ~Sheri

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    1. Sheri, I love to watch the birds. I have learned quite a bit about them over the years. I'm sure they are preening to get rid of mites, etc. They have to have clean wings to fly! We had a nest one year in a basket of flowers and they made the biggest mess you have ever seen. The babies were so sweet, but they use the nest as a toilet.
      Have a great week. ♥

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  9. Such sweet memories, Martha! I also have an adult son and daughter and they have blessed me with four grandchildren. The house they grew up in had a very small Brooklyn , NY, backyard but we always tried to make it fun for them, and I took them to many parks and playgrounds. I'm glad now to have more property for my grandchildren to run and play. Your backyard is so lovely--I can see how tenderly you care for it!

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    1. Thank you, Pat. We have a lot in common. Our house and neighborhood is very modest, but our children have very fond memories of growing up here. Our son has always wanted his boys to have the same environment as he had growing up with a lot of children. I'm thankful for those times past and for the joy we have here now.
      I'm sure you are enjoying your new home so near your loved ones. Happy gardening, Pat. ♥

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  10. How wonderful that the garden carries so many memories. And right. It is a living thing.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. That is so true, Amalia. It grows and changes daily. I hope I do the same. xo ♥

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  11. Loving your shared memories. Your garden is fabulous with so many beautiful blooms. I miss our clematis.Love watching the birds and keep the feeders filled. The birds do love to preen. I know you have enjoyed watching your garden change over the years. Enjoy your slice of heaven.

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    1. Thank you, Linda. I hope you can grow another clematis in your fabulous garden. It does take a while for it to establish itself, though. Have a wonderful day! ♥

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  12. Beedie Bump Town is the most charming of places. I am sure that "the kids" have many happy memories.

    I am currently being plagued by a family of groundhogs living under my deck. They are mowing my garden down at a great clip. Sigh.

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    1. Vee, that's not nice of that groundhog! I had a very interesting thing happen yesterday as I was out in the garden. I had planted a row of hosta along a pathway a few weeks ago. As I looked at one of the plants, the center blade of hosta was sucked into the ground! Upon further investigation I found tunneling ---Voles are the culprit! I don't like using pesticides, but this is war. We need to go get something--traps I understand is the only way to get rid of them. I have no idea how to get rid of groundhogs!
      I think of you often and I'm so glad to "see" you today. ♥

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  13. And now, Beedie Bump town is in bloom! There is always a house in the neighborhood where most of the kids gather, I'm glad it was yours. I too, have many memories of the little ones whilst working away in the yard. Crawdad races were pretty popular with my boys, with the creek just running along the front of our house.Unfortunately, I often have to remember where a pet may have been buried along a garden bed, so as not to disturb the grave.

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    1. Crawdad races?! Wow, if we had a little creek my children would have been in heaven. I can just imagine paradise at the Hollow for children to thrive. All of your animals would certainly bought even more entertainment for your children. It's fun to reflect on how things have changed over the years and how they look today! Enjoy your day. ♥

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  14. Oh what a sweet and lovely post to read.
    Beedie Bump is a very special place indeed.

    Memories are just so special aren't they.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you, Jan. I can't believe how time has flown. Enjoy every moment as you remember your memories. ♥

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