As I was walking around the yard the other day, a few surprises caught my eye. Why was there fuzz in the garden? On closer inspection this is what I saw! As best as I could tell, there were 4 babies snuggled in the nest The next day I went to show my husband…Gone! The Dead … Continue reading Spring Surprises
Category: Flowers
Spring in Virginia
We had the chance to go to Virginia last weekend to make one last visit to two colleges before the May 1 deadline requires my twins to make a decision as to their plans next year. Aside from the great admitted student tours, it was a real treat to leap ahead a couple of weeks into … Continue reading Spring in Virginia
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year and best wishes for 2015! As many of you have noticed, I had to take a little break this fall. Sometimes, life just gets busy and something needs to give. I've been taking lots of pictures and notes, so I'm looking forward to catching up over the next few weeks. In the … Continue reading Happy New Year!
Seniors, School Boards and Sunflowers
Well that title certainly should catch your attention. What could they possibly have to do with one another? Nothing much except the first two has been needing my attention a lot lately, keeping me out of the garden. The "seniors" refer to my twin boys who are seniors in high school this year. With that … Continue reading Seniors, School Boards and Sunflowers
August Sunflowers
In the back of my new raised beds, I planted a row of sunflower seeds. They have grown like gangbusters. I love looking out the kitchen window and seeing these cheerful flowers lining the view behind the zinnias and marigolds. The summer vegetables are hidden in between. Not sure why, but over the last couple … Continue reading August Sunflowers
Summer Gladiolus
One of my favorite flowers of summer are gladiolus. The are so majestic and intensely colored, I just love having them in the house. The flower stand at the local farmer's market didn't return this year, but I've been able to find almost as beautiful bunches at the grocery stores. This week's selection is a … Continue reading Summer Gladiolus
August Garden Surprises
I took a walk around the yard today just checking everything out. It must have been a while I'd done that, since I had quite a few, luckily mostly pleasant, surprises. This Rose Of Sharon has always grown in the shadow of surrounding trees which are no longer there. I never understood why it was … Continue reading August Garden Surprises
Curled Leaves on the Bushes
Earlier in the spring, I began to notice that many, but not all, of my bushes in the front yard (Dwarf Korean Lilacs, Judd Viburnum, Boxwoods, Burning Bushes, Annabelle Hydrangea) were looking a bit unhealthy. Their leaves were oddly curling and looking dry, even though we'd had plenty of rain. The worst was one of … Continue reading Curled Leaves on the Bushes
Summer Sunflowers
Normally this time of year, I would be commenting on how the summer heat has been taking its toll on the garden. Not this year, though. The gardens have responded to these cooler than normal July temperatures by being one explosion of color after another. Right now it's the sunflower's turn to show off. … Continue reading Summer Sunflowers
July Meadow Wildflowers
We were out on a bike ride over the weekend enjoying the meadow wildflowers that were in bloom (or prairie wildflowers as we call them here in Illinois). I tried to take some pictures, but between the camera lens being dirty, the mosquitos being so ferocious we needed to keep moving, and taking moving shots of flowers don't work … Continue reading July Meadow Wildflowers