Unexpected Harvest

 Surprise in the flower garden!
I guess some gourds got thrown out last year.
I left these vines grow, not sure what I was growing --
pumpkins, cukes, or zucchini!
As it turns out, it appears I'll have two ornamental gourds 
to enjoy this fall.  Lots of vine; little fruit.

All Bottled Up

 I could NEVER be accused of keeping my enthusiasm 
 for yard art "Bottled Up"!
An existing arrangement of brown bottles in front of our house...
So imagine my excitement when the black iron bottle tree arrived
this morning -- hand delivered by the artist himself!
After dinner, I enlisted my husband's muscle and mallet
to drive it into the ground.  I quickly gathered  green bottles
from various and sundry places throughout our flower beds
and VOILA!
Thanks, Steve Garmater!
See more of his extra-ordinary talent on display HERE....

the Redemption of the Extension Gardens

 Several weeks ago we visited our local Extension Gardens
 and were disappointed with its appearance....
 I NOW think it was just that we caught it at a bad time.

 Today we revisited it, and we were happy to see how it had filled out.









 I think the hydrangea were my favorite view today...
although there was plenty of loveliness everywhere!


Under the careful eyes and skillful hands of many Master Gardeners, 
this public garden is at once an educational and thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Mid-August Reflections

An over-sized salvaged grill grate 
temporarily guards one of my hostas
 while two old chairs support kindling wood for an evening fire.
I potted a part of one of the hardy mums that (in spite of a couple of trimmings)
grew HUGE early.  I think this potted part is going to survive.  (Haven't tried it before....)
I'm sure that very soon I'll need to trim off both of these flowering plants.
They've brought me so much pleasure - lots of bang for the buck!
The lovely cool days have made it easy to enjoy our yard the past few days.
I have also enjoyed my visits to many of the sites I've listed in the sidebar.
Beauty surrounds us!

Well, Bowl Me Over...

Yard Art!  
 I can't help it...
If I must blame someone, I'd blame Pam Pennick.
Her post featuring Marcia Donahue's sculpture and found objects HERE
is what got my creative juices flowing.
Go to Digging to see what Marcia 's done with bowling balls!
What's YOUR latest creation?

One Thing Leads to Another

 My husband's thorough garden shed cleaning last night
uncovered some long-forgotten potential Yard Art!
 So we hung THIS particular piece on the front porch,
 and I went to work stenciling the two sides of this shovel/spade.
(Do you know how difficult it is to think of single words to deck a spade?!?)
 I waited for morning's light - which comes much later these days - to take these photos.
I couldn't quite capture the true essence of our side yard
 or the lavender flowers on this hosta as I rounded the front corner of our house,.
but, as you can see, one thing led to another...

and at home....surprises

 While I was taking the Home and Garden tour (see previous post),
 surprises were forming EVERYwhere in our flower beds!
 No matter how many years I've enjoyed this phenomena,
 it always catches me by, well....
 SURPRISE!

My Take on the Tour

 I'm sure there's a limit to how many photos a person can place in a post....
and I'm also sure I'm going to break that limit!
These photos are from the Northside Neighborhood Home and Garden Walk
in Fort Wayne, IN.  The afternoon was delightful;
the homeowners and hosts most gracious.
Without further ado (except to say that I'm a huge fan
of garden art and paths), here is my "take" on the tour.
















































The End.