MacGregor's Salute to National Tartan Day

Did you know this interesting tartan fact?

The world’s first colour photograph, made by the Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell in 1861, was of a tartan ribbon.

click to enlarge

The weather has cooled considerably since the weekend. It was 36 last night the perfect temperature to sit by the fire and wrap up in this vintage tartan Pendleton blanket which resides on the back of Mr. MacGregor's leather wing chair in his office. This blanket was handed down to him from his late Grandfather whom he reveres.

Mr. MacGregor's tartan office

Samuel Berry Godbold

For some serious eye candy visit Scott @ http://tartanscot.blogspot.com/

and Delores @ http://vignettedesign.blogspot.com/.

Peter Rabbit comes to Mr. MacGregors

Peter dropped by this morning

MacGregor Cottage

He just wanted to visit Mr. MacGregor

What a handsome fellow

The commentary to this post disappeared somehow and it took me 3 days to realize it.  Peter Rabbit came for a visit because he had a slight mishap, while it remains a mystery, we think he must have tripped running in the garden.  He broke his ear and he needed mending. Mr. MacGregor fixed him up quite properly and now most unfortunately for MacGregor Cottage he has returned to his own home with the lovely  Betty Farr. He will be missed.

Boxwood hedge

after

after

after

after

before: boxwoods  after 4 years never grew into hedge

another before

another before 4 years of growth

still before the fig on the steps however is doing well

4 years old

after just love the results

just a peak of the lady banks rose blooming in the lower right corner

another shot

after from a different angle lady banks gone wild

We took a weekend a couple of weeks ago and transplanted 52 dwarf boxwoods. Initially we had lined a couple of beds and spaced them according to the directions from the growers tag. To my dismay after 5 years they  never got anywhere near forming a hedge. I was going for an English cottage look. I finally convinced my husband to helped me out and move  them to line our walk to the front door instead. This was no small feat as after 5 years there was a considerable root system. He did most of the labor due to the strength required. It probably took 14 man hours to accomplish, which he did in two consecutive days. He dug up each one up and then dug two trenches one either side of the walk to situate them in and insure they were now close enough to form said hedge. He did a great job. I am delirious I love it so. He paid a price for all this manual labor. The arch of his foot was bruised in the process. He will survive but he is off duty in the transplanting department for 2011. A well deserved reward for a job well done. I then put pine straw mulch around all of the beds another two hours.  Almost forgot to mention he also divided four lavender plants and we are trying our hand at propagating.  Will share the results if we are successful. He likes to tell anyone who will listen that when I say "we"need to do thus and so in the yard "we" indicated him and his shovel rather than he and I.  I think he's got me there.