Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Bees, Butterflies & A Dragonfly


It seems we have had more bees, butterflies and dragonflies this year than ever before or maybe I've had more time to enjoy. Hot, hot days and they just flutter around the garden drinking in their nectar. It is a beautiful sight.

bumblebee on false dragonhead

dragonfly (snake doctor)
on one of our concrete benches
and we seen a chicken snake later that afternoon

butterfly on the zinnas
which they dearly love

another on the butterfly weed

and another on the false dragonhead

This past weekend was very nice, 80s and no humidity and it was easier to work outside. We are back in the 90s again this week with slim chances of rain for the weekend. We have been trimming, cutting down and trying to get the garden back under control - yeah right. Don't know if that will ever happen but we are sure trying. We are going to start watering on Friday and Saturday nights so we can pull, dig and get the weeds/tree sprouts out and mulch down. We have our work cut out for us and hopefully will have a garden we can enjoy more and work less next year. haha

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Bargains


More Bargains for the Garden

beautiful coneflowers for $1 each
on clearance at a local nursery

2 cute thatched nesting pockets
on sale at Duncraft

2 metal crosses
on clearance at Hobby Lobby

and the best for last
2 concrete pedestals at a yard sale
Friday evening & YES they are as
heavy as the look

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

New Daylilies


Our Newest Additions

Tropical Heatwave

Leanne Bilsborough

My friend Lynn was so kind to provide me with a link to the Lily Auction and I of course had to go and check it out. Didn't take me 5 minutes to find plenty of beauties to bid on and these are the 2 I won. They were shipped fast and arrived in perfect condition and now are planted in a light fixture planter waiting for better weather to go into the ground. Now to go back and see what else I can find that we just can't live without.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

This & That


Around the Garden

white coneflowers
didn't even know we had these

pink coneflowers
keep coming back every year

new hostas
awaiting better weather to plant
front - raspberry sorbet (to have mauve flowers)
left - abiqua drinking gourd
right - pizzazz

foxgloves bought on clearance are blooming
yippee

rose of sharon bush
blooms don't even need limbs anymore

magnificent tiger lilies
bigger & better every year

This is turning out to be a very dry summer for us. We have the water sprinklers out and going 3 nights a week with us using watering cans for the pots around the house. At least we seem to have left the high 90 degree days behind and hopefully they won't come back. Our humidity is so much easier to deal with when the temps are in the 80s and low 90s.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Hosta


Ming Treasure
my favorite hosta

enormous 6" pure white flowers

2 down and lots more to go

finally a homes that it likes

After about 12 years and 6 plants I finally have one that is blooming. It has the most wonderful fragrance, almost as strong as the honeysuckle vines in full bloom. It is a delight to sit on the patio or just going in and out the back door. The fragrance is strong enough to stop you in your tracks so you can enjoy it to the max. I am so glad I finally have the perfect place for it to grow and us to enjoy.


Thursday, August 11, 2011

Surprise


Pink Surprise Lilies

a real surprise since we didn't plant
one in the new hosta and hydrangea bed
these hostas were moved from behind Alan's shed
2 of the hydrangeas were from Walmart's clearance
and the other from our friend Lynn's garden
thank you so much Lynn

left behinds in the corner garden

in the bed next to Alan's shop

up close and gorgeous

These lilies are a continuous surprise every year. We seem to finally be getting more and more of them, not always where we move them to but still gorgeous where ever they decide to come up.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

For the Birds


Birdbaths
starting in the backyard

in Mom's bed of roses

seen from the kitchen window
in the bed of peonies and lilies

hanging in the Bradford Pear tree
over the patio for the hummingbirds

hanging in the tulip magnolia bush
off the front porch for the finches

in the knockout rose and peony bed
very shallow - have to fill every 2/3 days



2 cute little ones for the new
hosta/hydrangea bed - they
don't even hold water for 1 full day
looks good though

walking into the garden
new birdbath from Lowe's
surrounded by daylilies and peonies

at the front of the garden
surrounded by daylilies

walking around the other side of the garden
new flower one from the Wild Birds Unlimited Store
I just couldn't resist - very shallow and
have to fill every day
sure looks good surrounded by weeds!

I worked Saturday morning at the back of the garden trimming the dawn redwood and bald cypress trees up a little and cleaning out the dead limbs. I also managed to clean up and trim the crape myrtles that came back from our cutting them down this spring along with the tulip magnolia and rose of sharon bush. Two daylily beds also got cleaned out and mowed down for the summer. It is now possible to walk into the garden from the back driveway without bending over or sliding through anything since one of us is usually carrying Bella. It sure made our walk to the stock tank to feed the fish Sunday evening so much more enjoyable.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Cross Stitch Quilt Blocks


Finishes
for LDI Flower Quilt

Funky Flowers
By the Bay Needleart
"Beatrice"
14 ct White Aida, DMC Floss

Funky Flowers
By the Bay Needleart
"Cassandra"
14 ct White Aida, DMC Floss


Tuesday, August 2, 2011

For the Birds


Birdcages

white cage hanging by the patio
with the bluebird of happiness

red cage hanging by the driveway
new bird we found at Ross' to grace the cage
we just have to smile every time we drive by