This Grandmother's Garden

June "Walk in the Gardens" Challenge...

2012-06-01T09:46:00.000-06:00

I've been watching this weed with delight

as I walk through my gardens each morning.

Common Milkweed

I was hoping it would show up again.

Fit for Royalty

Most weeds don't stand a chance of growing in my gardens.

This one is nurtured...

for the hope of what may follow.

Monarch Butterfly

In My Garden

I have loved butterflies since I was a little girl.

I am fascinated by their quiet beauty,

their colors,

the grace of their movement,

the stillness of their existence.

In my mind, they are surely a gift from Heaven.

When a butterfly enters my garden,

a sweet peace fills my heart that my offering has been accepted

and the whispering of "well done" fills my soul.

♥ ♥ ♥

We don't see many butterflies here. Perhaps because we live in a suburb where caution is thrown to the wind as far as pesticides are concerned. This month alone I have had three young men at my door wanting to sell me pest control. Imagine the look on their face as I politely share my thoughts on the subject:

We are stewards over this beautiful earth

and the creatures who live here.

When was the last time you saw a butterfly frolicking through the flowers?

If you want to enjoy the wonders of nature in your gardens, you

must find other ways to manage any unwanted pests.

No, I don't want you to spread a blanket of pesticide over my gardens,
and I hope my neighbors don't either.

BTW, I didn't plant this Common Milkweed.

Last Spring, after eight years of living here, it just sprouted in my flower bed.

And now it holds a royal place in my gardens.
I'm hoping the Monarch Butterflies think so, too.

♥ ♥ ♥

Come take the "Walk in the Gardens" Challenge.

Please join me by publishing your own post
on what you discover during your walk.
Remember to include a link to
This Grandmother's Garden
in your post
then link your blog name to the linky list below.

The first day of each month we'll do this again!

I look forward to seeing what you've discovered!

All My Life I Have Dreamed of This...

2012-05-18T07:36:00.005-06:00

and now my dream has come true...

Quail in my gardens!

Words cannot describe my excitement.

It's a miracle!

Dashing Young Mr. Quail

Content to pose for a photo shoot.

Actually he's perched himself where he can watch the Mrs. as she eats the seed

on the ground under the bird feeder.

Ahh... I'm already loving this clean-up crew.

Busy Mrs. Quail

Not so interested in sitting still for a photo...hence the blurry look.

Mr. and Mrs. Quail Dining Together

Could the blur be from the excitement of the camera lady (me) actually taking pictures of quail in her garden?

(Breathe deep, breath deep... inhale... exhale... this is actually happening.)

Or perhaps taking the shot through my kitchen window?

Most likely all of the above.

Mr. Quail perched in the Redbud

I have wished for this all of my life.

Back to their New Home at Garden's Edge

Please protect them from the neighbor's cat... and the other neighbor's dog...

oh my, there are so many perils out there.

Hoping tomorrow will bring more adventures with our new little residents.

Stay tuned!

May Day Walk in the Gardens

2012-05-01T13:10:00.001-06:00

"I love Spring anywhere,

but if I could choose...
I would always greet it in a garden."
- Ruth Stout

My early morning walk in my gardens revealed some beautiful blooms,

the first of our Spring.

Sensation Lilac

New in my gardens and planted last Spring, this lilac has captured my heart.

White trimmed dainty blossoms with a true lilac aroma...
full growth will be 10 ft. tall and 6 ft. wide.

Blossoming Flame Maple Tree

These trees delight me in every season

and the bees are crazy about them!

Red Twig Dogwood

Another every season favorite.

In Winter, bright red branches accent our landscape,
a stark contrast against our Winter snow.

Cinquifoil

Blooms only in the Spring, one of the few yellows I have in my gardens.

Windflower

I love the way these blossoms sway in the breeze.

Periwinkle

Sweet little blooms peek out from shiny green foliage.

Sea Thrift

Removing the faded flowers will keep this plant blooming all the way to Fall.

Seascape Strawberries

Everbearing, these plants produce a high yield of sweet tasty berries
that are my grandkid's delight.

Oklahoma Redbud

These tiny wine colored flowers will soon give way to glossy heart shaped leaves that are heat resistant

and allow this redbud to thrive in Utah's hot summers.

♦ ♦ ♦

Within just a week or two with the help of a little more sunshine

more blooms will take their turn to dance in the sun!

Can you guess what these buds will become?

Have you taken time to walk in your gardens lately?

Remember... gardens are our link with The Divine.
Surely your troubles will melt away
as you walk through blossoms
and God's beautiful creations.

Please join me by publishing your own post

on what you discover during your walk.

Remember to include a link to
This Grandmother's Garden

in your post
then link your blog name to the linky list below.

The first of each month we'll do this again!

I look forward to seeing what you've discovered!

More Wier(d) Stuff and Setting the Stones... Completing Our Waterfall Part 6

2012-04-06T10:17:00.001-06:00

This post reflects the final steps in building our waterfall.

It's almost time for the water to flow...

can you sense my excitement?

(Actually the project was completed a year ago,

but it's been great fun to experience it all again through this series of posts.)

The exact placement of the wier at the head of the stream is not critical,

nor is the level of the wier from front to back.

However, side-to-side leveling of the wier is extremely important.

If you want the water to cascade evenly along the lip of the wier,

you'll want to spend some time stabilizing the wier on the pedestal

to ensure that the lip of the wier is perfectly level

and will not shift over time.

Water flowing over the lip of the wier

will mostly cascade to the rocks or pool below,

but some water will cling to and “crawl” under the lip.

As you can see from the diagram, the liner needs to fit tightly

to the wier to prevent water from getting under the liner.

We carefully cut the liner to conform to the shape of the wier, leaving enough to curl under the lip of the wier.

Silicon sealant was used to secure the liner

under the lip of the wier and up the sides.

We used a length of drip system tubing under the lip

held in place with a length of copper wire to hold the liner in place.

Metal screws were used to secure the liner up the sides of the wier.

We've been collecting river rocks for some time now.

Some were saved from our own landscape,

we garden on what was once an ancient river bed,

others were gathered from a rock quarry

near the mouth of the canyon just a few miles from our gardens.

We only had a small SUV to transport them in,

so we made several trips to handpick our favorites,

paying about $13 for what we needed.

The guys driving the big dump trucks full of rocks surely chuckled at the two of us searching for the perfect rocks

and placing them carefully in the back of our little vehicle.

Surely the stuff memories are made of.

Remember this was a complete DIY project from start to finish... and many memories were made.

The objective is to place rocks under the outside edges

of the liner and underlay so that the water stays within the bounds of your stream-bed.

Rocks are also placed on the liner, just inside the other rocks,

to hide the liner.

With the larger rocks in place along the stream-bed,

we turned the pump on to ensure that the water

would stay within its bounds.

Once we were certain that all was well,

we trimmed the liner down to the top of the rocks, tucked it in, keeping it higher than the planned depth of the stream

and covered it with smaller rocks.

We quickly learned that placing the rocks along the edge of the stream-bed is more of an art than a science,

and often what one of us thought was the perfect rock for a certain spot, the other did not share those same warm feelings.

Looking back, this was a great project for us to work on together...

it wasn't just a waterfall that we were building...
it was also our relationship. ♥

The final step was to apply the black waterfall foam.

The purpose of the foam is to fill the spaces behind the rocks

where the water would normally flow and also to stabilize the rocks.

The foam allows the water to flow over the rocks instead of under them.

Apply the foam only when you have all the rocks placed where you want them.

You may need several cans of foam.

Remember that the foam will expand so don't overfill.

Wear old clothes and throw-away gloves,

and try to complete the entire foaming project in one session.

If you happen to drip foam onto visible rocks, wait until it dries, then just pop it off with a putty knife.

You can also carve or trim dry foam with a utility knife,

although the resulting edges will be rough rather than smooth.

The last step is landscaping around the waterfall.

Plant ground-cover and other plants that provide year round interest.

Our Waterfall has become the centerpiece of our gardens...

and the birds and the butterflies think
we built it just for them...

and maybe we did!

♦ ♦ ♦

If you missed a post in this series,

follow the links below to view step by step how you can build

your own waterfall.

If You Build It... They will come!

Preparing the Foundation... Building Our Waterfall Part 1

The Catch Basin... Building Our Waterfall Part 2

Sizing the Waterfall... Building Our Waterfall Part 3

What in the World is a Wier?... Building Our Waterfall Part 4

Laying the Liner... Building Our Waterfall Part 5

Laying the Liner... Building our Waterfall Part 5

2012-03-27T22:30:00.000-06:00

Finally...

it's time for our waterfall and stream

to take shape.

All of our research and planning was actually beginning to pay off.

Before placing the felt underlay, it's important to remove any stones in the soil along the stream bed. The underlay will provide a cushion between any sharp rocks left in the soil and will protect and extend the life of the rubber liner.

Be sure to lay down a wider path than you intend the stream to be. You can piece the underlay if need be to get your desired result. Don't worry too much about buying just enough, as this material is fairly inexpensive. We purchased our underlay and liner at a sprinkler supply store. Hold down the edges of the felt with a few rocks to keep it in place while you lay the liner.

The EDPM pondliner was one of the more expensive items purchased for our waterfall. Don't skimp here; it really does need to be 45MIL thick if you want it to last and resist punctures. Since we didn't plan to include fish in our system, a fish safe pondliner was not critical but is what we purchased anyway.

Make sure you purchase enough to follow all the curves and cascades of your stream bed, no piecing here, to allow lots of extra to be pulled up over the rocks you plan to use. And like the underlay, leave very generous margins, you can always cut off the excess after the rocks are placed, but you can't add back on. Despite our efforts to carefully calculate the size of the waterfall and stream, we ended up with twice as much pondliner as we needed but better to error on the side of caution. We were able to sell the other half at a good price.

Having never built a waterfall feature before, we were a little unsure of how it was going to work out. So after we had the pondliner basically in place, we decided to take it for a test dtive.

We filled the basin with water, placed the pump in the basin and attached the pump to the hose. We then ran the hose up to the wier at the head of the waterfall. (After the stream bed was complete, we buried the hose under the surface.) We then turned on the pump, and crossed our fingers that the water would flow up the hose, fill the wier and cascade down the stream back into the basin.

It worked!

Convinced that all was working as planned, we marked the liner to indicate where the wier would sit permanently.

Next post we will show how we attached the wier to the pond liner, and the method we used to build the stream...

this was the creative process of our project

and was actually the most fun!

Stay tuned!

If you've missed any of the previous posts in this series of

How to Build a Waterfall...

click on the links below:

If You Build It... They will come!

Preparing the Foundation... Building Our Waterfall Part 1

The Catch Basin... Building Our Waterfall Part 2

Sizing the Waterfall... Building Our Waterfall Part 3

What in the World is a Wier?... Building Our Waterfall Part 4

Oh Spring... where art thou?

2012-03-19T10:31:00.000-06:00

Our Waterfall in Winter...

oops... I mean Spring.

Early morning in my gardens... 22° F... brrrr!

There is fresh snow on my Waterfall!

The sound of running water rippling over the rocks...

heavenly... even in snow!

Lovin' my Waterfall...through every season.

And it will all be melted by tomorrow.

For those of you following my How to Build A Waterfall Series,

sorry for the diversion.

We woke up to fresh snow and I couldn't wait to go out and take pics!

(Imagine me in pj's and slippers... in the snow.)

Stay tuned for the series to continue in our next post, I promise.

What in the World is a WEIR? (Building Our Waterfall Part 4)

2012-03-16T08:10:00.000-06:00

The waterfall and stream actually begins
at the waterfall WEIR.

There's a WEIR under there

A weir is just a box which diffuses the water

to create a natural appearing waterfall.

Weirs can be expensive

and since we're always on the lookout to save money,

we discovered a much less expensive alternative

that has worked very well.

Our local hardware store sells a plastic storage bin
that looks very much like a weir,
needing only a round hole cut in the side
to which a PVC plumbing fitting can be attached.

This video provides a complete description of
how to construct the do-it-yourself weir
for under $20.
I deviated slightly from his instructions by purchasing a bulkhead fitting
that connected through the hole—much simpler.
Purchase the size that accommodates the size of your tubing.

A view from the inside

A view from the outside

With the bulkhead fitting in place,
I inserted the tubing fitting—
first wrapping the threads with Teflon tape.

Here is the completed weir.
The plastic shown here was only for testing,
to give us a general idea of how this was all going to workout.

In our next post we'll discuss the underlay and liner and attach the liner to the weir.

Many thanks to my Honeyman who wrote most of this post
and who always figures out all the hard stuff in my life. ♥

Building Our Waterfall Part 3: Sizing The Waterfall

2012-03-12T07:45:00.003-06:00

With the catch basin correctly sized,

the next step is more interesting:
determining the flow of water

over the waterfall.

The components of a disappearing waterfall include the waterfall catch basin as the source of the water, a submerged pump in the catch basin that circulates water through tubing up to the head of the waterfall where it empties into a weir (this is just a box which diffuses the water to create a natural appearing waterfall) before spilling over the lip of the weir and cascading down to the rocks below. Gravity then encourages the water down the stream-bed if you have one, where it collects in the catch basin, ready for the return trip up the tubing.

In order to size the pump,
you need to decide how much water you want to flow over a waterfall.

Half-inch deep waterfalls are common for residential water features, which really is plenty to give you a sound that you will enjoy. The Waterfall Flow Calculator will reveal that wider waterfalls and deeper flows come with a cost—the need for a bigger pump. Note that the resulting recommendation of the calculator (in gallons per hour, or gph) is how much flow you need at the top of the waterfall.

Calculating the Pump Size

If the recommended flow at the top of the waterfall is 1,200gph, you will need a pump rated at more than 1,200gph, since you will need to factor in the amount of force needed to push the water to the top of the waterfall. This force (also known as head pressure) is influenced by the height of the waterfall, the length of the tubing you are using, and the fittings used to connect the tubing. Pumps are rated at being able to deliver a quantity of gallons per hour depending on the head height, which really means the calculated head pressure—not simply the height of the waterfall. This Head Pressure Calculator will tell you the height of your waterfall as perceived by the pump.

For example, if your waterfall is 3 feet high, and you have one 90 degree fitting, 15 feet of pipe, and two other fittings, this would be equivalent of lifting the water 8.5 feet high. When shopping for pumps, you will need to find one that delivers 1,200gph at 9 feet head height, not 3 feet.

Once we knew the correct head pressure for our waterfall,

we could then select the right pump.

After researching our choices,

we purchased a 1200gph Atlantic TidalWave2 hybrid pump

from our local sprinkler supply store that proved very capable.

♦ ♦ ♦

The waterfall and stream begin at the waterfall weir.

Here’s a good picture of a weir.

As you can see, they can be expensive.

Next post I’ll show you how to build one for much less.

Building Our Waterfall Part Two: The Catch Basin

2012-03-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

Water features can be designed to fit almost anywhere in the home garden.

We determined early on that we would forgo the pond of standing water,

opting simply for a disappearing waterfall.

Previous experience with a pond convinced us that pond upkeep was more than we cared for, and besides, it was the sound of falling water that we were seeking.

Eastward view of the Stream

There are a myriad of design choices for a disappearing waterfall.
We had enough space in our garden corner to install

both a waterfall and a short stream,

but you can omit the stream if your space is limited

and just build the waterfall right on top of the catch basin.

The end of the Stream... where does the water go?

Once you've determined where you want the head of your waterfall,

and where you can locate a sunken waterfall basin,

your next step is to calculate

how much water your waterfall catch basin will need to hold.

For assistance here, we visited a very helpful website. The waterfall basin calculator takes into account the projected length, width and water depth of the waterfall and of the stream, and calculates the volume of the waterfall basin in gallons. You will need a basin that can hold all of the water in your system when you turn off the pump as all the water will flow down into this basin. This site does the calculations for you to determine the size of your catch basin.

Once you have determined the size of the basin, you could, of course, purchase a waterfall kit that includes the basin, but we found the kits to be rather pricey and as we are always on the lookout to complete a project with the least amount of money, we went on a hunt to find just the right basin.

We found a very suitable and sturdy basin at the local farm supply store for a fraction of the cost—a 40 gallon Rubbermaid horse watering trough. This was just the right size and shape for our waterfall.

Be sure your basin is level

Now we could place the trough in the desired location...

at the end of where our stream would be.

Can you see the path where our stream will lay?

Monday's post will include information

on how to select the right pump for your waterfall.

This is a series of posts on how we built our waterfall.

If you've missed any, view the previous posts below...

Building Our Waterfall Part One: Preparing the Foundation

2012-03-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

Anything I can dream... my Honeyman can build.

And this is what he built for me... (and he let me help.)

We have a beautiful Patio (read our story here) built in 2009,

that we especially enjoy on warm Summer nights.

The adjacent landscape is striking...
but something was missing.

My heart yearned to hear the refreshing sound of water splashing

in my gardens
at the end of a Summer's day.
(Anything I can dream?)

And so we began...

It was April of 2011
and our sleepy gardens were just beginning to awake.

Remember this is Utah
where all but the bones of the gardens
die back and all but disappear from the cold Winter months.
(One of the reasons I love the month of April ... watching as the barren landscape SPRINGS to life.)

We had dug out the bushes from the existing landscape in the Fall,
so we began by transplanting the emerging plants,
rerouting the sprinkler pipes
and scraping the garden soil down to the clay base...
but only where the waterfall and stream would be.
After all... this was my perennial garden and I didn't
want to disturb the emerging plants and slumbering seeds.

We stock-piled the scraped off garden soil
to later place around the waterfall and stream at project's end.

The head of the waterfall would be up near the house,
so we prepared a gentle slope down to the rocks already in place
that lined the perennial bed.

These were the river rocks that were gathered from our soil
when we first landscaped our property,
and we planned to incorporate them into the design of our stream.

The foundation of the waterfall head

was laid in place with cinder blocks.

We packed our clay soil firmly in and around the blocks
to provide a solid base for the waterfall.

We'll further build this up with large river rock...
but wait, I'm getting ahead of myself,
that will be another day's post.

Surely growing weary of hearing my repeated cautions
to not step on my precious emerging peonies,

my Honeyman covered several of them with pots
to assure their safety in the construction zone.

What a guy.
Would contractors ever step so lightly?

♦ ♦ ♦

Our next post will include the engineering side of our project.

Did you know that the height of the waterfall

and the length and width of the stream are all determining factors

of how large the holding basin must be at the base of the stream?

Then there is the issue of the pump...

what size is right for your project?

The answers to these questions will be discussed in our next post.

Stay tuned!

For those of you who join me for the
Walk in the Gardens Challenge
on the first of each month... I have not forgotten you.

This week has been very cold and we finally have snow,
so I'm staying inside where it's warm today.
Been sick the entire month of February so I haven't done much walking.

But I'd love to see what you've discovered on your walks!

Post about your walk and remember to include a link to this post.
Then add your Post title to the linky list below.

Your posts will surely bring cheer to this dreary Winter's day.

If You Build It... They will come!

2012-02-21T11:00:00.001-07:00

Want to increase the bird and butterfly population in your gardens?

Here's the best idea for attracting them...

Build a water feature.

(Click on each picture for a better view)

Waterfall Garden Summer 2011

Waterfall Summer 2011

Waterfall Stream 2011

That's exactly what my Honeyman and I did together last Spring... just the two of us.

We designed and built a beautiful pond-less waterfall and stream.

He is, of course, The Builder of All My Dreams ♥♥♥
If I can dream it, he figures out a way to build it.

And after we built it...
oh how they came!

What a delight to see these little creatures enjoying the water!

Join me for the next several posts as we share our experience
of building this beautiful water feature...
we had such fun doing this project together!

We'll share our secrets for building this
at a fraction of the cost of hiring a contractor...

and you just may be surprised at some of the cost cutting features
we discovered that made this project much more affordable.

See you soon!

A Voluptuous Valentine ♥♥♥

2012-02-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Voluptuous!

And doesn't this rose live up to its name?

Jackson and Perkins 2005 Rose of the Year® winner.

"Exceptionally high-centered, fully petaled, cupped blooms

and satiny, deep fuchsia-pink petals.

Tall, upright, full-branched, disease-resistant plant."

My Honeyman gave this rose to me many years ago,

a favorite in my rose garden...

and it always brings joy when it blooms.

Lovin' my Sweetheart today and forever...

You still put the skip in my step!

Happy Valentines!

Sweet Little Birds... Outside my Window...

2012-02-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't they just freak out to know

I am on the other side of the glass taking their picture?

Shhhhh.... Let's keep it a secret.

February "Walk in the Gardens" Challenge... Shades of Brown

2012-02-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

No doubt this Winter will go on record

as the brownest that I can ever remember.

Only one measurable snowstorm in my gardens thus far.

While there's always hope that more snow will fall...

(Utah is notorious for surprise Spring snow storms)

today I'm celebrating
BROWN.

It's what I've been looking at most of this Winter...

and I've discovered there is much beauty to be found

even in a very Brown Winter.

But don't take my word for it...

come see for yourself!

Dancing Flame Maple Seeds in Winter

Brown-Eyed Susans Twirl in the Winter Winds

Hydrangea Blooms...

...always Beautiful no matter the Season.

Serenity in a Crunchy Leaf

Chickadee Surveying the Food Bank Below

Yum!

Empty Plate

Plumbago Seed-pods... Enchanting!

I've come to learn that every Season holds its own beauty.
You've just got to go out and look!

What have YOU discovered in your
Walk in the Gardens?

If you'd like to join me
publish your own post on what you've discover during your walk
then link your blog name to the linky list below.

The first of each month we'll do this again!

I look forward to seeing what you've discovered!

It's beginning to look a lot like... ♪ ♫ ♪

2012-01-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

...Finally we have snow!

Early Morning Snow in my Gardens...
LOVE the shades of blue
they reflect.

Just when we were beginning to think

it was going to be a snowless Winter.

Never have we had such a season.

Welcome snow!

And to think that last Winter was a record snow season

that kept Utah Ski Resorts open through July 4.

What a difference this year has been!

♦♦♦

Remember to join me the first day of each month for the
Walk in the Gardens Challenge.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you have discovered!

Sunrise in Sweden

2012-01-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

The sun is rising in Sweden.

It is the last sunrise my son will see

before he begins his long journey home.

Two years of humble service

for his Savior

as a missionary called of God

to proclaim His holy gospel.

Two years seems like forever to a mother...

so grateful he could go,

so full of joy that it is finally time
to come home.

Tomorrow night...
and I am so excited!

*actual picture taken in Sweden by my son

In Search of Snow... January "Walk in the Gardens" Challenge

2011-12-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

It has been chillingly cold

but still no measure-able snowfall in my gardens,

so we went to the mountains to find some.

A good excuse for a walk don't ya think?

Not much snow up there either.

The ski resorts are making snow for their slopes.

But we did find snow,

though not the deep fluffy stuff we played in last year.

Click here

and here

and here.

(Oh we had such fun on last year's mountain get-a-way.)

This year was a different kind of fun...

though we did find some interesting pics to shoot during our stay...

things we might have missed if we hadn't gone for a walk or two.

Winter Whites on the shady side of the road...

give the illusion of lots of snow,
though the sunny side is bare.

But even a little snow brings Winter interest.

Snow and moss... and *lichen.

*an organism that is formed by the symbiotic association of a fungus and an alga

and occurs as crusty patches or bushy growths on tree trunks, bare ground, etc.

Tangled roots from an old tree.

What creature lies within?

Roots formed around rocks.

Rocky outcropping

gives the appearance of a petrified tree trunk.

Spring water running clear and cold.

Ice castles for the Fairies to play in...

Can you see them?

Neither can I but I know they're in there.

Looking heaven-ward reveals berries for the birds

and clear blue skies in the chilling 10°F air.

The birds were high in the trees this day,

but I could hear them singing their happy Sunshine Song.

A mountain cemetery reflecting the twilight blues of the snow.
It was simply enchanting!

What treasures did you find on your January winter walk?

Post about it,
then add your link to the list below.
"Walk in the Gardens" Challenge is hosted the first day of each month
and the linky is up for a week.

I can't wait to see what you discover!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

May your Christmas be filled with joy

and love

and peace.

Remember to join me the first of each month for my

Walk in the Gardens Challenge.

Take time to get up from behind your computer and walk about in this beautiful world we live in.

Capture images of your walk

and then add your link to the list that will be here on January 1st.

We'll welcome the New Year with renewed energy!

My walk will be through snow scenes of Winter as I bundle up to stay warm.

(Think of me holding my breath as I take each shot so as not to fog up the lense

with my frozen breath.)

Naughty or Nice...

2011-12-12T10:19:00.003-07:00

Several of my grand-kiddos discovered these little Elves

making mischief in the Christmas tree bows.

Lively little characters with curious expressions

that captured a three, four and six year old's imagination.

"Grandma, you have Elves at your house, too?!"

Their bright eyes sparkled with absolute wonder.

Oh, they know all about Elves...

"they watch to see if you're naughty"

the four year old exclaimed with conviction.

"We have one at our house, Mr. Glimpse,

and every morning he's in a different place."

chimed in the 6 year old.

"Do your elves see us Grandma?"

the three year old asked with concern.

Oh yes, they do! I wisely replied.

And I'm certain they will tell Mr. Glimpse

all about your weekend with Grandma.

Love those little elves... they worked their magic.

No naughty kids here.

We just welcomed our 16th grandbaby into our hearts.

Grandchildren are God's gift to tired old mothers who persevered.

~ One who did... me!

Sugar Frosted December "Walk in the Gardens" Challenge

2011-12-01T10:46:00.001-07:00

A Sugar Frosted Morning in my gardens!

Rose leaves frosted to perfection!

Dainty little sugar cubes dancin' in the daisy foliage.

When the edge of your leaves and flower petals

appear as though they've been dipped in SUGAR

they have been touched by Rime Frost.

Rime Frost is ice formed when damp, icy winds
blow through your gardens.

It only occurs when the temperatures are very low...

and it makes everything within it's touch...

sparkle!

But you'll only discover these beauties...

if you go out in the gardens and walk...

but be sure to grab a coat and gloves

cuz baby it's cold out there!

And as soon as the sunlight touches the frost...

the magic will begin to fade.

Better look quick!

It's all melting fast!

Letting Mother Nature do her thing in my gardens...

and this morning was beautiful!

Join me for another WALK in the GARDENS Challenge.

Maybe you're already walking each day,
or maybe you, too, need a little coaxing to get going.
It doesn't matter how far or how long you walk, just that you do it.

If you'd like to join me

publish your own post on what you discover during your walk
then link your blog name to the linky list below.

The first of each month I'll post and invite you to join in again.

Daily Blessings... the end of the series

2011-11-25T07:36:00.001-07:00

Today I am thankful.

So many tender blessings fill my life.

Sweet it has been

to rest my mind on them for the last many days

as I have attempted to post everyday.

Looking back on the past year

there is one blessing that has truly changed my life... my camera.

Through it my perspective on life has forever changed.

So much enchantment, once hidden, now is within my view...

through my lens!

Looking forward to exploring and discovering more!

So blessed.

Daily Blessings... November 23

2011-11-23T08:10:00.001-07:00

My world is all abuzz this morning

as we prepare

for tomorrow's glorious Thanksgiving Day.

So much to do! So much to do!

Over the River and through the Woods

to Grandma's house they come!

O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!

Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!

Thy mists that roll and rise!

Thy woods, this Autumn Day...

~Edna St.Vincent Millay

Thankful today for the anticipation of tomorrow...

Daily Blessings... November 21st

2011-11-21T07:44:00.001-07:00

Just a few more days remaining to post for

Thanksgiving Challenge

began by The Whimsical Gardner.

It has indeed been a challenge to post every day,

but sweet delight to be reminded of the many blessings I hold dear.

Today I am grateful for the opportunity to serve.

♥

To serve...

to lift others by word and deed

is a gift for the giver.

I believe it is the only means by which we can find true happiness...
as we give a portion of ourselves

we are blessed ten fold.

Look around you!

There's an abundance of opportunities that need your talents...

within our communities,

within our schools,

within our families!

Jump in!

Your own troubles will melt away

as you immerse yourself in lifting others.

"I know that we came to this life with a purpose

and the greatest joy we will receive

will be those acts of love and service that we do for others...

There is none too great to need the help of others.

There is none so great that he can do it alone."

~Robert D. Hales

Daily Blessings... November 20th

2011-11-20T07:45:00.001-07:00

Every morning brings a new day....

Morning Breaks above my Gardens

Who knows...

something wonderful may happen this day!

Have faith that it will.

Thankful for the blessings each new day brings.

Daily Blessings... November 17th and 18th

2011-11-17T06:19:00.001-07:00

Life is better with grandchildren...
they are the most precious blooms in my gardens.

When the voices of children are heard on the green

And laughing is heard on the hill,

My heart is at rest within my breast

And everything else is still.

William Blake, "Nurse's Song"

Give children time to explore...

to learn about the feel of the grass under their feet

and the wiggliness of worms in their hands

and their giggles will warm your heart.

I'm thankful today for my grandchildren...

#16 will be here soon.

♥ ♥ ♥

I'm taking another chance at a photo contest with this image... it's one of my favorites and it brings back such sweet memories of a perfect visit to my island grand-kiddos.
Wish me luck!

♥ ♥ ♥

*Sweet!

So nice to know someone else enjoys a picture I adore!

Visit Gardening Gone Wild to see more entries
and read the great comments by the judge.