Woe is Me

After a rather serious case of poison ivy 
following my weeding frenzy Friday morning, 
I'm sticking to yard art this morning.

 I'll figure out what to do about the poison ivy
that has popped up in our flower beds another day.
Any suggestions?

Meanwhile, I hide from my public.  
My face is not a pretty one!

Too Hot to Handle

Yesterday afternoon, in spite of the heat and humidity, I deadheaded the rose bushes.
Looks like more of the same weather for today. 
It's going to be "too hot to handle" the tools, I think...
 On a quick morning survey of The Beds, I notice the lilies are about to break open...
 the clematis are breath-takingly beautiful...
 the hosta are flowering...
 and so are the weeds growing under other hosta plants!
I just don't have the heart to uproot them now 
when their blue & yellow flowers look so cheerful.
The wooden cardinal remains steadfast at his lookout post
no matter WHAT the weather.


"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it."
-- Russell Baker

Before It Happens...

Somehow, when spring comes each year, I've forgotten how large my perennials grow!
I clearly need to revisit this photo of the front & side of our front porch NEXT spring
when I can divide and transplant some of these plants!
Today they dwarf the stepping stones leading from our front sidewalk 
to the side yard...
This same photo also reveals a very bold weed!  How could I have missed THAT?
And there in the background is the old rose bush 
that has blossomed so proudly this year...
This plant's name escaped me a few years ago
and hasn't returned yet.  
(I DO  remember selecting it and planting it though...)
I had NO idea it would grow so large!

Do YOU have any tips for anticipating and adjusting for plant growth
before it happens?

A Senior Moment???

For the rest of this post, you'll have to go HERE.
The title was "Brrrrrr!  It's Cold (Almost).
I composed it and mistakenly placed it on the wrong blog 
and was too lazy to move it!
Must have been a "senior moment".
I hate it when that happens!
It was a really good post.

Three Blooms in a Bed

 Spiderwort in full bloom...
lovely violas...
and even the hosta are getting in on the show!
These are three of the blooming beauties
in the corner of one of our flower beds
on this sunny and cool morning.

A Come As You Are Party

 "You should get a picture of your 'flower',"  he said as he came in from his car.
So I did.  Weeds and all.
It's a kind of "Come As You Are" party.
Remember those?

Red, White and Blue


 Like so many others that I'm seeing, 
our white roses have outdone themselves the past few days!
I'm not sure what this blue flower is....I don't think I missed its full bloom.
Maybe more to come?
Update:  Bachelor's Button/Cornflower it is!
Thanks, Wanda AND Nan.
 ...and another look at our Epson salt, miracle roses.
(Actually, I'll never know whether it was the salt
or just the favorable weather.)

A Productive Monday

Early this morning, I took advantage of the "cool" and weeded in this flower bed. 
I rearranged some tiles and metal tubes to line this path that crosses the bed.
This evening, my husband replaced the boards on this rusty stand.
I'll have fun placing it SOMEwhere in the yard tomorrow!
Feverfew (above)
and one of my husband's favorites below in front of the old watering can.  
(I'll think of its name -- probably in the middle of the night!
I think it has "tooth" in its name.)
Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'
I have no idea where I got the idea
there might be "tooth" in the name!

What a Difference a Day Makes!

Yesterday there were only buds...
Today the sun is so bright that my pictures didn't turn out
as well as I had hoped...
There were many OTHER things blooming 
as we strolled around our yard this afternoon.


I almost pulled the ground cover(?) growing between the stepping stones
in front of our house.  This afternoon, they are blooming.  
Maybe it really IS ground cover and not aggressive weeds!
I wonder if my friend on Sherlock Street knows?????
I can't get enough pictures of clematis.  
They photograph so easily and are so beautiful.

Almost/Not Quite

 Above, the view through the lattice "wall" of our small back patio...
 Almost, but not quite...
This is the rose bush around which I worked Epson salt
into the soil.
 The white bushes surrounding our backyard cabin are FULL of buds.
Before long they will be dancing with blooms.
I have trouble capturing their beauty with my cell phone camera.

June Arrives--Full of Beauty

I've lost the identification tag on THIS one (above).
I'd forgotten that it flowers!
Lamium it is!  (Sherlock Street to the rescue - again.)
These little robins must have been fresh out of the nest.  
They didn't know enough to be afraid!
The irises are putting on quite a show!  
Seems that everywhere their flowers are stunningly beautiful.
A young clematis & a more mature astilbe play their roles in our flower beds.