Poppies

Poppies are blooming! I spent a lot of time outside this weekend, sprucing up the yard and admiring the flowers. 

We have a small flower bed (that could really use some more flowers) and the poppies are the main event. Every day more and more bloom.

I just love their bright bold color! The petals are paper thin and they only last a day or two. So brilliant to look at. 

Reminds me of one of my favorite paintings by Claude Monet, "Poppies Blooming".

Plant Your Own Planters

When it comes to flowers and gardening, I've found that planters and containers are easier to maintain than regular gardens, and they add a lot of color and life to your deck/patio/yard. Each year, I like to place a few plants in different outdoor areas to enjoy during the summer months. But, my goal is not to spend a lot of money on them. Picking out ready-made planters can add up - especially if you want a few. 

I have collected pots and hanging planters that I try to recycle year after year. I don't bother with ceramic ones anymore - they always crack or break at some point. Plastic ones hold up pretty well. I decided to make 6 of them.

I took a trip to the Garden Factory to pick out some plants: 12 geraniums, 12 snapdragons and 4 tall grasses for $60. It was a bit more than I intended to spend, but the prices were good and I wanted each planter to be pretty full. Geraniums are my favorite because they come in a variety of colors and blossom all summer long.

I started with the large containers first. I loosened up the old dirt and removed any leftover roots from last year. Starting with the tall grass, I made a space for it in the back, as the base. Then I added one geranium on the left and one on the right. I finished with 2 snapdragons in the front. 

I repeated the same combination and method with each container (the 2 hanging baskets don't have tall grass). When I was done, I had 6 beautiful planters! For $10 each. I doubt you could buy this same ready-made planter at a store for $10. 

One for the shepherd's hook.

Two for the front steps. 

One hanging and one at the base of our front porch. (Notice the deck is in need of new stain...more to come on that).

And one for the back deck. 


All it takes is a little creativity and willingness to get your hands dirty. A green thumb - or green pinky finger - helps too. Happy planting!

Spring Fever

These guys have appeared. Yup. It's practically spring. And I've got spring fever. I walked outside without a coat. I drove with the sunroof open. It didn't look or feel like night when I left work (the only reason I like daylight savings). I even picked up sticks around the yard when I got home - voluntarily. You know it must be spring fever.

Sweet little crocus buds. Hope for warm and sunny days ahead.

Even the tulips are making an appearance. Hopefully the dear/bunnies won't get to them before they bloom. 

And a lone cluster of daffodils. Even though we've had an incredibly mild and actually enjoyable winter (thank you LORD!), I am always ready to welcome back spring. Everything is starting to look green again. A new season. New life! 

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Growing Patience

I have one little tomato plant. This is taking some serious patience. I brought it home from work, after it grew from seed in a container on the window sill. I'm excited that it actually flowered! Have you ever smelled a tomato plant? There's nothing like it. You haven't experienced a real tomato until you've picked one off the vine and taken in that unmistakable real tomato scent.

 

It's getting bigger and bigger each day. Pretty soon I'll be able to make a salad...with one lone tomato. But it will be the best tomato ever. Half the time I forget that it's out there on my deck. I'm just praying that some bird or beast doesn't decide to snag it for a snack before I can!

Bugs, Blooms 'n Elphs

Let's play a game. See if you can find the bug in each photo.

I love taking photos, and I love my little Canon Power Shot Digital Elph camera. It's only 8.0 mega pixels (I know, 8 mega pixels is soooo 2008), but it does have my favorite setting: macro. I like using this setting to take close-up photos of flowers. The macro icon is even a flower. This is by no means a "professional" camera, but in my opinion, it does a really great job for being a pocket-size point and shoot. This is actually my second Canon. I have compared similar models in Sony and Kodak, and this one still takes the cake. They are up to 12+ mega pixels now and have even more snazzy features. I would recommend this one. The only thing I would add is a larger zoom lens.

Back to the game. There were a number of bugs enjoying my garden, so I challenged myself to capture a few. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to photography a bee? In flight?

Click each photo to enlarge. I got some decent detail, in my amateur opinion. I took a couple photography classes in college. I like to think I have some basic photography knowledge. Shoo fly.

Meet Ant Rose. Pun. Intended.

The best for last. Do you see it?

Here is a clearer view of a rather large dragon fly resting on a drainpipe.

Buzzzzz.

The perfect size to put in your jacket pocket or purse. Or to sneak up on bugs with.

Name That Flower

These beautiful perennial "bell" flowers have started blooming (and multiplying) in my garden. Aren't they unique? I love the speckled detail inside each flower. I can't remeber the name of them though. Anyone know what these are? We planted 3 of them, two summers ago, and they have been spreading ever since. I'm just glad they keep coming back. Leave a comment if you know their name...

 

Thanks to Jo's comment, I learned that these are Digitalis Purpurea, also known as Foxglove. Look at this great vintage drawing I found here while doing some further research. It's a good size image, maybe nice for a framed art piece. 

O Garden Where Art Thou?

There is a lot of snow outside my window right now. Everything is laden with white and it's snowing as I type. Yesterday we were in the midst of a "winter storm warning". Schools were closed. Roads were slick. Boots, hats, gloves and shovels were in high order. Our neighbor so kindly helped us snow-blow our piled-high driveway. What a blessing that was!

 

Tomorrow is the last day of February. I welcome in March, because March brings the first day of Spring (which also happens to be my birthday). I always look forward to the first crocus and daffodil that poke their heads out of the thawed earth. 

But all this white snow has me missing and longing for green. Green grass. Green leaves. Green buds and flower stems. On this snowy winter February day, I want to take a walk through my garden, in full bloom seven months ago. Remembering the beauty of the seasons that were, and the seasons to come.

Brilliant geraniums.

Delicate poppies.

 

  

  

  

The fragrance of a beautiful rose. Hello ant.

Stunning pink, blue and purple hydrangea.

  

My Dad always grew these in our yard.

The taste of fresh basil.

I know the snow will eventually melt and spring will come. Just as it does every year. Grass will grow. Trees will burst with new leaves. Flowers will bloom. God is faithful in every season. No matter the weather conditions.

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isaiah 40:8