Monday Meanderings

The weather was nigh PERfect all day Monday.
In the evening, I prevailed upon The Husband 
to hang this little banner I'd found in the FREE box at a garage sale over the weekend!
 I was camera ready to capture the flag....
 so when my eyes were WOWED by the emergence of  new color combinations
 in our various flower beds,
I started snapping away!
 The Husband mowed the yard, after which
 we puttered some more...trimming some branches here and there
 and removing some volunteer trees taking root in undesirable places.
 This American flag was also a "freebie".  
 We chose this spot on our front porch to hang it.
I wonder how soon we'll enjoy such a mild and wonderful
day such as this again? 
(If you missed my previous post showing the bouquet I assembled
from weeds growing on the vacant property next door,
I invite you to take a peek!)

Wild and Free

 The property next door to us is vacant and not so very well maintained.
Weekly mowing doesn't put a dent in the weeds!
Today as I walked past it to go to the post office,
 I noticed a variety of wild flowers growing enthusiastically!
When I returned home, I got a scissors and snipped me
a bouquet--placing it in one of the pair of vases I retrieved
over the weekend from a pile of free garage-sale leftovers!
(There are 6 varieties of "wild and free" in this bouquet!)

Lake Walk

 I took advantage of the cool of the morning yesterday
 to stroll in the neighborhood
 surrounding the quiet lake
 where I had "overnighted" with friends.

 In spite of the dryness and heat of the past several weeks,
 my eyes found much to marvel about!
 This log cabin especially has drawn me in every time I visit McClish Lake--
a perfect destination and turn-around point for my strolls.
 (Need I say that I prefer a little bit of wildness in my landscape?)
 The pinks here were PERFECT in their placement.
I wish I could have captured the path a bit better
in the photo below....
There were a few more out-buildings or sheds I should have photographed, 
but the colors of this one were striking!
If you're interested in seeing some of the more unique mailboxes along the route,
I featured them on one of my other blogs....

Touring Wildwood Park








We enjoyed a hot afternoon tour yesterday--
interiors and exteriors.
For me, only 3 of the 12 homes had landscapes of interest.
To be fair,  it has been VERY dry here.  
And people are busy, busy, busy...

Behind the Cabin

I'd forgotten how the sun reflecting on the bottle
duplicates the colors of the day lilies that are just now beginning to bloom...
(For more views of our cabin through the years,
you can click on the label/link below this post.)

Thanks, Joan!

 Variegated sedum
 
 a red bud tree
 
Bee balm
 Solomon's seal
and Yucca.
All these (and a huge clump of lilies) were dug up
on Monday from yard of a generous friend
and transplanted the same morning.
Thanks, Joan!

Extreme Makeover

Tonight we were sitting in our yard reading. 
 I was on the list to get this book when it became available at our public library. 
It became available, and I was delighting in it
when...
 I looked up and saw this bush as it IS
 and as it COULD be.
 I couldn't rest until it was done!
 Of course that meant that neither could my husband.
It's done now.
What a difference!
Dare I call it an Extreme Makeover?
(In my next post, I'll introduce you to our newest plants
transplanted from a friend's beautiful back yard earlier today.)

What's Wrong with this Picture?

Today I retrieved some plants from
the yard of a friend who was putting a few of her beds back to "pasture".
I've tucked them in to the rare vacant spots in my own,
but on the way to do so, I saw to my astonishment that my mums are blooming!
What's WRONG with this picture?
In spite of my cutting them back a couple of weeks ago
(also way ahead of time)
there are buds on a few and THESE are opening.
What's left for July?  August?  September?  October?

Rose...Garden

 Today I deadheaded the white rose bushes that hug our backyard cabin.
The morning was cool and conducive to such things...
I wandered about a bit to assess some yard art
I had placed here and there in the flower beds a day or two ago.
 I just can't help myself!
 I like rust!
I'm trying to figure out what to place in the circle (below)
remaining from a cracked humming bird feeder...
Stay tuned!