Sunday Stroll

I just finished a week off the job - and worked way harder than usual! We had major clutter stacked up so a yard sale had been planned. It took 5 days preparation, 1.5 days of selling, and a 1/2 day to clean up. We got rid of a ton of junk and gathered a few dollars to go toward the new fridge I've been wanting. Then the last 2 days I've spent trying to catch up with mowing, trimming, weeding and planting! But I stole a few minutes today to stroll around the yard and snapped these shots of some of our current blooms...First, the peas that climbed my bedspring trellis are blooming (and producing delicious, sweet pods!).
Some uninvited blooming going on here....but I've always loved the beauty of Queen Anne's Lace. It always manages to spring up behind the barns, sheds and the perimeter of the yards.
Here we have one of my front porch planters - filled with violas in creamy yellow, midnight blue and tangerine as well as some pansies and petunias - and my new favorite grass "Ponytail". The way the wisps of it nod, flip and bow in the breeze is so relaxing to watch.
My first Hollyhock buds - it looks like they will have tons of flowers. I have no clue what color(s) they might be so I'm extra anxious for them to bloom.
And the rose bushes are laden with buds and blooms. These both were grown from those mini-bushes found in discount stores around mother's day. And both always bloom profusely - all summer long.

Sweet William

I had no idea what I was creating. When I sowed the seeds in 2008 I knew these wouldn't bloom the same year. And I've always found it difficult to invest that much time into something knowing there would be no instant gratification - I like a return on my investments pretty quickly. And, I had no previous experience growing Sweet William or Hollyhocks, so I was not really prepared for my first go at it to turn out like this.

It's been worth the wait, just for the Sweet William! I am enamored with all the varied shades of the blooms. Some are a pure, snow white (looks like the perfect bridal bouqet) and others range to the deepest fuschia; some of solid color and others with 2 tones, of the eleven or so plants I have, no more than 2 are just alike. I'm hopeful that their round, squat, mounding habit will be the perfect border for the towering Hollyhocks. The Red Wonder Wild Strawberries add some visual interest, not to mention sweet treats as I pick the occasional weed and admire this bed.I think I got this bed right! And glad of it - it's the first thing to see from the driveway - very welcoming I think.

A Dry Weekend At Last

At last - a weekend without rain! And I put it to good use. The yard is in dire need of attention so I managed to fit in mowing and trimming, but more importantly I got to play in the garden. Some of my tomatoes and peppers got to enjoy the outdoors, but protected from the wind inside this wonderful mini-greenhouse. There was only room for about 1/3 of the plants I started indoors, so I'll have to switch them from day to day. I found the old aluminum storm door panel with the "S" to be quite useful in keeping the plastic door from whipping against the tender young seedlings when the wind was gusting. Our last name starts with S so I use this as part of my front porch decor, though usually in a different way!

I tidied up this flower bed a bit as it needed trimming around the perimeter and a dead plant and couple of weeds removed. I am so proud of how it looks already this year, and it should only get better. Next to the concrete blocks are Sweet William and Red Wonder Wild Strawberries. I started both from seed last year. The strawberries actually bloomed and produced berries late last year, but the Sweet William won't bloom until this year. The white blooms in the photos are the berries - and they already have several tiny fruit forming. Buds are just beginning to show on Sweet William - couldn't capture in the photo, but it looks like there will be both white and pink.
Next to the wall, the yellow leaved plant is a eunoymous, which will become more green as the season continues. The other plants are Hollyhocks - and I'm so anxious to see them bloom this year! I've never grown them before. I started these from seed last year, and because they won't bloom until their 2nd year, I've been looking forward to them for what seems like forever. I had some more Hollyhocks in the veggie garden, but needed that space for more veggies. So another chore I tackled today was to create a small bed for them next to our front porch and move them. Got that done, so if I didn't disturb them too much, their blooms should be visible to passers-by instead of hidden behind our house!

I have several items to decorate my gardens, and just created this fun tipsy watering can totem. I was inspired by Dottie over at D+G Gardens and Crafts Blog. She is wonderfully creative, and shares the how-to for her creations on her website. She has some beautiful crystal totems that I want to copy as soon as I get all the pieces gathered. She also does tipsy pots and tipsy tea kettles....the inspiration for my tipsy watering cans. I had been collecting them over the last couple of years with the intention of using them on a giant grapevine wreath I have. I still have yet to complete that project, but there are more than enough left over to do it too.