Fertilize Friday (5/26/10 maybe not Friday)

I'm going to be gone on Friday, but wanted to document my garden progress for the record. I was amazed at how much stuff had grown in just 6 days.... 6 hot days! When you're done looking at all my progress pop over to our wonderful hostess at Tootsie Time, she has the most amazing flowers and she grows all of them from seed or clippings in her own greenhouse!!

First off lets look at the new blooms. Check out the beautiful Clemaitis.


The Salvia Blue Hills has some blooms, but I expect a lot more.


A lot more irises are open. When I got them from my Mom years ago they were all this color... kind of purply brown.



Forgot that I had planted some of my extra irises in with these daylilies around the well head.



Trumpet Vine











Azaela














Need to find a way to stand in the same spot :) The Moonbeam Coreopsis really looks a lot bigger this week.








I didn't know anything could grow as fast as this pumpkin!

I'm hoping to get a pumpkin this big. This is Muffin in 2009

And here we have Peanut in 2007.


Muffin is having a new little sister in July, so we need a big pumpkin to get a similar shot with Punkin.


I was explaining last week about the azaelas. One got split in half by a fallen tree, one is doing great and the final one is just struggling.


I think 'we' need to cut down another tree so that this one will get more sunlight.


We have a hosta bed in the front yard that is coming along slowly since it is so shaded. Peanut and I go 'fishing' out here when she's over. We take a stick and 'stab' dried out old leaves with it.... fishing! She loves it and when asked if she's ever gone fishing she says 'yes'... this is the only 'fishing' she's ever done!

If you look at the hostas in this shot you can see that I lost the battle with the critters later in the fall of 2009.



My son sent me some pictures this week. He's landscaping his backyard around a gorgeous new patio. You gotta love this picture of Muffin in the jungle ;) There wasn't room in that vehicle for another twig!


Lots more going on, but this is getting pretty lengthy. Can't wait to see all the pretties in your gardens.

Once In Every Life by Kristin Hannah

Tess Gregory is a woman who has been given a miraculous second chance at life. Jack is a man who abandoned hope long ago. Imprisoned by savage memories, he believes he has nothing to offer anyone, especially a woman like Tess, who dares to ask for the impossible... his love.

Hannah does it again! She takes a book that involves a sort of 'time travel' and makes it interesting enough to grab my attention and not let it go. You'll be hearing a lot of reviews by Kristin Hannah from me... she's my new favorite author. Great 'weekend/beach' read.

Fertilize Friday - New Beginnings

It's Friday so head on over to Tootsie Time to see all the other gardeners and their beautiful flowers.

I'll start this garden tour on the back deck with the container garden. We had so much fun last year with the pumpkins that I thought I'd try a bigger one this year. Wonder if it'll get big enough to do one of my 'baby in a pumpkin' pictures. We have a new baby coming in July.


These look so small now, but I know that they will be big and gorgeous in no time.


Isn't this just beautiful.


Don't you love this pot I got for Mother's Day? The geraniums are a bold red.


Hoping I get lots of little grape tomatoes off this plant - we're foregoing the 'topsy turvy' this year.


A friend mentioned growing zucchini to make zucchini bread and I guess I'm just being a follower, what can I say I like zucchini bread.


These shrub roses do very well for the lack of attention that they get. One of these years I'm going to spend more time at this side of the house and see just how beautiful they can be.


The Creeping Phlox make a beautiful soft pillow of flowers under the basement window.. it's being slightly invaded by the lily of the valley.


Tons of Lily of the Valley under this Cedar Pine.


These are one of those plants that a friend gave me a couple of clumps and look out.


In the back corner we softened the sharp corner by curving it out with hostas. The deer and bunnies love them.


We've planted the 'tire planters' this year. MM made the tire planters by turning the tire inside out still on the wheel. Here we have some Morning Glories started from seed. The packet calls them 'Grandpa Ott' which is one of my kids grandpa's.


The other planter has this beautiful Clemaitis.


A small stand of Iris. My Mom gave me a few about 15 years ago and I given away baskets full of the bulbs and I still have a ton.


I love the look of the sink with the wave petunias. It'll be a sight in a few weeks when the plant wakes up.


I have three Peony bushes that are loaded with buds. I've had really good luck with these.


A few signs of life from the Hibiscus. They like it a little warmer - next week...


One open Iris.... most of ours are purple not sure how I got a yellow one lol


The Beebalm is looking good. Last year things were watered by a soaker hose and the hose just didn't reach this plant. Hoping this year I find a few more minutes to do what I love.


I moved these tiger lilies from the side of the house. Hope they do well here.


The cone flowers also got moved, but seem to be doing fine so far.


Holly Hocks are new this year. Haven't done too much since I planted them a few weeks ago, but it's just now warming up.


The daisies look like a delicious salad don't they?


Wonder if the Forget-me-nots will spread all over? They are new this Spring.


This daisy is loaded with buds.


The Blue Hills Salvia did real good last year.


This Moonbeam Coreopsis did so amazing last year that I bought a second one. It had the most beautiful pillow of yellow flowers for several weeks.


This Coral Bells is doing much better this year. The last couple of years it came up okay, but didn't shine like it does this year.


I bought this garden gate at an antique shop last summer and couldn't wait to get something going on it. The Clemaitis isn't doing as well as the one in the back, but I'm holding out hope, it's still early.


Back in the backyard again is this beautiful Rose of Sharon. MM cut it way back this year but it seems to be doing great.


At the base of the Rose of Sharon is this beautiful ground cover. Don't know the name. I got a few shovels full years ago from a neighbor and it just took off.


We picked up this planter at an antique mall this Spring. It doesn't get a lot of sun on the front porch so I have Asparagus Fern and Sweet Potato Vine going... I planted a couple of wave petunias in there too, but I don't hold out too much hope for them doing well. Maybe they'll surprise me.


Last year I started these hostas at the base of this big Oak tree. They all came back so I'm loving it.


I love the Azaleas. We started with three last year. One got broke in half by a fallen tree (what's left is very healthy), the second one, in the middle, is full of blooms and the final one I'm just watching. It came up with live stuff on both sides and dead looking in the middle. I just left it alone and I'm glad I did because now there appears to be life in the middle too. We'll see.


The Magnolia tree (planted last Spring) had a few blooms and looks to be doing very well. Gotta take care of the dying tulips in between the hostas.


The Trumpet Vine likes it warm, but is already starting to come to life.


And this brings us back to my cozy sitting spot. Love a cup of tea out here in the morning.


We're still spraying the hostas with the deer repel because of this little guy. This go round he snubbed his nose at the smell so I guess it's working.


So what's happening in your gardens? I'm finding my biggest problem is finding the time to water them. Gotta just reprogram myself into spending my evenings in the yard. Not a bad place to be.