Muscari Musings

Twenty-two...

2011-11-25T17:56:00.005-05:00

Well, my little bitty teeny tiny baby girl turned 22 today. She has been and still is a great blessing to me. Kirstin, I love you so much!!!

Have a beautiful day!

Happy Thanksgiving...

2011-11-24T12:06:00.003-05:00

My new flower pot and saucer...
filled with Delft Blue Violas. Bliss.

Wishing you a day filled with gratitude and blessings.

Have a beautiful day!

Bloom Day March 2011...

2011-03-15T20:50:00.001-04:00

Oh, so many beautiful Spring blooms are showing up. It's wonderful to see such color again. I don't have pictures of everything blooming in my garden, but here are most of them. Kirstin photographed these for me since my new job is keeping me busy.

My Forsythia bush is bottled sunshine with its yellow flowers. Near it, a flowering plum is blooming, but that is one of the ones I didn't get a picture of.

I still have Violas, of course. They are lovely source of joy for me. This Winter was rough on them, but they are certainly bouncing back now that it has warmed up.

These Daffodils were on the property when we bought it and I've moved some of them around. They seem to be some of the first Daffodils to bloom. Their flowers always nod down.

The weedy Violets are coming up at the base of my steps again. I like them blooming here, but I try very hard not to encourage them to spread themselves around. Ha! Not much success with that.

My Daphnes are blooming, sending their heavenly fragrance wafting into the air. I have a white Daphne, too. I just love their scent. Near them is a pink Camelia. She has lots of blooms this year.

Another incredibly fragrant flower in my garden is this blue Hycinth.

I've got a cluster of them blooming and their fragrance is overwhelming! I think the cold was good for them because this is the best they've ever looked.

My first Muscari blooms are showing. As you know, I love these little flowers. There should be many more of their blooms coming soon. Oh, and I have a white Muscari blooming, too! I haven't had success with white Muscari in the past, but this little clump has now bloomed for its second year. I'll try to post a picture of it soon.

Thanks for visiting me on Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. I'd love to hear from you. Be sure to stop by May Dreams Gardens to find other gardens to visit. Thanks, Carol, for hosting!

Have a beautiful day!

My first day....

2011-03-01T21:30:00.001-05:00

This is just a short post to let you know that I started my new job today. I'm pretty excited because...

...I now work at the Gazebo location of New Garden Nursery! I've been a fairly frequent customer at New Garden, but now I'll get paid to hang out there. Can you beat that? Actually, I'll have to work to get paid. That's o.k, though; I think it'll be pretty cool! And I get to wear these groovy T-shirts that say New Garden Nursery on them.

If you're ever in town, come by and say hi! It's a great nursery. I took these pictures of a display near the front entrance of the Nursery as I was leaving today. With my cell phone camera! Aren't they gorgeous Spring flowers?

Have a beautiful day!

A beautiful morning...

2011-02-26T18:30:00.001-05:00

It was so lovely outside this morning. I let my chickens outside their pen to "free range" and then I poked around my garden to see what was happening. The chickens tend to follow us and when Kirstin came outside, Tiger and the chickens all congregated at her feet, eying one another.

My camellia has its first bloom of the year. Its leaves get sunburned over Winter so they turn a coppery brown color. I need to fertilize the bush; I think its flowers are getting a little small.

Yellow crocuses are blooming. They are still in the container I put them in years ago, not knowing where else to put them. Hmmm. Will this be the year I put them in a bed? I just figured out where they need to go: in the bed that I see when I look straight out the front door. That bed seriously needs Spring bulbs.

I'm looking forward to these blue Hyacinths opening up. Won't they be gorgeous?

The first daffodil. More will follow soon. They're very sunny.

One of my favorite sights: a cane break. 'Double Delight' is producing a new cane; may it bring me lots and lots of roses.

I love the new leaves of my 'Hyperion' daylily. Somehow they seem happy and energetic. I've got other daylilies coming up, too.

The chickens really liked scratching around my 'New Dawn' rose underneath the arbor. There is good soil there.

Thankfully they didn't damage these bulb tips coming up. What do you call it when you dig up bulbs, leaving some, of course, from a yard where no one lives? Well, that's what I did to get these. I'm not sure what they are, but the flowers are blue. Hmmm. I wonder why I was attracted to them?

I was so happy to see these little bitty green things in the ground. They are the new new growth of my yellow Salvia. My other yellow Salvia, the one with variegated leaves, is also coming up. And so are my ground Orchids. Oh, happy, happy, happy.

How do you like the little pink edge on the new leaves of my variegated Hydranga? I love this bush. I've put coffe grounds at its base hoping for blue flowers this year. But, really, I grow this particular Hydrangea for its wonderful leaves.

A male Cardinal was sitting high up in the branches of the Laurel Oak. And singing. Look at that (Carolina) blue sky. It was just that kind of day.

Tiger was helping himself to a drink of water. He looked up when I came over to take his picture. (Please tell me that you have an unruly stack of pots and containers in your garden, too.)

Guess what else I discovered. Before too long we will have something yummy from the garden to eat. Even though Julie was sure I had killed it, my Rhubarb is coming up. I'm thrilled.

There is something very, very beautiful in my greenhouse right now. You'll know what it is, so I'll just show it to you.

Have a beautiful day!
P.S. There are froggies outside peeping and cro-aking!

Bloom Day Febraury 2011...

2011-02-15T20:10:00.000-05:00

Today as I was traversing a country road near where I live I saw a couple of Forsythia bushes covered with their cheerful yellow flowers. My bush isn't blooming yet, but it was exciting to see that Spring is edging closer. In my own garden, the Violas that I planted last fall are starting to look a lot more cheerful.

Several weeks ago, I discovered this volunteer Johnny seedling blooming. I think it is so pretty. Maybe even prettier than the ones that I bought to plant.

So, what do you think?

Inside the house, my Silver Squill has been blooming. The stalks are elongated as it reaches for light, but I think the tiny flowers are very interesting. (You can click on the picture for a larger view.)

Back outside, the first new flower in a long time is.... wouldn't you know it.... a weed. Actually, I am fine with that for now. I'm just happy that things are happening in my garden again. This Cardamine hirta is growing in a nursery container.

The flower I am most excited about is my False Crocus (Nothoscordum sellowianum). Its first bud appeared a couple of days ago and soon opened. Well, in the day anyway. It closes up for night. And now a second bud has appeared. This fragrant plant should bloom for several weeks. I'm glad.

Thanks for stopping by on Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Be sure to visit May Dreams Gardens to see what is blooming in other gardens.

Have a beautiful day!

Orchids, orchids, orchids...

2011-02-14T15:45:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I got to do something that I wanted to do last year, but wasn't able to. I attended The Triad Orchid Society Show. It was utterly amazing!!!

The first thing I noticed when I entered the door of the Greensboro Council of Garden Clubs building was the incredible scent filling the air. I don't think I've ever encountered anything like it.

In the foyer of the building, 3 different vendors had orchids for sale. Those, of course, were beautiful, but the treat within the main room was absolutely astounding.

{These are Darwin Orchids and this plant is about 20 years old.}

Ten different displays were set up, by individuals or clubs, to the theme of "A Walk in the Park" and there were literally thousands of blooms. They ranged in size from smaller than dimes to ones that were probably 4 and 5 inches across. And in every color imaginable.

The blooms were so varied in shape. It was astonishing. There was so much to take in. I could have spent hours and hours there, just looking and looking and looking.

As it was, I took many, many photographs. The ones you see on this post are only a tiny part of them. Please, please, please visit this gallery that I have set up for you to see more of these gorgeous flowers. (You can click on each image for a larger view.) The page will take a few seconds to load, but the beauty of these wonderful orchids is worth the wait! Enjoy!

Have a beautiful day!

Today in the Garden...

2011-02-13T20:35:00.000-05:00

One afternoon last week, Kirstin took this picture of the house as she came home from college. I like how much blue there is. Doesn't Princess make a nice addition to the steps? Today was a wonderful day for working outside so I cleaned up the bed to the right of the the steps, as you are facing the porch.

There are all kinds of pretty green things poking their heads up out of the soil. I am sooo happy to see them! I've got a number of blue Hyacinths in this bed. The Hyacinths in the bed on the other side of the steps are pink.

The rose bush, Pink Gruss An Achen, has teeny tiny little bitty red leaf buds on it. I pruned it and cleaned up around it. I won't prune most of my roses just yet, but this is the warmest spot in my garden. The Iris is coming up and so are some Daffodils.

I haven't opened up my greenhouse for several months now. It has been way too cold. When I opened it up this afternoon, it was pretty hot in the greenhouse. I'll have to be careful that I don't cook the plants now that it is warming up. I think most of the plants survived.

Some of the plants that look brown and dead may not be. It's too early yet to start pruning them to check, but this plant obviously has plenty of green at its base. I'm so glad.

Here's something I didn't expect to see in the greenhouse. A tiny praying mantis. Actually, I saw a couple of them. There must have been an egg sac on one of the plants and, because it is warmer in the greenhouse, they were tricked into hatching early. I don't know how much they will find to eat in there.

I've saved the best for last. Look what I found today. It's a bud of my False Crocus. Julie and I were jubilant. Julie said, "Does that mean that it is Spring now?" I don't know, since it is a False Crocus. Even in its bud stage, we could detect a faint scent. Oh, I am so thrilled for my flowers to be returning.

Have a beautiful day!

Bloom Day January 2011...

2011-01-15T08:20:00.001-05:00

It's time once again for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day! Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting this monthly activity. The Paperwhites and Hyacinth that I recently blogged about have just about finished their blooms, but I sure did enjoy them while they lasted. My Parlor Palm is blooming again.

It didn't bloom all the years I lived in California, but every Winter since I moved it to North Carolina, it has bloomed. The stalk on the right is still little buds and the stalk on the left is more mature.

I think the tiny "buttons" it produces are so amazing in their simplicity.

Outside my garden is pretty much still covered in snow and ice.

Tiger didn't seem to mind rolling around in the aforementioned snow and ice, though! (If you want to see pictures of my chickens checking out the snow, you can go to my Chickie Update and scroll down the page.)

About the only color outside is the glass beads I added to this little wind chime several years ago. In the Spring and Summer, it doesn't really show up, but in the snow, it sparkles.

All the Violas outside are struggling - frozen and/or buried under the snow - except for the ones on the front porch. These are cozy and (relatively) warm in their sheltered area. Thanks for stopping by my garden. And be sure to go to May Dreams Gardens to find other gardens to visit.

Have a beautiful day! And stay warm!

Paperwhites and Hyacinth...

2011-01-11T18:12:00.001-05:00

My garden once again is covered with a layer of snow. This time the snow is only about an inch deep. It is topped with ice so when I walk on it, the snow crunches. I do like the way it looks like icing on my stone wall.

Yesterday, it was falling in snow flakes. I love snow flakes. They are so exquisite, so amazing. So tiny and so intricate.

I've been growing Paperwhites (Narcissus 'Ziva') in my laundry room. Their scent is wonderful! Wouldn't it be cool if the fragrance from the Paperwhites would drift into my dryer and make my clothes smell like Paperwhites?

I found the bulbs discounted a few weeks ago and couldn't resist the temptation. I used some of the gravel from my path to fill jars and stuck the bulbs on top. I like to see their roots growing.

Behind the blooms is the new curtain I made for my laundry room window. It's just a simple muslin panel hung on small clip-on cafe rings. I'm pleased with it. And it makes a lovely picture with my Paperwhites.

I'll plant them outside once it warms up (if it ever does! Ha!), even though I haven't been able to get Paperwhites to naturalize here. Maybe in a different location they will do better.

Yesterday at a grocery store, I found a Hyacinth on clearance. There were some mums, too, but the Hyacinth was/is fragrant, so it won out. It'll also get planted outside in the Spring. I've had success with Hyacinth so it should come back each year. It came in a little plastic pot inside of a terracotta cachepot. I put the little plastic pot inside of the blue and white ceramic pot, which I found a couple of years ago.

The plant had two blooming stems on it, but, as careful as I was, one of them got broken. (The poor plant was seriously wilted because it hadn't been watered; just put on sale.) However, the broken stem gave me permission to put it into a make-shift vase and enjoy its beauty and fragrance on my bedroom vanity.

Have a beautiful day!

December...

2010-12-31T10:10:00.002-05:00

Well, what a month! It felt like Winter long before Winter even officially got here. The temps in my garden didn't get above freezing for almost a week in the middle of the month, so for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, everything was frozen and sad. The little Violas were the only things even making an attempt at blooming, but they were having a very hard time.

In the midst of the freezing days, we had rain and amazing ice designs were created. I found them very interesting.

And then one of my poor chickie dudes was sick for a couple of days. I was afraid that she would die, so, of course, I had to worry and fret over her. But she is absolutely fine now. I don't know what the problem was; I am just thankful that she is back to her beautiful self.

The Winter Equinox brought with it a total lunar eclipse. How cool is that! I did happen to be awake in the wee hours of that morning, so, braving the cold, I went outside to see if I could see the eclipse, but the sky was solid clouds. Oh, well. One time in California, I watched an amazing lunar eclipse, so that memory will be enough for now.

I have had lots and lots and lots of birds coming to my bird feeder. It hangs just outside my sliding glass door/window and I love to watch the birds come and go. Maybe the birds take the place of the flowers for the Winter. What do you think?

The snow. Oh, the snow. Like so many others, I had my share of snow on the 25th. We got almost 6 inches, which is rare for this place. And this time of year. There is still plenty of snow on the ground. But the temperatures aren't supposed to dip into freezing tonight and there is rain forecast for tomorrow, so I'm guessing that most of the snow will disappear over the week-end.

I love my birdbath ... in any weather! With snow on it, it makes me think of some delicious confection or dessert. It's a little chilly out to sit at my table and chairs, but in about 3 months, I'm sure I'll be back out there again.

The entrance to my woods makes me think of Robert Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening."

I kept my nephews and little niece for a few days earlier this week while my sister and her husband went on their annual anniversary trip. Of course, the nephews enjoyed the snow. I bought snow sleds for them to use and they sure did use them! It was fun having a little girl around the house again, as my little girls are now pretty much grown up. See you next year!

Have a beautiful day!

Warm and cozy...

2010-12-10T20:30:00.002-05:00

Most of the year I am drawn to blue. (As if you couldn't tell.) But when December comes, I crave red. There really is not a lot in my garden to give me red. A few rose hips here and there. Maybe the leaves of a Nandina. And, of course, the Cardinals. Perhaps I should plant a holly bush.

Usually I have a blue toile tablecloth on my table and I like that very much. But when Winter comes, blue becomes a little more cold than peaceful, so I pull out my red toile tablecloth to make things seem cozier.

My sister gave me the variegated Hoya. It is so nice to think of her when I see this plant. The pot and saucer were also given to me. Normally the Hoya resides in my laundry room, but I think it needs to be on my table for now.

Julie gave me the little pitcher with the poem on it. It reads:

When this you see, remember me
And bear me in your mind;
Let all the World say what they will
Speak of me as you find.

Hmmm. Even with the red tablecloth, I still can't keep away from blue, can I?

Have a beautiful day!

Cold-cold-cold...

2010-12-07T20:15:00.002-05:00

Did I ever tell you that I don't like the cold? Well, I don't. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I grew up and lived in Southern California for so long where, like, 63 degrees is cold.

My freshman year in college I attended a small college in Texas, where I worked on the landscape crew. Which is outside work. I remember lying in bed one Winter morning, listening to the weather forecast and hearing that the high for the day was going to be 11 degrees. I just wept.

I like to think I am much more mature now. Yes, I am whining and being wimpy right now. But let me get it out and then the rest of the Winter (and the rest of this Fall!), I'll not complain about the cold. I'll simply refer you back to this post if you want to hear me feel sorry for myself.

{This chicken is molting, so I hope she stays warm enough.}

Today the high was about 31 degrees. But with the windchill, it was about 11 degrees. (Well, maybe a tiny bit higher than that. But not much.) I didn't weep. I put on my work clothes and set about covering much of my chickens' house with plastic so the poor little girls wouldn't get too cold. (How do you like my high tech way of holding the cover over their yard? [Clothespins, if you can't tell.])

Apparently, it's not the cold so much that bothers the chickens but the wind disrupting their feathers from holding their body heat. So the plastic barrier should stop most of the wind. I left part of the top uncovered so they could have the fresh air that they need. (You can click on the picture for a larger view.) I don't think my chickens like the cold any more than I do. They haven't gone out of their house much since it snowed. I can't say that I blame them.

Have a beautiful day! And stay warm!

Snow!

2010-12-05T18:00:00.002-05:00

So, last night we were driving home from our friends' house and I was sorta looking out the window, but not really, and then all of a sudden, I realized that there was snow on the ground and on the trees. We were still about forty minutes away from home, heading north-east, so I could only imagine what we would find when we arrived home. Sure enough, we had snow, too!

Of course, this morning I (and Julie) had to go out and take pictures. Everything is so different in the snow. Cleaner and fresher. And the architectural-ness of plants and objects is emphasized by the whiting out of color.

I like my birdbath in the snow. But, then again, I like my birdbath all the time.

I do think color is important in the snow, though. For example, look how gorgeous the red hips of the Ballerina rose are in the snow. And I love seeing the Cardinals in the snow.

The white of the snow also shows off the blue of my treasured pot filled with Johnnies.

The Johnnies in a flowerbed have been all but covered in the snow. But don't you just love the blue and white together?

Have a beautiful day!

Dropping temperatures....

2010-12-03T20:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, again. All of my Thanksgiving guests have returned home, so now my house is quiet again. And empty. But for one wonderful week, I loved having everyone here. My garden is becoming quiet and empty (sorta), too. The temperatures have dropped below freezing most of the nights this past week, which, of course, has affected my garden.

Something unusual happens to one of my plants when it freezes. It looks very odd to walk outside in the mornings and see this:

The sap of my Salvia coccinea turns to ice and bursts the stems open. As the day warms, the white ice will disappear, leaving behind the damaged stalks. Do you think the icy sap looks like cotton candy?

These Salvias have completely blackened now and I plan to pull them all out next week. I have a few Violas with which to replace some of them, but other places in the garden will be left blank for the Winter.

Salvia coccinea reseeds itself very well in my garden, so I have very little doubt that as things warm up next year, a new crop of these hummingbird favorites will start to show up.

The Violas are affected by the dropping temperatures, too. I like the way they hunker down against the cold and then revive again when it warms up. Hey, that sounds kind of like me!

One of my Catmint plants has one stalk with blooms on it. Maybe it didn't get the memo that the garden is shutting down for the season. Good for it.

Have a beautiful day!

Changes...

2010-11-26T22:50:00.001-05:00

I started my blog one year and one day ago. And in that year, I have done 305 posts. (Whew!) I have enjoyed the focus on my garden that daily blogging has given me. But now it's time for a change. I have had a part-time job for a couple of months now, so my time is a little more limited. I will miss blogging every day, but I think that's a change I need to make. Working has given me less time in the garden, so I'll need to use some of my previous blogging time to actually be in my garden. I'd also like to be able to spend a little more time visiting other garden blogs because I love seeing other gardens and hearing about different plants. And then there is my other blog, Ruth's Plants, that I would like to work on occasionally as well. So, I will miss talking to you every day, but I will still be here, probably at least every week, and hopefully even more often than that.

Have a beautiful day!

Thanksgiving Day...

2010-11-25T23:45:00.002-05:00

Well, Kirstin turned 21 today. It seems not so long ago that she was just my little, bitty baby girl and now she has grown into a beautiful young lady.

I am so very proud of her. And I love her so very much. Words cannot describe what she means to me.

Most of my siblings and their families came to my house for Thanksgiving. The food was delicious, thanks in part to Kirstin's cooking skills, and we all enjoyed being together again. There are quite a few of Kirstin's and Julie's cousins here, including Danielle, who likes Kirstin very much. Actually, all of Kirstin's cousins like her very much.

I love the table decorations I do for the Thanksgiving meal each year. I think the table is so pretty and sparkly. And very Fall-ish. Julie took this poetic picture of one of my candle holders.

One of my favorite flower pots is this "pumpkin," which I found several years ago. Every Fall I plant Violas in it.

I think it fits Thanksgiving Day very well.

Have a beautiful day!
"Thankfulness is the soil in which joy flourishes."

Thankful...

2010-11-24T23:10:00.001-05:00

Today, as I was hurrying and scurrying about, I thought about the things for which I am thankful. And I came to realize something: they are things that are beautiful to me.

I am thankful for the people who love me. And for friendly people. I am thankful for the wild birds that come to my feeder and for my three dear chickens. For the charming hummingbirds that come to visit. And for many of the creatures that share my land.

I am thankful for clouds. And for the rain that waters my garden. Ah, my garden. I am so thankful for my garden and for the plants that I have. For sunrises and sunsets and seasons.

I am thankful for my blue and white transferware dishes, for my gorgeous fabrics, those in quilts and those yet to be in quilts. I am thankful for my cozy bed, for the bed frame and dresser and vanity to match which I inherited from a great aunt.

I'm also thankful for intangibles like courage and wisdom, joy and peace, when they come into my life. And there are so many, many more beautiful things for which I am thankful. Including you who read my blog.

And I do hope you have a beautiful day!

Another acquisition...

2010-11-23T21:05:00.000-05:00

O.K., so what do you think? Pretty wild, huh? I saw this Variegated False Holly (Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Goshiki') at Southern States a couple of days ago and was intrigued. But I didn't buy it. I was "good" and went home and did my research first. Then I bought it today.

It should grow in my (evil) clay soil. And it is supposed to grow slowly so I might grow it in a container for awhile. (Read: "I don't know where to plant it yet.") It will to produce white flowers, just not many of them. The thing is, and this is what convinced me to buy it, the flowers are fragrant. And I love fragrant flowers.

Yep, those leaves are pretty prickly. And it can get to be a fairly large shrub. However, I am confident that my pruning abilities will keep it at bay.

The new growth is rather colorful, isn't it? And after the blooms, there are black berries for the birds. Even with all these other pluses, it's the mature foliage that I find most interesting.

Have a beautiful day!

Watching the chickens go by...

2010-11-22T21:42:00.001-05:00

Today in the midst of my frantic Thanksgiving Day/week preparations, I took a break. I sat on the steps of my shed and watched my chickens peck and scratch as they "free-ranged." They spend most of their time in a fenced area to protect them, but there is no greenery left in their yard. So, when I am outside, I will let them out to wander as they will. They like to stay close to me, often following me if I go to the other side of the garden. I find it very cute. And today it was peaceful to just sit and watch my chickens.

Have a beautiful day!

Cardinals...

2010-11-21T20:50:00.001-05:00

One of the reasons I moved to North Carolina was the Cardinals. I didn't have Cardinals in California and when I would visit N.C., I found them enchanting. Yeah, I know. Rather strange to back up all your worldly possessions and move across the country because of a pretty bird. There were other reasons, too. Really. There were. I do love to see the Cardinals, though. They are beautiful birds. I used to think the female was plain, but the more I see the females, the more I think they are just as pretty as the males in their way. This female was sitting in the Rose of Sharon bush outside my bedroom window this morning. (Just so you know: the clothesline is not as close as it looks in the picture.) Isn't she lovely?

Have a beautiful day!

My Japanese Maple...

2010-11-19T16:32:00.000-05:00

My small Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) began its life in my garden as a twig brought home from the clearance rack of a big box store. Since it has definitely grown over the past couple of years, I'm guessing it is happy in my garden.

Right now, its leaves are fiery, especially when the sun shines through them. They positively glow and since most of the trees around here are loosing their color, this is one I look for as I go by my garden.

I had thought of planting Violas in the container for the Winter as the little tree goes dormant, but I decided not to because it won't get enough sun where it is for the flowers to do well. So, I'll just enjoy its silhouette for the next few months.

Have a beautiful day!

Fall inside and out...

2010-11-18T20:30:00.001-05:00

The trees have been absolutely gorgeous this Fall and I have enjoyed looking at them through the sliding door/window of the dining room. I have a large mirror on the wall opposite the sliding door/window so the trees are then reflected in the mirror as well.

To add the wonderfulness of all this Fall beauty, I found a tablecloth that I love that reflects this season perfectly for me. In a way, it is another mirror to what is happening outside.

And when I would walk into the dining room and see the table cloth and see the trees outside with their Fall glory, it would just fill the room with the colors of this time of year. The trees are not so colorful now, but that only makes me like the tablecloth even more.

It's a little difficult to tell from the pictures, but there are leaves and acorns woven into the design of the fabric. I added my brass candle holders with cheerful red candles and the charming little, glowing pumpkins and it all just makes me smile. Wouldn't it be nice if you could come over and share some spiced cider with me?

Have a beautiful day!

New carpet...

2010-11-17T20:20:00.000-05:00

A new carpet? No, not for me. For the ground outside. Most of the lovely Fall leaves are now carpeting the fields and forests after the rain yesterday and the wind last night.

The colors are so beautiful but they don't last long once the leaves have fallen. Soon they will begin their new job of feeding the soil. And so the cycle continues.

I like to look at the path going into the woods at any time of year, but I think Fall is my favorite. It makes me think that somehow there are possibilities; that there is a road not taken.

Have a beautiful day!

Bad idea...

2010-11-16T21:35:00.000-05:00

O.K., so I had been considering not putting any flowers on the back deck for the Winter. What was I thinking??? There is no way I could have made it through the dark and dreary months without some cheerful little Johnnies out there.

I realized this after I had cleared away the Summer pots. It left the spot much too desolate. Really, I have no idea how I came to believe that it would be acceptable not to plant flowers there.

I would love to have gobs of pots here and masses and masses of flowers, but just this one will indeed get me through the Winter. I spray-painted the container several years ago and I think the yellow Violas look very pretty against the blue.

Have a beautiful day!