Garden 6: Euphorbia and Rusted, Metal Things

Straight out of the Jetson's, right?

It was euphorbia that first turned my frown upside-down on those cortisol-fuelled, forced strolls* through the neighbourhood.
*See the 3rd distraction

I wanted some for the longest time. And I wanted it from the neighbourhood. However, euphorbia has a milky sap that itches if touched bare-skinned, so I was unlikely to attain any on the fly. My chance came when my neighbour offered me a shorter variety that was escaping her front garden. I put on my gloves.

Can't remember the exact circumstances of the tall ones, my faves. I would love a lush, jutting, space-age clump of them in every corner - chartreuse rocket ship landing-stations masquerading as early spring flowers - but they don't come easy. I planted this one directly under the kitchen window, where I can put my head out each morning and check on its progress. It's settling in nicely.

Euphorbia, tall and small

The rusting, peeling, metal building decoration is one of two I found on the sidewalk in front of a house in East Vancouver, en route to whatever was the destination of the day. It would have been nap time.

I kept, in the car, a Costco-sized container of cashews, a pillow, two blankets, a box of Kleenex, and a succession of water-tight, fake-Tupperware containers, just in case. I spent a lot of time there, napping, and if not napping, driving less-travelled roads to some child-friendly destination.

I took care to not disturb the child while loading.

The wrought iron curlicue (in the wooden planter box) snapped off the next-door neighbour's front railing when the digger was tearing down her condemned house.

You'd think it would be hard to remain dignified while being escorted from one's home wearing a too-large, hooded, Tyvec onesie, duct-taped at the wrists and ankles, like a walking bio hazard - but my neighbour managed it.

I saw the bulldozer crunch up her railing from my son's bedroom window. We liberated the metal curlicue from the rubble, in the dark. Another 2 or 3 straight pieces serve as plant stakes elsewhere in the garden.

To be continued...

Garden 14:  Harvest
Garden 13: Abandoned Stuff, Things of Beauty
Garden 12: Death and Potential
Garden 11: Japanese Maple Tree and Sedum (?)
Garden 10: Foxglove and Weed Digger
Garden 9: Veggies and Sweet Pea 
Garden 8: Gnomes and Slugs
Garden 7: The Lady Next Door
Garden 5: Cement Bench and Wallflower
Garden 4: Maryjane
Garden 3: Family Portrait
Garden 2: The Neighbours'
Garden 1: Lilac Bush and Abandoned Cans