Our Birthday Girl

Bella is 2 today

Bella

Isabella has been entered into the Gerber Generation Photo Search for a Gerber Life College Plan.  Voting starts today through September 24 and we would appreciate your vote each day.  Everyone is allowed 1 vote per day.  Click on the link and it will take you there.

Bella's Link

End of August

Those dog days of August have sure been good to us this year.  The temps have been in the 80s and low 90s for most of the month and rain has been scattered through out.  The flower garden is still looking good and the tomato garden is winding down.  We are mulching and clearing out weeds as fast as we can getting ready for fall and winter.  

birdbath planter looking good

dahlias starting to bloom

impatiens on porch still looking great

new concrete mermaid

 found at Home Goods for $10

my best buy of the summer

fallen bird nest in Jane Magnolias

yellow jacket nest I pulled out with weeds

 1 of several yellow jackets

 looking for their nest

I beat a hasty retreat!

roses

rose of sharon

which the bumblebees love

Our project for this weekend is to get Bella's little house painted inside and trim painted outside.  Replace roof shingles and fix the porch all without our little helper.  Wish us luck!

One More Project Done

What a wonderful August we are having this year.  Lots of sunny days in the 80s and low 90s with rain periodically.  Couldn't be any better and the crape myrtles are blooming around the garden.

 new pathway through the garden

one down and 3 more to go

pink crape myrtle

center of garden

pink, white and peppermint crape myrtles

corner garden

Around the Garden This Summer

August has been a great month for us so far, cooler temps and more rain after a very hot and humid July.

 new bird statute at the little pond

dragonflies are abundant this year

glass frog from Marshall's clearance counter

brightens up the hens and chicks

hens and chicks blooming

along with daylilies

 2 new hibiscus

Midnight Marvel

new low round blue pot

full of african daisies

new tall skinny tall blue pot

with pink mandevilla

rose champions

love it under the pine tree

Mom's hydrangeas

right side of front porch

Mom's Hydrangeas

left side of front porch

My Helper While Watering

Bella Has A Playhouse

Our friend Chad's Mom had this playhouse built for his little girls that have now grown up and it has come to our house for Bella. She and we are thrilled and so happy to have her a little playhouse.  We plan on removing the wood bench and adding more stepping stones to her front door and with some minor fixing up and paint it will be as good as new.

Bella sweeps and cleans every morning in her playhouse

 new midnight marvel hardy hibiscus

new luna red hardy hibiscus

oriental lily blooming this spring

one of many surprise lilies up and blooming

trumpet vine blooming everywhere

it has spread to all the lilacs next to it

gorgeous tropical hibiscus

tiger lilies were in full bloom last month

More New Pots

We have been hitting all  the Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Marshall's & Ross stores in our area over the last couple of months looking for spectacular buys on flower pots and have managed to snag a few.

beautiful purple/blue pot from

 Home Goods clearance counter

with a purple glass frog from Marshall's
clearance and planted with a curly fries hosta 

beautiful 4 in 1 pot from Lynn

planted with hens/chick on a 

newly painted base and Velvet

bright red/black pot from Bates Nursery

they had 50% off 1 item

planted with a hosta and new guinea impatiens

another Home Goods clearance pot

planted with a Luna Red Hardy Hibiscus

and the best for last

I had seen a picture of these spheres somewhere months ago so we saved our whiskey barrel rings as the barrels fell apart and had to be thrown away.  Then I went to the hardware store to get my hooks after deciding we had enough to start and came home to tell Alan what I wanted and would he make them.  After making a second trip to the hardware store and getting the right stuff this time I came back and he whipped out 4 of them this past weekend.  Didn't even have to dig my pictures out.  He did a fantastic job with them and they look great hanging in our trees in the flower garden.