What's Blooming Today

Simple blooms, really...

These, so far--

and a few dandelions...illegal immigrants from neighbors' yards.

Mid-August Stroll

After the intense and horrible day of news on Saturday,

I needed a stroll around our yard before going to bed.

 

 

 It helped somehow.

our do-nothing-roses

 I call them "do nothing roses" because 

that's exactly what we do!  Nothing.

They seldom disappoint us.

This year just might be the best year of blooms YET!

Transplanted from the flower bed of a friend of a friend,

they continue to bless us with their beauty...

not everyone's cup of tea

They may not be EVERYone's "cup of tea", 

but these spiderwort thrill me with their blue and wild appearance.

They seem perfectly placed around the old wood of a lilac bush in one of our flower beds.

 And finally,

a rose campion!  

Years ago, in another time and another place,

I had some.

Now, here.

And I remember why I liked them.

 

May Day

 These tulips were rather late in coming

only to be beat upon by the recent hard rains and winds.

 Sorry to have been able to enjoy them for such a short time...

Meanwhile, I'm eager for the sunshine to be matched by temperatures

warm enough to actually sit outside and enjoy it!

May Day it is...and the sun is having a difficult time trying to decide

whether to shine or hide!

Another Day/Another Garden

 Thinking we would see progress at the local County Extension Garden,

we were met by only Nature's progress.

Apparently, the Master Gardeners responsible for maintaining this garden

are still busy in their personal gardens...

 Nature, however, did not disappoint.

The Lilac Department was especially glorious!

We'll return soon. 

Meanwhile, my husband is out early mowing the yard

before the rains expected the next two days...

I'll pull a few more dandelions and transplant a few more hosta 

to a a flowerbed freshly groomed yesterday.

What's keeping YOU occupied in YOUR garden?

April 22

 A newly transplanted heuchera blows in the breeze....

 while other perennials bloom heartily.

It's been a cool but productive day in the flower beds today.

Edging,

weeding,

transplanting.

More Scenes

After selling a set of four chairs (two of which sat in this location),

I asked my husband to make a seat for the chair and top for the little table--

which he did in timely fashion.

I decided against paint, preferring the rust and natural appearance of these pieces.

I'm a happy camper!

As I was photographing them, 

I noticed the blossoms on the bleeding heart plant nearby.

I'm curious to know if a smaller plant I transplanted last year (I think)

will bloom this year.

So far, no...

Theirs and Mine

 Paging through a magazine at Barnes & Noble Friday,

 this one (above) caught my attention!

 My one forsythia bush had begun to blossom out - quite prematurely it seems to me.

 I had intentions of forcing a few blooms, but procrastinated.

 Last night the temperatures dropped to 17 degrees, 

 but after letting the bush sun itself a few hours,

 I went out to cut MY version of the arrangement.

 This is the result.  

 I have no idea if I'll see much yellow emerge, but I can dream...

And one day later...

All Was Right with the World

 While indoor projects have (regrettably) trumped our time and attention

to outdoor projects this season,

 my pleasure in them has not diminished one bit!

Evening hours found me waiting for a ride in front of the house last night,

and for a brief moment I was captivated by the beauty of the beds;

the coolness of the waning summer hours;
the miracles of God's creation.

For those minutes, all was right with the world...

Surprise, Surprise!

Every year brings us unexpected pleasure

as the Naked Ladies/Surprise Lilies/Resurrection Lilies

make their sudden and beautiful entrances in our various beds.