A Writer’s Garden–In the Garden with HL Carpenter and the Sycamore Tree

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A Writer's Garden, Garden blog, HL Carpenter, Murder by the Books, sycamore tree, writer's garden retreat

Poetry in the garden

by HL Carpenter

Image source: HL Carpenter

Years ago, a line from The Village Blacksmith sparked thoughts of creating a garden retreat. What does a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow about a village smithy have to do with a garden? The first words—”Under a spreading chestnut-tree“— created an image we found hard to resist.

Our garden had shrubs and flowers. Benches to sit on. A gurgling fountain. Yet none of those was a favorite spot.

We wanted a chestnut tree.

Unfortunately, almost all chestnuts were killed by a blight in the early 1900s—and even if any were alive, they would have a difficult time growing in our part of the sunshine state.

Was there an alternative? Yes. Photos from an earlier era showed a similarity between chestnut trees and sycamore trees.

A fully-grown sycamore, crowned with a fifty-foot canopy, would provide a leafy retreat from the heat of summer. Comfortable chairs would offer a place to sit and sip frosty lemonade. When fall faded to winter and leaves drifted to the lawn, sunshine filtering through bare branches would warm the coldest day. The tree’s broad trunk could block the north wind and shield us from the buzz and roar of a busy highway.

We bought a tall sapling after being assured it would soon grow into a huge tree. As you can see by the picture, that assurance came true—and so did our vision for the garden.

Our sycamore serves as an open-air porch. The canopy offers dappled shade in the summer. Bluebirds, cardinals, and wrens chirp and twitter among the branches. A crow visits and caws for a cracker. Squirrels scamper up and down the solid trunk. In autumn, crispy gold leaves carpet the lawn and crackle underfoot. Our tree-porch is a wonderful place to sit and read.

And write.

The other day a relative stopped by and remarked about our beautiful shade tree. We told him of the poem that sparked our imagination.

“Have you read all the stanzas of The Village Blacksmith?” he asked. ” ‘The smith, a mighty man is he, with large and sinewy hands‘ describes one of our ancestors.”

Who knew?

Now, while sitting under the shade of our sycamore tree in our favorite garden spot, we have another story to write.

About the Writers/Gardeners

Mother/daughter author duo HL Carpenter write family-friendly fiction from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories, is unreal but not untrue. When they’re not writing, they enjoy exploring the Land of What-If and practicing the fine art of Curiosity. Visit HLCarpenter.com to enjoy gift reads and excerpts and to find out what’s happening in Carpenter Country.

Stay connected on Pinterest, Twitter, Amazon.

 

Murder by the Books

By HL Carpenter

A letter from beyond the grave brings accountant Fae Childers face to face with murder, embezzlement, romance, and a hidden family legacy.

Certified public accountant Fae Childers is not an embezzler, despite the belief of the accounting firm that fires her for stealing.
But proving her innocence is harder than convincing an IRS agent to allow a deduction. She’s lost her mother, her job, her fiancé, and her self-respect. She’s running out of money and the lease is about to expire on her apartment.

Then the fortune-telling grandmother Fae never knew existed, whose name and psychic abilities she now learns are also hers, issues a challenge from beyond the grave—a challenge that brings Fae face to face with murder, embezzlement, romance, and a hidden family legacy.

When the mystery of Fae’s past collides with the troubles of her present, the situation veers out of control. Her very life is threatened. Who can she trust? The man she’s falling in love with? The former fiancé who has already betrayed her once? Or only herself?

With justice, romance, and her future at stake, Fae must overcome personal and professional obstacles to save herself and those she loves. And she’s going to have to do it fast, before someone else dies.

 You can pick up HL Carpenter’s Cozy Mystery Murder by the Books to read in your garden retreat at Amazon.

 

 

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A Writer’s Garden–in the Garden with Claire Gem

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A Writer's Garden, Civil Hearts, Claire Gem, Mother's Day roses, Tiny Roses

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing.

Today’s guest is author Claire Gem. Welcome, Claire!

 

A Writer’s Garden—Tiny Roses

I can’t believe it’s been a year since my then five-year-old grandson proudly presented me with a Mother’s Day gift that he’d picked out himself: a miniature rose bush in a sparkly pink pot. The roses, all no bigger than a quarter, were sunshine yellow. I waited until Memorial Day (the safe time to plant in Massachusetts!) and transferred Eddie’s tiny rosebush into a planter on the front steps.

Oh, how that plant has flourished! It stayed covered with blooms all summer. Whenever life got too busy or the August sun burned a bit too hot on the little plant, Eddie would find me wherever I was and tug on my sleeve.

“Grandma, our rose looks like it needs water. We don’t want it to die.”

Indeed, we did not.

By summer’s end, the rose had doubled in size. Brown fall leaves formed a nest around the pot and nestled within its branches. Then life got even crazier, my son’s wedding was upon us, and time sped up. The first frost hit early and without warning. I stepped out the front door one morning and thought, “Oh no. I’ve killed Eddie’s rosebush.”

That afternoon, with the help of my very strong and newly married son, we carried the pot through the house to our sunroom. But the leaves were all gone. The stems were brown and brittle. I sadly studied the dead-looking branches and thought, “I goofed up. I was too late.”

But I continued to water and feed the twiggy thing and gave it a good haircut. When the first green shoots began peeking up from its base, a spark of hope stirred. That was in November of 2018, just six months ago. Around the end of January, a bud appeared reaching toward the rays of the cold winter sun.

Just look at Eddie’s rose bush now.

I had beautiful blooms in the dead of winter. I can’t believe how much the plant has grown, trying desperately to keep pace with the little boy who so lovingly adopted it.

And this year, on Mother’s Day, I was presented by another rose bush from my future-gardener grandson. This one is pink J

 

About the Writer/Gardener

My first foray into the world of gardening happened when I was about eight years old. I found a discarded vegetable bin from our old refrigerator and thought, “I can plant something in this!” What possessed me to choose a packet of radish seeds, I’ll never know.

I didn’t even like radishes.

But I planted them, and watered them, and thrilled to see the tiny green shoots emerge. In only a month, I was harvesting shiny, red globes, and my mom was using them in salads, leafy tops and all. My father raved that they were the most delicious radishes he’d ever tasted. I even learned to like them. I still do.

My writing is like that sometimes. It all starts with a tiny seed of an idea, and often I have to wait awhile. Sometimes a long while. Nurture the idea, allow it to take root and grow. My most recent Haunted Voices novel was like that. The antebellum home featured in the book was one I visited over ten years ago. Then one night I had a dream about that very house, and there was the ghost of a Confederate soldier pounding on the door.

Civil Hearts was born. You can buy it here on Amazon and in all other digital formats here. It’s coming soon in audiobook on Audible!

 

Visit me at my website, on Facebook, and Twitter.

 

Civil Hearts

By Claire Gem

A widow with no family, web designer Liv Larson yearns for big change. After all, she can work from anywhere, right? Why not throw a dart at the map? She heads out of the big city for the rural South and falls in love as soon as she arrives—with the Belle Bride, an abandoned antebellum mansion.

Heath Barrow loves his country life, managing his antiques store in sleepy Camellia. But he’s lonely, and his condition—epilepsy—makes life uncertain. It’s already cost him a marriage. A new medication and the new girl in town have his heart hopeful again.

Sparks fly between Heath and Liv. But his first seizure sends Liv into a tailspin. Its mimics those her husband suffered before he died . . .

To make matters worse, Liv discovers she’s not living alone. Her challenge? Dealing with a Confederate soldier, one who clearly resents his Yankee roommate—even though he’s been dead for over a hundred and fifty years.

Disclaimer to readers of sweet romance: This book contains open door love scenes. It also has a give-you-chills super ghost story for those who love a good haunting. (I know, because I read it. Catherine Castle)

 

 

 

 

A Writer’s Garden–A Garden Poem by Susan Miura

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A Writer's Garden, garden poem by Susan Muira, Healer, Shards of Light, Susan Miura

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing.

Today’s guest is Susan Miura.

Clematis

Gardening and writing both entwine around my heart in ways only fellow gardeners and writers could understand. With both endeavors, my passion finds a creative outlet, and any stress or anxiety that may be lurking inside dissipates as I work the soil or create a scene where, moments ago, only a blank page filled my screen. And with each, my work results in something beautiful (to me, and least, and hopefully to others as well). This process always draws me closer to God, who wired me up with these passions and surrounded me with people who encourage them.

Each time I place a seedling in the ground, my mind overflows with wonderful memories – my Italian grandpa planting tomatoes to make spaghetti sauce, my dad teaching me to be gentle with the young plants, my husband digging out a garden plot, and my little son and daughter digging, planting and marveling at the miracle of tiny seeds growing into something beautiful or edible.

My gardens have never been perfect. You’ll never see a Susan Miura garden on the cover of a magazine. And often my flowers get eaten by Backyard Bun,

who lives under the deck. But I love them for all their beauty and unpredictability, because I’m never quite sure what gifts God is going to leave in my garden. And therein lies the inspiration for my poem.

 

Beauty’s Chaos

By Susan Miura

 

My garden harbors wildflowers,

Born of seeds blown in by the breath of God

And irises

Carefully nurtured in a greenhouse.

A mystery plant rises in the corner

Then joyfully blossoms in hues of purple

Adored by fluttering monarchs.

Rebellious weeds thrive among the lovelies,

Some with thorns and others with choking tendrils

That mock my efforts at banishment.

From time to time, a soft feather appears,

Left like a fairy treasure among the marigolds.

My garden is a beautiful, imperfect mess;

A glorious reflection of the one who tends it.

 

My other passion is photography, which I instilled in the main character of my books: Healer, released last year by Vinspire Publishing, and Shards of Light, due out in late August.

In Healer, 17-year-old Shilo Giannelli discovers she possesses the spiritual gift of healing. It turns her normal world into chaos, leads her into danger, creates a chasm between her and her cute boyfriend, and leads her into an unexpected friendship with 18-year-old Misty Morning, a single mom with a history of brokenness. At the end of Healer, Shilo is leaving to spend the summer in Sicily with her great-grandmother, the one person who can teach her about her healing gift.

Shards of Light begins on a mountaintop in Sicily, where Shilo will touch the heart of evil, experience the redemptive power of helping others, and discover the horrors of human trafficking. (She’ll also kiss somebody she shouldn’t be kissing!) Please visit my blog to see a synopsis of Healer, along with a book trailer and Healer’s theme song, “Blue” – an amazing present from my musically gifted son.

 

Thank you for letting me share my garden thoughts and poem.

 

About the Writer/Gardener

Faith, family, and a passion for nature, writing, and photography nurture Susan’s soul. She loves to visit the world’s amazing places and has a travel bucket list that includes the Northern Lights, sunsets anywhere, Jamaica’s Luminous Lagoon, and basically anything that glows. Her background includes several years as a newspaper and television reporter in the Chicago suburbs and Albuquerque, before switching to public relations. Susan is the author of three young adult novels: Healer (2018), Shards of Light (Healer Book 2, coming in August 2019), and Show Me a Sign (2014). Her poetry and wildlife photos are featured in her children’s book, Pawprints in the Snow (2017), and she has short stories published in three anthologies. Susan is president of the American Christian Fiction Writers Chicago Chapter and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. You can find Susan at her website.

 

 

A Writer’s Garden–Garden Memories with Donna Alice Patton

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A Writer's Garden, Donna Alice Patton, Garden blog, garden memories, Mystery in the Maze, YA fiction

 

 

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing.

Today’s guest is Donna Alice Patton. Welcome, Donna!

 

 

Garden Memories

by Donna Alice Patton

There’s a famous saying that God gave us memories so we might have roses in December. While I can’t credit the author of the quote, I’ve often thought how apt the saying is for gardeners.

Years ago, my grandmother bought a wooden plaque in a novelty store. She loved the picture of a blonde child, in a peach dress, running through a field of daisies. The caption on top read, “We do not remember days, we remember moments.” Grandma Nin always said it reminded her of my cousin, Amy, and a special afternoon we spent at a park.

Often, I’ll look around my garden – or gardens – even though most are just ovals or a strip or two beside the garage or house – and memories will come blossoming into thought. Not just of the person who might have given me a specific plant or bulb, but of moments. Ordinary moments. Extra special moments or too often – never to be repeated again moments with people no longer on Earth.

When I look around my own garden spots, I too recall specific moments. Like the warm, sunny day when my sweet, great niece, Ava and I inspected the apple trees for spring blooms. Or another day in late May when some of the great nephews and nieces found we had a LOT of strawberries in one of the raised beds.

There are other moments too – of finding the first lilies in bloom. Or discovering that a beloved cat had just undone all my hard work of spreading mulch or planting new flowers in the hanging baskets. For some reason, the cats loved my hanging baskets or porch boxes. They made lovely beds with the nice, soft, freshly planted petunias.

Now that some of those kitties are gone – I wonder why I minded so much having them sleep among the flowers on a warm, summer evening. But, never mind, that’s why God gave us our memories. So that along with remembering the roses in December, we can also remember a drizzly, spring day when three little girls wanted to dance around the new green grass with pink parasols.

It’s one of my favorite garden memories.

What are yours?

 

About the Writer/Gardener

My love of gardening began with two packets of five cent seeds – parsley and pansies. Since then, while I still love pansies and parsley, my gardening aspirations have grown. They now include a mini-orchard, small rose garden, various bulb and flower ovals and several raised beds.

While I write in many different genres, my upcoming book is for young adults – and adults who are still kids at heart. For everyone who loves gardens and mysteries, you’ll love “The Mystery in the Maze” from Solstice Publishing. Available through Amazon    You can visit me on Facebook

What do ten silver dollars, an invasion of annoying relatives and a cackling voice in a mysterious, overgrown maze have in common? Eleven-year-old Maggie Brandenburg! While most of the US suffers through the Great Depression of the 1930’s, all Maggie’s first-wish-on-a-star dreams have come true. Her family has a new home. Maggie and her twin sister, Em, are enjoying school and their first ever new bicycles. Best of all, her parents aren’t struggling to make a living. Life would be a bowl of cherries – except for those pesky, lip-biting worries. If those vanished silver dollars aren’t found. . . if the relatives can’t be helped . . . and if that maze didn’t hold so many mysteries! Mysteries that are squeezing all the happiness out of Maggie’s dreams. Can Maggie find her way through the tangled maze before time runs out?

A Writer’s Garden–Garden Haiku by Vonnie Hughes

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A Writer's Garden, garden poetry, haiku by Vonnie Hughes, Innocent Hostage, Vonnie Hughes

 

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing.

Today’s guest is Vonnie Hughes who will be sharing garden poetry and flower stories.

 

GARDENS AND ME

By Vonnie Hughes

Sure, I spent a lot of my childhood pottering around after my grandfather in our big one-acre garden in Auckland in New Zealand. In spite of living right near the sea, my grandfather coaxed vegetables galore to flourish because of the soil which was a cross between sandy and volcanic i.e. rich in nutrients. But I wanted flowers. We had only a few scrubby grape hyacinths and marigolds dotted here and there. In spring the jonquil bulbs came to life, but I always found the perfume overpowering. No, I missed real flowers.

I had written poetry and novels from an early age, right through a career, having kids and doing all the usual stuff and one day in 1998 I entered a haiku writing contest sponsored by the University of Waikato and the Japanese Embassy in New Zealand. The instructions were to visit the new Japanese garden in Hamilton Gardens and write one or several haikus in accordance with what we observed at the Japanese Garden. That garden is still as peaceful and evocative now as it was then. Swallows skidded through the golden willow branches and the water was just gently scuffled with a light breeze. And the peace! In spite of being located in New Zealand, the peace gave the impression it was in a small corner of the Japanese countryside. That haiku is engraved on a plaque in those lovely gardens.

HAIKU

This is the one on a plaque in the Japanese Garden at Hamilton. See my website www.vonniehughes.com

Fluid echoes dance –

Ripples of sun and water

Hold dreams in the eaves.

 

The reference to the eaves is about the small building erected near the water.

 

This one came in fourth:

 

The fantails flitter

And skim like spiked spring rain through

The golden willows.

 

Then back came my garden mania with a vengeance – BUT I’m married to a man who grows and adores orchids.

Yup. Not harebells or clematis or English cowslips and certainly not roses – too much trouble. Orchids aren’t trouble? Huh! Tenderly spritzing dramatic blooms to protect them from the Queensland heat; feeding, feeding the little brutes; attending orchid shows to find out why scale is in the greenhouse or if the single bloom will become a double next year…this is not TROUBLE? Can you tell I’m not overly fond of orchids? I prefer wildflowers or flowers that look like they just popped up in a field and took hold. Real flowers.

Still yearning for flowers.

 

About the Writer/gardener

I was born in New Zealand and now live with my family in Queensland, Australia. I’ve been writing since I was seven when I won a pony in a contest and was forced to take the second prize, mere cash. A pony in suburbia? My parents were horrified, particularly since they had no idea I’d entered the contest. I write song lyrics, poetry, short stories and novels, particularly Regencies and Romantic Suspense. The heat levels in my books vary – if the couple is in a committed relationship or married, the heat level is warm but not screaming hot. Remember that Regencies, before they became ‘historical Regencies’ were always sweet and soft – think Anne Gracie.

And of course gardens feature largely in all my books. In two connected Regencies (The Second Son and Dangerous Homecoming), I invented a “Lady’s Garden.”

I’m both published with publishing houses and also self-published (some if those are books where my publisher has closed down).

You can connect with Vonnie at www.vonniehughes.com

 

Innocent Hostage

by Vonnie Hughes

Two years ago, Breck Marchant handed his son, Kit, over to his ex-wife, Tania, even though it tore him apart. She knows all about kids. Thanks to his own upbringing, he hasn’t a clue. But when the boy is held hostage, Breck steps up to the plate. Somehow he’ll make this father thing work and hold down his dangerous job at the same time even though the odds are against him.

Ingrid Rowland is Kit’s preschool teacher and she has known Tania for years. As far as she can tell, neither Tania nor Breck know the first thing about being parents. She fears for Kit’s future. When Breck turns to Ingrid for help with his son, she sees a different side of him. As Breck and Ingrid work to protect Kit and hold on to their careers, they begin to work together to fight off a puzzling series of vicious attacks. Then a startling revelation culminates in a murderous turn nobody sees coming

You can find Innocent Hostage at Amazon available in paperback and e-book form

 

 

 

A Writer’s Garden–In the Garden with Author Larynn Ford

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A Place to Belong, A Writer's Garden, Larynn Ford, raised bed gardens

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest is Larynn Ford. Welcome, Larynn!

 

Hey Catherine! Thanks for having me on your gardening blog today. Spring is finally here, and gardening is in the air so I’m putting the writing aside for a few hours to get some dirt under my fingernails.

A couple of years ago, I decided a raised bed filled with nice, rich top soil would be easier than begging someone to till or plow up a garden spot for me. I did a little research into materials to outline my bed and went with cement blocks. They were easier to handle one at a time than the cross ties I had used years ago and more durable. Now, forty blocks and about fifty-five bags of topsoil later, I’ve had some success with a few veggies.

On March 25, my mama turned 85 years old but is nowhere near ready to settle down in a rocking chair on the porch. She wants to do a little gardening herself and got an idea using wooden shipping pallets filled with soil for her vegetable garden. It turns out the pallets are not so easy to find so I suggested as a birthday present, I would put together a bed like mine.

She had a stack of unused blocks, so we went to work. Her bed turned out to be about 4’x13’ but my guess-timent of twenty bags of topsoil to fill the space fell a bit short. As you can see, we didn’t let that stop us. Adjustments were made.

 

So far, she has a bell pepper and three tomato plants with plans to put a few yellow squash and cucumber seed in the ground next week. I have my fingers crossed we’ll be enjoying a skillet of her stewed squash and onions real soon.

Meanwhile, it’s back to writing and promoting for me. Here’s my latest release, A Place to Belong.

 

 

 

He’s focusing on the future. She’s searching for her past. While dodging her would-be captors, they find they are purr-fect for each other.

Look for A Place to Belong at Amazon

 

 

 

 

About the Writer/Gardener

Larynn Ford began reading romance in her early teens and became interested in writing in high school. She’s a daydreamer and a romantic who is intrigued by the paranormal and loves to let her mind wander, always searching for a happily ever after ending to her dreams.

She’d love to hear about your gardening adventures. You can find her here:

Facebook: Website: Twitter: @LarynnFord

Happy gardening and reading.

Larynn

A Writer’s Garden–Wendy MacDonald’s Garden Poetry

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A Writer's Garden, garden pictures, garden poems, Wendy Macdonald, Wendy MacDonald poetry

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest is Wendy MacDonald sharing her garden poetry and exquisite photographs. Welcome, Wendy.

 

What’s Your Favorite Season?

 

I have a favorite season. Do you?

It’s the best time of year in my garden. The flowers are vibrant with color and freshness. I love to kneel down and take macro shots of them because it affords unique and artsy pictures. Although I’ve discovered beauty in every season, spring is the season I long for the most.

As a writer and blogger, I appreciate having crocuses, snowdrops, daffodils etc. to photograph and post along with my poetry and prose. By the end of January, I dig out flower pictures from my spring and summer files to share with readers who may also be tired of winter. Sure enough, I’m never alone in my craving.

It was while I was reading The Secret Garden that I realized my love for spring. Since then, during March, I think of this lovely book when I spy crocus, tulip, and daffodil bulbs poking their green noses through the soil.

Spring, like a good book, holds promise of delightful moments to linger over.

Spring

 Spring brings delight

To our senses and souls

As she waltzes past winter

In purple velvet robes

Spring brings a promise

To engage us all

With a parade of prettiness

That rivals fall.

~ wlm

 

I’m nosy-to-know which season is your favorite?

Spring blessings ~ Wendy Mac

 

About the Writer/Gardener:

Wendy L. Macdonald is an inspirational blogger and podcaster who loves to photograph nature on Vancouver Island. Her byline is: “My faith is not shallow because I’ve been rescued from the deep.” Her main website is wendylmacdonald.com where she enjoys interacting with readers.

To read more of her poems and see her beautiful garden photos, visit Wendy at her blog  https://www.wendylmacdonald.com/

A Writer’s Garden–In the Garden with Author Catherine Castle

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A Groom for Mama, A Writer's Garden, Catherine Castle, Garden blog, winter snow damage

A Writer’s Garden Starts Today!

Welcome back to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

I have a great lineup of authors this year, some who’ve been on the blog before, and some who are new to A Writer’s Garden, so I hope you’ll join us every Thursday between now and October to learn about their gardens, flowers, and even see some gardens they’ve visited. You never know what you might find on the blog, but whatever it is, it will be garden related.

There’s one thing I’ve learned about being a gardener and that is change is always around the corner. Plants die, get out-of-bounds, or don’t perform well. Perennials need to be divided, annuals need to be replanted. A garden is in constant flux. Mine will be changing this year—again.

I hope your gardens survived this winter’s snows. Unfortunately, I had some damage in mine. The lovely stand of mugo pines at the north corner of the hillside garden, which were supposed to be dwarfs, had snow damage.

This is what they looked like before the snow. The mugos are the dark green bush in the middle left of the photo.

 

And this is what they looked like when they got snowed on.

 

This is what they look like now.

 

I’m not able to rip them out, nor is the hubby. They’re over 10 feet tall. So we’re calling in a landscaper. I’ve decided to replace them with three burning bushes. They will be much easier to trim and keep in bounds than the supposedly dwarf mugo pines. You have to pinch off the candles to keep mugos dwarf—something I wasn’t told at installation, so they just kept growing and growing until they were too tall to manage.

I love the brilliant red fall color of burning bushes, and they will be easier to trim when they get too big. I’ll post some pictures this fall when they change colors.

Here’s hoping your garden grows well and the way you want it to grow. Happy Gardening!

When you’re taking a garden break this spring, pick up a book, your sun hat, a cold drink, and relax with a good book, like Catherine’s award-winning sweet romantic dramedy, A Groom for Mama. Available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble

 

Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

 

About the Writer/Gardener:

Multi-award winning author Catherine Castle loves writing, reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

 

A Writer’s Garden–Catherine Castle’s Garden Anticipations

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A Groom for Mama, A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, Garden Anticipations, Sweet romance

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest is me, Catherine Castle, and I’m going to share my garden adventures and pictures from this season, with a peek at past years.

 

“If you would be happy, plant a garden.” Chinese Proverb

 Garden Anticipations

 

As I write this post, it’s supposed to be fall in our gardens, but here in Southern Ohio the weather has been more summer-like than fall-like. This past week is the first where it has actually felt like fall. The most fall-ish thing I see outside my kitchen window is my sedum, whose tops have turned maroon. I’ve never seen them quite this dark. I’m wondering if it’s because we had a nice amount of rain this year.

I’m anxiously awaiting the flaming red leaves of my burning bush to appear. If I’m lucky I’ll just be able to see it over the no-longer-dwarf mugo pines. The landscaper didn’t tell me I needed to trim them to keep them dwarf and now they block everything behind them.

Picture of red flaming bush when it was young

 

Since the temps have finally dropped below 40 degrees so I—and when I say I, I mean my dear hubby—can dig up some daylilies and wayward black-eyed Susans in a chigger-infested bed and make the bed more tidy. I can’t do heavy labor any more. I get the sit-on-the-garden-stool-and-sort jobs now. While weeding the bed this spring I was eaten alive by the no-see-em bugs, so all gardening stopped in that spot. If you’ve ever had a bunch of chigger bites you know how miserable that can be. I did discover that ice packs held on the bites until you can’t feel your legs kill the sting and itch.

North deck beds that has the chiggers

 

Another fall job we need to do is in the front day lily bed. This bed is full of weedy runner grass, also known as quack grass or snake grass. For three years we’ve sprayed and dug the three tiers back in this corner in an attempt to kill the grass. The grass is gone from the back and we’re ready tackle the last patch of pesky grass. We started the big job this Tuesday, and I think I’m going to have more day lilies than I have bare areas to replant them in. We may have to drop some back in the same place and just keep fighting the weedy grass by hand.

Weedy Day lilies

 

Because of my back issue, we had landscapers come in and do the heavy work this spring. They tore out most of my Shasta Daisies in the front beds. They had become puny and full of clover, which is extremely hard to eradicate or pull. I will be dividing my Stella D’Oro daylilies to fill the empty spaces in the picture on the left below. This is what the beds looked like in their heyday. They haven’t looked as nice recently as the clumps had begun to thin out and bloom sparsely. More weedy than lovely.

 

 

 

 

Old shasta bed (L) and cleared shasta bed (R)

 

Garden Gymnastics

Oh, and I must share the lovely beds my husband built me this spring along the front stairs and the gard. He leveled the slope out so I can stand in the beds or sit on the walls to weed. Slopes are harder and harder for me to navigate.

 

 

 

 

new beds to replace shasta daisies

 

I wasn’t much help with the building as he started. I was recovering from a severe sciatic attack that put me on crutches for a month. I mostly sat on the edge of the front wall and supervised. Great job if you can get it. J

By the time he’d completed the top layer, I had improved enough to work in the garden for short periods of time. My back still hurt, but I could function on a daily basis. So, one morning I grabbed a hoe and started smoothing out the top layer of dirt and compost. One step backward tumbled me over two bags of compost lying in the yard. I flipped heels-over-head backward and then the downward slope of the front yard turned me sideways. I completed the backward roll and ended up sitting, legs stretched out in front of me, facing the opposite direction.

In a very calm voice, my husband said, “Are you all right?”

Confused that I was now looking south, instead of north, I just stared at him, thankful that the compost had broken my fall and amazed that I hadn’t hit the flowerbed wall just above me and broken my neck. “I think so,” I said. Then I asked, “Why didn’t you help or call out my name?”

“I couldn’t get up in time,” he replied. “It happened so fast, yet you were rolling in slow motion. It was crazy.”

He offered to help me up, but I started laughing hysterically—the stomach crunching kind of laughs that put you in tears. After a couple of minutes, when I could breathe again, I inch-wormed my way to my feet—an acrobatic move that in itself would have been video worthy. Upon standing, I discovered my garden gymnastics had adjusted the last piece of my spine that was out-of-place. I had no back pain! And I felt as if I stood fully erect for the first time in months.

Unfortunately, my husband didn’t have his camera with him. If he had we’d have won America’s Funniest Home Videos and could have been $10,000 richer. The story made for weeks of giggles as I recounted it to friends. When I told the chiropractor he was amazed, but recommended I not use that particular adjustment method on a regular basis. I wholeheartedly agreed, although it was the best my back had felt in months.

Currently the new beds next to the stairs are empty, as I can’t make up my mind what I want to plant in them. It needs to be something easy to clean in the spring. At first I was leaning toward filling the beds with the day lilies I separate this fall. It’s been 14 years since my day lilies have been separated, and I’m sure I’d have enough to fill the new beds. But now I’m considering peonies. They die back in the fall and would be easy to clean up. I also love the heady smell of blooming peonies, but I hate the ants that accompany the plants. I know they’re necessary to help the blooms open, but I really hate ants. If you have any suggestions on other plants, I love to hear them. I need easy to clean and easy to care for.

I want to thank all readers who stopped by and spread the word about the blog and the lovely authors who have helped make this blog series a success this year. It’s been so much fun seeing all your gardens—both green and living and those stitched between the covers of your books. I hope you’ve all enjoyed visiting with me as much as I’ve enjoyed having you. At present, I’m planning to repeat A Writer’s Garden next spring, so keep snapping those garden pictures in anticipation of a new gardening year.

Here’s wishing you all Happy Gardening,

wherever you live.

 

About the writer/gardener

Multi-award-winning author Catherine Castle loves writing, reading, traveling, singing, theatre, and quilting. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances and both of her books have won awards. You can find her award-winning books The Nun and the Narc and A Groom for Mama on Amazon. Follow her here on her blog or on Catherine’s Amazon author page.

 

 

A Groom for Mama

By Catherine Castle

Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.

The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.

A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.

A Groom for Mama won in the Contemporary Category this year in the Raven Awards!

Buy Link

 

A Writer’s Garden–HL Carpenter shares Green Thumb Moments

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Author Catherine Castle's gardening blog, Green Thumb moments, HL Carpenter, Walled In, young adult novel

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest is mother and daughter writing team HL Carpenter sharing some of their favorite Green Thumb Moments. Welcome, HL!

 

Green Thumb Moments

by HL Carpenter

 

 

Our gardening friends are scattered like seeds in the wind. North. South. East. West.

 

 

When we get together, the day feels sunnier as we discuss all things gardening and marvel at each other’s glorious flowers.

 

And we exchange gifts.

The gift might be a stick with a leaf and a root attached. Replanted, the little sprig grows into a healthy plant. We call that experience a green thumb moment.

Last fall a relative arrived with four blueberry bushes and a pear tree. This year tasty treats fresh from the garden grace our table, providing more green thumb moments.

 

 

Other gifts are less practical but no less appreciated, like the whimsical solar paneled turtle we recently received. Not for any special occasion. Just a wonderful surprise from a fellow gardener. The cheerful turtle now resides on a sunny spot of ground near an unruly tangle of flame lilies. By day, Mosey the Turtle smiles as we pass by. At night she lights our way. Occasionally, we tell her about our latest book-in-progress and she winks at us.

 

Okay, the winking part might not be true. Sometimes we’re more fanciful than Mosey the Turtle. But whether she winks or not, each time we see her, we think of the friend who sent her.

Yes, gardeners make the day brighter. They also make us realize we can never have too many flowers or too many gardening friends.

And that’s the best green thumb moment of all.

About the writers/gardeners

Mother/daughter author duo HL Carpenter write family-friendly fiction from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories, is unreal but not untrue. When they’re not writing, they enjoy exploring the Land of What-If and practicing the fine art of Curiosity. Visit HLCarpenter.com to enjoy gift reads and excerpts and to find out what’s happening in Carpenter Country.

 Walled In

 A young adult, sweet novel by HL Carpenter.

When her father is accused of fraud, seventeen year old Vandy Spencer discovers her entire life has been built on a heart-shattering deception.

Amazon buy link for Walled In