Beyond The Garden Gate

Critters in the garden

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 14:36:00 +0000

As you know, I have a large garden in my backyard.

The cottage garden has a lot of variety, yet I have more of one particular type of flower than any other.

That one flower would be ECHINACEA - CONEFLOWERS.

I absolutely adore my coneflowers. Most of mine are from seed; I collected seed and planted it years ago, and it just keeps going on and on.

We have had a lot of goldfinch activity on the coneflower seedheads recently.
I have heard that it is good to leave the coneflowers standing over the winter, both for winter interest and for the birds to eat. However, I don't see much bird activity on these over the winter; it's NOW that they are coming to my garden to partake.

A favorite photo I took in the garden last summer

Also in the garden - the hunter
Unfortunately, I think the two hawks I've been seeing in my gardens with some regularity are here for the small birds. :(

We normally see red-tailed hawks here; this bird's tail is not red. I don't know if this is a juvenile or perhaps another kind of hawk.

Also seen in the garden

It gives me a lot of joy to see the monarchs and the monarch caterpillars in my garden. I counted fourteen caterpillars on my butterfly weed recently. I have four full-sized butterfly weeds in my gardens, plus several tiny ones (it self-sows prolifically). I also have common milkweed and swamp milkweed. This year most of the cats are on the butterfly weed.

Speaking of butterflies, here's an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on what I find to be a butterfly magnet: Verbena bonariensis.

There aren't too many Black Swallowtails in the garden this year - I captured this image last year.

Another photo from last summer - photo I took at the Discovery Garden at the Iowa State Fairgrounds
Although I have seen quite a bit of monarch activity in the gardens this year, I haven't gotten many photos at all. It takes a lot of patience to capture butterflies with a camera. :)

After almost six years of blogging, I'm losing the joy in the process. This may or may not be my last post. I don't want to be one of those bloggers who doesn't say they are stopping blogging and leave people to wonder what happened to that person...If this is it, let it be said that I stopped with a post filled with beauty. Thanks for reading.

One of my favorite places

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 21:19:00 +0000

Vacations - who doesn't enjoy getting away for rest and relaxation and seeing new things?
We're vacationing in one of our favorite places in the whole world: Estes Park, Colorado.
It's beautiful, there's lots to do, and the cool mountain air is a refreshing break from 90 degree Iowa temps.

At Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

This is where we're staying. It's our fourth time at these condos. They meet our needs perfectly.

Fall River runs right in front of the property.

Downtown Estes Park has lots of cute shops, and many pretty flowers.

We hiked to Nymph Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).

Another image of Nymph Lake

Beautiful water lilies on Nymph Lake

Picturesque Dream Lake

We did a lot of hiking to get to these lakes. Along the trail, beauty abounds.

Yesterday we traveled up Trail Ridge Road, toward the Continental Divide. As you can see, we were above the tree line. This area is called the alpine tundra.

Taken from the visitor center at the alpine tundra

Look at these tiny bluebells I spotted on the alpine tundra. My Virginia bluebells are much larger, and bloomed in April or May.

A canyon of colored rock as we walked the trail to Alberta Falls

Downstream a bit from the falls

Beautiful Alberta Falls

In town, we took a tour of the Stanley Hotel. "The Shining" was written here by Steven King. The movie was filmed elsewhere, though. Legend has it the Stanley is haunted. It appeared on an episode of "Ghost Hunters."

Enjoying my vacation!

"The mountains are calling. I must go." - John Muir

Exactly how I feel! Love it here!

More garden rooms

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 06:30:00 +0000

Garden rooms - distinct areas with the garden as a whole - fun and creative. Most of us have them although not everyone thinks in terms of garden rooms, or names theirs. In a prior post, I shared images from our cottage garden, picket fence garden, courtyard garden, pond garden, daylily junction and hosta farm. Today I have a few more garden rooms to share with you.

Here is Lupin Corner. This is an image from this spring. The area now could just as well be called Larkspur Corner or Coneflower Corner, as those are what are blooming there in July. Love my lupins!

The potager/kitchen garden/raised beds, and on the right, the herb garden

Other edibles in the garden are blueberries. We have 4 bushes and so far have 40 cups of berries in the freezer. I've also baked a pie and a crumble and given some away. Many people don't think of growing blueberries in Iowa, but mine have done well. The secret: acid soil. I amend mine with sulfur or aluminum sulfate. Works for me!

Here's the Rocky garden, so named because of the several large rocks strategically placed. :)
This is not a rock garden. A rock garden typically has alpine type plants.

Here is the Triangle. There are a few trees and shrubs, hostas, tulips etc. A nice area between the larger gardens as you walk toward the hosta farm.

I also have a rose garden in front, a hosta bed in front, and two side gardens on the sides of the house.

Hope you enjoyed seeing a little something at our house besides the cottage garden (my most-photographed).

A few of our garden Rooms

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 23:55:00 +0000

Garden rooms are distinct areas within the gardens as a whole. Here at Sunsplash Gardens, we have several garden rooms.

Sharing a few today:

COTTAGE GARDEN:

The cottage garden is my favorite area of the garden, well, usually it is...sometimes, due to profuse bloom in another area, I'll say a different garden room is my favorite. A cottage garden is informal with dense plantings. It looks lush and exuberant.

PICKET FENCE GARDEN:

DAYLILY JUNCTION:

This area is blooming prolifically now. I love it!

'Inner Destiny'

'Jungle Beauty'

'Strawberry Candy'

'Winter Treasure'

'Blueberry Candy'

'Julie Fassett'

THE COURTYARD AND THE COURTYARD GARDEN:

Sophia in the courtyard garden

This garden is new after our garden re-do last fall. I've planted two climbing roses there and a 'Limelight' hydrangea, among other things. I'll have to show you more as it develops over time.

POND GARDEN:

Quickly becoming a favorite garden room; can you see why?

HOSTA FARM:

This large garden room traverses the width of the property. It's on the fencerow shared with the horse pasture.

We have about 1000 hostas in various gardens - by far the most reside in the hosta farm.

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of our garden rooms. At another time, I'll show you additional garden rooms here at Sunsplash Gardens.

Self sowing in the garden; do you or don't you?

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 18:56:00 +0000

Do you allow annuals to self sow in your garden?
Or do you "Preen?"
Or pull the seedlings?
I do pull quite a few, because when I allow self sowing, I always get WAY more plants than I need.

Despite the inconvenience of this extra "weeding", I let the following beauties go to seed and grow...it's almost like an annual becoming a perennial!

Larkspur and an annual rudbeckia

Somniferum Poppy 'Candy Floss'

Nigella - pretty in pink
a/k/a Love-in-a-mist

The more common blue nigella

Cleome

Verbena bonariensis - this is a butterfly magnet

Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate

Of course there are perennials that go to seed and produce new plants as well. A couple of examples from my garden are echinacea and monarda.

So, do you or don't you allow self sowing? For me, it brings me some extra effort but a lush cottage garden look which is worth it to me.

It's another nice summer morning and once I finish my cup of tea I'll take little Josey for a walk, and then I'll be heading down the garden paths both to enjoy, and to work...and to look for a lost shoe! Our neighbors visited last night and somehow their little boy lost a CROC! Hope we can find it in this dense "jungle" of plants!

Another day, another bloomer

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 00:47:00 +0000

Another weekend past, a new week has begun and it looks like it will be a productive one around here. That means I have a lot of tasks on my "to do" list. lol

While Josey was at the groomer, I baked a blueberry pie. I have an abundance of blueberries for the third straight year. There are plenty in the freezer already for two more pies - and lots of berries yet to ripen. I had blueberries on my oatmeal the past two days as well.

Of course I also had to take a garden walk....

Another view from above - this one is taken from a second story window to give a broader view. My backyard is bordered by our neighbor's chain link fence on the left, and our other neighbor's wooden fence on the right - and in back, not visible, is farm fence topped with barbed wire. If you look closely a horse is barely visible in the pasture behind our house (look just above the garden shed).

Also in this photo you can see our triangular garden, where we have a Black spruce, a flowering crabapple 'Prairie Fire,' a buckeye tree, azaleas, burning bushes, and a few perennials.

In regard to the garden, you can see a line (it needs edging again, but you can see the line between lawn and garden). The edge of this large garden area goes over to the right and ends at the garden shed.

Here is the cottage garden at dusk. Lots of color, and lilies (left in photo) are about to bloom.

Speaking of lilies, here's oriental 'Eleana,' a double that is very fragrant and her beauty is captivating.

This is Asiatic 'Paris heart.'

I love coneflowers - one of my favorite flowers. They are abundant in my garden. I will have hundreds, maybe even a thousand, blooms this summer. Someone who knew of my love for coneflowers asked if I have any of the fancy ones. Not so much. I do have a white coneflower; yes, just one...

...and a couple of 'Cheyenne Spirit' echinacea,

as well as a couple of Echinacea pallida (Pale purple coneflower)

Most of my coneflowers are from seed. I harvested seed at the Iowa State Fairgrounds years ago. My plants have self-sown prolifically over the years. Now, I know I've bought a coneflower or two over time, for they are not all the same cultivar. Some of them have a greenish stem and some an almost black stem.

Hemerocallis, or daylilies are another of my favorite flowers. This garden room is Daylily Junction. There are many daylilies here, as well as true lilies and a few other plants along the fence row.

This is 'Happy Apple.'

'Double River' growing beside the bee balm

'Bold Stripe'

'Black eyed Susan'

Name not known

'Custard Candy' - love, love, love this beauty!

Another candy: 'Blueberry Candy'
I also have 'Strawberry Candy' and 'Wineberry Candy,' neither of which are blooming yet.

A very pretty red is 'Whooperie.'

'Joe Marinello'

'Joel'

The cleome are just beginning to bloom too.

Just another view showing our pergola. The stream and pond are in front of the courtyard and pergola, and are hidden by flowers in this photo.

Rain lilies

Mama (or Papa) Wren with an insect to feed the babies residing in this birdhouse. It's amazing to watch the two wrens; they work continuously to keep their babies fed!

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:26, 27

Have a great week in the garden - or wherever you choose to spend it!

The View from Above

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 12:29:00 +0000

Every once in awhile I like to write up a post that gives a broader view of our gardens, rather than just close ups of various areas and various flowers out there. Today's the day. I took photos out the upstairs windows to try to show most of our back yard.

Our home is a two story with a walk out basement. The deck comes off the main level. Below that, you can see (on the left) our courtyard with pergola, the water garden area, and our triangle garden (top of photo).

Here's a closer view of the water garden, consisting of waterfalls, stream and pond and the adjacent pond garden room. We are planning on adding plants and growing the existing ones to the left (west) of the stream; we're going for a more natural look...these things take time...

A close up of some of the flowers in the pond garden (east) of the stream. monarda (bee balm), Nepeta 'Walker's low,' rudbeckia, roses and larkspur - also an occasional coneflower or two

To the middle left in the photo is the area we just looked at in the prior photo.
The middle area which is surrounded by the flagstone path is our Cottage garden.
The area in the lower right corner of the photo is the edge of the Picket Fence garden.
The area by the shed, only slightly visible, is Daylily Junction, home to many daylilies and a few true lilies as well. 2 of our 10 raised beds are also seen on the right.

In the Cottage garden - here you see the monarda, coneflowers, Asiatic lilies, daylilies, and a raised bed full of green beans.

The coneflowers are blooming now and the lilies will be soon.

In the Rocky garden, I'm loving hydrangea 'Incrediball.'

A pretty color combination in the picket fence garden

First water lily

Stunning in the pond: water hyacinths

Let's take a walk

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 20:46:00 +0000

Let's take a walk out back, in the gardens. They are maturing and there is lots to see (and even to eat).

Speaking of eating, do you suppose this guy, who is sitting at pond's edge, is thinking about fishing?
This is not my cat; he's a visitor to the yard every now and then.

The pond plants are almost covering the water. The fish like to hide from me, and now they have plant cover as well as rocks to swim between. The plantings on the east side of the pond and stream are mostly older ones. The west side is where we are trying to get some new things established. You are looking toward the east.

A closer look, just to the east of the stream.

Larkspur self-sows in many areas of the gardens. I have lavender, purple, pink and white.

The rudbeckia and bee balm have begun to bloom.

Most of the lupins are gone, but we still have a few in bloom.

Echinacea pallida, Pale Purple Coneflower

Hydrangea 'Incrediball' looks incredible!

'Jackmanii,' new to me this year and showing its first blooms

Perennial geraniums 'Rozanne' and 'Johnson's Blue' are going crazy! They must like all this rain we've been getting.

Ruby throated hummingbird (the only kind of hummingbird in this area) rests on a tomato cage.

The lavender is doing well. This is 'Hidcote.' I also grow 'Munstead,' which is a bit lighter in color.

Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly weed, has been bright and cheerful (and spreading a bit, too).

Allium 'Globemaster' while in bloom - BEFORE above...

...and AFTER...when their blooming was complete, I spray painted them.

We have ripe cherries, blueberries, rhubarb and strawberries and have eaten lettuce, kohlrabi, arugula and kale from the gardens. Looking forward to the green beans and my second crop of lettuce soon, and later, the tomatoes. How is your garden growing?

Clematis, Queen of the Climbers

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 12:13:00 +0000

Clematis are called Queen of the Climbers for good reason. There are over 300 varieties of these luxurious plants that bloom profusely with large flowers...and they're easy to grow.

I grow mine on fences, obelisks and trellises. You can also let them grow up a tree or shrub, or even allow them to amble along the ground.

They bloom at different times, and I've been collecting images this season so that I can tell you about each and every one of my 18 clematis! Here we go:

'Princess Diana'

Blooms June-September

6-8'

Pruning type 3

'Nelly Moser'

First to bloom for me this year in early May; reblooms late summer
6-10'
Pruning type 2

'Josephine'

Blooms early summer to late summer
8'
Pruning type 2

'Crystal Fountain'
Blooms late spring to early summer, reblooms late summer
8-10'
Pruning type 2

'Rebecca'
Blooms mid spring to early summer
6-8'
Pruning type 2

'Duchess of Edinburgh'
Blooms late spring to early summer, reblooms late summer
9'
Pruning type 2

'Claire de Lune'

Early bloomer, reblooms

6-10'

Pruning type 2

'Multi Blue'
Late spring to early summer, reblooms late summer to early fall
7-8'
Pruning type 2

Name unknown
I ordered 'Louise Rowe,' but she is pale pink.
She seems to be residing on the same trellis with this deep red beauty.

'Louise Rowe'

Mid-spring, reblooms in August

6-10'

Pruning type 2

'Piilu'
Late spring to early summer bloom, reblooms early fall
4-6'
Pruning type 2

'Proteus'
Late spring - early summer bloomer, reblooms in the fall
8-10'
Pruning type 2

'Betty Corning'
Blooms early summer to early fall
8-12'
Pruning type 3

'Comtesse de Bouchaud'
Blooms June-September
8-12'
Pruning type 3

Name unknown

'Rooguchi'
Blooms June-October
6'
Pruning type 3
Mine is a first year plant; for a better photo of 'Rooguchi' in bloom, click here.

About pruning clematis:

There are 3 pruning types; know which group your clematis belongs to and follow these guidelines.

Pruning type 1:

These flower on old wood (last season's growth). Light pruning to remove any dead wood and neaten it up is all that is needed.

Pruning type 2:

Type 2 clematis flower on both old and new wood. These are rebloomers, with their major show early and a more modest flowering in the fall. Prune lightly, keeping in mind that double flowering varieties have their double blooms on old wood.

Pruning type 3:
These flower on new wood. Cut back to just above a healthy pair of leaf buds, to an approximate height of 8-12" in early spring.

Do you grow clematis in your garden? What are your favorite varieties?

Lucky with lupins

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sun, 24 May 2015 00:09:00 +0000

Lupins - love 'em! I've had good luck growing them over the past several years. Because I know some gardeners have difficulty with them, I want to share a few tips. I grow mine from seed - I think these are a type called 'Tutti Frutti.'

They like acidic soil. If I remember, I will add sulfur or aluminum sulfate to the soil when planting since my soil pH is neutral to basic.

Once planted, they do not like to be transplanted.

Lupins are short-lived perennials, thus I plant more every year. This year I planted 50 'Tutti Frutti' seeds - and I spread them throughout the gardens.

Allowing lupins to go to seed may shorten the life of the plant, so I don't allow mine to go to seed.

This lupin is a volunteer. Notice it looks a little different in its form; I think it's probably a Russell hybrid.

Give lupins a try! What have you got to lose???

And also starring in my late May garden:

I'd never seen a pink fuchsia before. Fuchsias are hummingbird magnets, so of course I had to get this and hang it below the deck.

Several clematis are blooming. This one is so pretty! I don't know the name of it; I had ordered 'Louise Rowe' but this isn't it...I like it any way.

Many peonies are blooming in our area now. I have six peonies, two of which are blooming now. This one is 'Star Power.'

Here is tree peony 'Goldfinch.'

This delicate little rose has started to bloom.

Allium 'Christophii' has unusual form.

Heuchera 'Lipstick' is a favorite of mine. In the background, upper left, is one of my tiarellas.

Clematis 'Multi Blue'

I've had several iris blooming. Here's a lovely white one, name not known.

Gardening isn't all that I do....I bake once in awhile too....doesn't the pie look lovely? It's lemon meringue, ready for Sunday lunch with the family!

Such a beautiful season!

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 05 May 2015 20:16:00 +0000

Things are changing daily in the gardens. Such a beautiful season of the year!

The little dogwood tree is still blooming beautifully. I've placed potted water lilies in the pond and eagerly await the lily pads and blooms on the water's surface.

We added two new rain barrels this year, bringing our total to four. These will hold 220 gallons of water, useful for adding water to the pond as needed and for watering the garden.

The kitchen garden/potager/raised beds are coming to life. Tomatoes still not planted...waiting till Mother's Day.

A very nice stand of Virginia bluebells

Primula Sieboldii is blooming in two areas of the garden.

The hosta farm is filling in nicely.

Color contrast: a tiny Japanese maple amongst the hostas ('Geisha Gone Wild')

Solomon's Seal, a gift from Larry's garden - beautiful in the shady areas

Columbine

Clematis 'Duchess of Edinburgh' looks so full of buds! This clematis was a very slow starter. I think it's five years old now and it didn't bloom the first three years. It's lucky that I'm a patient person! lol

Lathyrus vernus, another gift from Larry
He's been very generous in sharing knowledge and plants with me!

The lilies have come up and will bloom soon, as will the iris. The perennial geraniums are about to bloom as well. There's something to look forward to every day as I walk about the gardens!

A walk in the garden

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 14:51:00 +0000

Spring has definitely arrived, although the possibility of cold, even frost, still exists. Therefore, no annuals purchased or planted yet here, although the self-sowing annuals are up and I've planted some seeds as well.

This morning I took a walk with the camera and here's some of what I saw.

Our redbud tree in the front yard

Another pretty tree is the flowering crabapple in back ('Prairie Fire')

Lilacs in back, adjacent to the "hosta farm."

Tortie put on a little show for me, climbing the lilac while I was out taking pictures.

An old-fashioned lilac that I dug a sprout of from my neighbors years ago.

Lilac 'Sensation'

I'm glad to say that the fairies have arrived.

This fairy garden is new this year.

My "old" fairy garden, with the house built on a stump. Do you see the little birdhouse in the tree on the upper left?

Tiarella 'Spring Symphony' is looking pretty.

Virginia Bluebells are just beginning to bloom. They have multiplied rapidly and I have some to dig and share if you are in the area.

The secret to success with Virginia bluebells is soil like the forest floor. They appreciate leaf mold, and humusy, moist soil.

Epimedium 'Rubrum'

Primula Sieboldii is about to bloom.

The tulips are still blooming, and I have a many pretty daffodils in bloom as well.

I enjoyed my garden walk, and hope you did too. Have a good week!

It's all about the tulips!

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 00:17:00 +0000

This time of year, for me it's all about the tulips.

Pretty blush pink tulips in my gardens

There are quite a few tulips down by the potting shed, in a garden room I call Daylily Junction.

How many tulips do I have? Well, probably 100 or so. Most of these are either what Breck's sold as "perennial tulips," or Darwin type tulips. If you've grown tulips you are likely aware that tulips are not reliable year after year. Thus, I've tried to plant these that are supposed to last longer. Good luck with the Breck's collection - I think they've been there 5 or 6 years. The Darwin tulips were planted the fall of 2013 so they haven't been well-tested yet.

In Pella, Iowa, Home of Tulip Time, the tulip bulbs are pulled after blooming and new bulbs are planted every fall. For an event like Tulip Time, you must have gorgeous, reliable blooms. They also have a lot of fancy tulips. We were in Pella today to see the tulips and enjoy lunch and shopping. Here is my favorite bed from the central park in downtown Pella.

Love these tulips too, although I've never grown any like this. They kind of remind me of peonies.

Oh, look at this color!

Another pretty color combination

This sidewalk in central park is lined with various tulip varieties and colors. So pretty!

Spectacular color and form!

Pink in the garden - definitely a favorite of mine

Tulips behind the Historical Society museum

The same location a few years ago

Me and my friend Marilee posing in front of the posies

Three of us traveled to Pella. Here I am with my friend Jeri, posing in front of the Tulip Tea Room.

I just love the lace curtains and the tulip topiaries - and the FOOD - at the Tulip Tea Room.

Time to Garden!

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 14:10:00 +0000

Ah, spring! The boredom that affects me when it's cold and I can't be outside is gone. Now, there is plenty to look at and plenty to do.

Our own little babbling brook, looking better as plants begin to come up around it. There is a lot of planting I need to do around the stream and pond. Many plants were removed last year for the creation of the waterfall, stream, pond, courtyard and pergola. Some that were relocated will come back; others will stay where they are now. I would like this area to be very colorful and thus will be adding zinnias and coreopsis and daisies.

Love the sound of the trickling water. Last night we left our bedroom window open and we could hear it. Very peaceful.

Tortie, the outside cat, enjoys drinking from the pond. Dragonflies and birds are attracted to it as well.

This morning when I was out in the gardens, a turkey flew by me. He (or she) had been in the gardens but I didn't see where he came from. I'm guessing he was at the pond or under the birdfeeder. That was the first time I've seen a turkey in the yard. Deer, opossums, birds, garter snakes, ground hogs, raccoons, cats - yes -even fox but never before a turkey.

An unusual daffodil

Many tulips have begun to bloom and many will be blooming in the coming days and weeks.

Tortie framed by tulips

I adore tulips!

I planted a few hundred grape hyacinth last fall. These are the first to bloom.

Red-veined sorrel - so pretty - and EDIBLE too. It's a perennial.

The creeping phlox is putting on a show now too.

Where history comes to life

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 21:39:00 +0000

Last evening, we had the pleasure of attending a historic dinner at Living History Farms.

Living History Farms offers historic dinners in the 1900's farmhouse (our choice), the Tangen House, and the Flynn mansion.

We met at the conference center, where we were met by Dave and a pair of Percheron horses.

There were ten participants in dinner at the 1900's farmhouse. We had four in our group: my hubby and I, plus our son and daughter-in-law. We got a ride in a horse-drawn wagon up to the farmhouse.

The farmhouse, the corn crib (granary), and the outbuildings. There is also a large red barn that I didn't get a photo of.

Kelly (left) was our hostess, and Erin was the cook. This wood-burning stove heats the house and cooks most of the food. Some of the food had to be cooked in the basement in a commercial kitchen to meet restaurant regulations.

This is a working farm, with things being done the way they were done in the period. There are other period farms, a Victorian mansion, and an 1870's town at Living History Farms as well. It's a great place to visit May - October when activities are in full swing. The historic dinners are an October - March event.

Here is the pantry, where you will notice canned pears from the orchard and tomatoes from the garden.

A view of the kitchen

Kerosene lanterns were throughout the house and lighting wasn't the best for photography.

We were served a meal of marinated pork loin, cooked apples and onions, brandied carrots, escalloped potatoes, escalloped corn and tomato casserole, yeast rolls, chocolate cake with cinnamon filling, and pumpkin pie. It was wonderful!

Our days will come!

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 00:45:00 +0000

Sooner or later, our days of beauty and warmth will come! I'm certain of it; I've lived for more than half a century and I've never lived through a year without a spring!

Past springs inspired me....

A beautiful bouquet of lilacs graced my mantel one spring...I'd love to have another like this again.

Virginia Bluebells, a native wildflower in my area that grows and spreads wonderfully in my gardens

Tulips, my favorite spring flower

Crocus - tiny but so appreciated

Siberian squill is a spreader, but as pretty as this is, how can I complain?

Beautiful magnolias in our neighborhood

Violets come in a range of colors.

Violets are lovely, violets are edible, and, unfortunately, violets spread aggressively. I do some violet pulling every year but still have some in the yard and gardens.

This was a preview of spring, from springs past.
It reminds me that Our days will come!
Welcome Spring!

Gardening for Butterflies

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 10:15:00 +0000

It's cold outside, but in my heart it's almost summer...well, springtime, at least.
Seeds have been purchased and I'll be ordering shrubs, roses, and perennials soon.
As I think about flowers in my garden, I also think about the wildlife that benefit from my garden. Today it's butterflies that I want to talk about.

Last summer we had quite a few butterflies and it's not by accident. I garden for butterflies.

From the first three images below, you would think that that monarchs really like zinnias - and you would be correct!

In the Polk County Master Gardener's Discovery Garden at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, I captured this image and the one below. There were many monarchs there.

In my own garden - a favorite shot.

The butterflies spend a great deal of time on the Verbena bonariensis. Above is a female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (I think). This website talks about yellow and dark colored Eastern Tiger Swallowtails. Images on the site show a butterfly that looks almost exactly like this one.

Another Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on the Verbena bonariensis. If you don't have this plant in your garden and you want to attract butterflies, I highly recommend it - it's a butterfly magnet!

Here a monarch is enjoying Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate (Persicaria Orientalis)

I told you zinnias were popular with the (Painted) ladies! lol

To have true success attracting butterflies in your garden , you also need host plants; that is, plants where the females lay their eggs and the young hatch and grow.

Milkweed is the host plant for monarchs. Above, two monarch caterpillars on common milkweed.

This is common milkweed in my garden

Another type of milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa, commonly known as Butterfly Weed

Asclepias incarnata, commonly known as Swamp milkweed, Red milkweed, Marsh milkweed, and Rose milkweed

I also grow host plants for Black Swallowtails. Their host plants include dill, fennel, Queen Anne's lace, parsley, and celery.

To be a good steward of your butterfly garden, avoid use of insecticides and plant native plants.

Happy Valentine's Day!

What a difference a day makes!

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sun, 01 Feb 2015 22:08:00 +0000

Just a couple of days ago, I was photographing and blogging about the green in my garden. Well, being midwesterners, we all knew winter wasn't over yet. A major snowstorm had been forecast for our area, and the meteorologists' predictions came true. It started raining here mid-day Saturday.

My son, daughter-in-law, and grandson came late afternoon and shared a dinner of taco soup and raspberry pie with ice cream; then the three of them played "Trivial Crack" on their phones - have you heard of it?

By the time they left, it was snowing in some areas of our city (not ours); they even saw a snowplow in the ditch on the way home. Now, doesn't that inspire confidence?!!

It was snowing before we went to bed; in fact, quite a lot. I took some photos in evening light; all was beautiful, peaceful and quiet:

Looking from our backyard to the west into the neighbor's

The trees were (and still are) covered with snow. So far, no tree casualties here.

Love this Black Spruce! It's got a great shape to it - and it really looks pretty when covered with snow.

Another view of the Black Spruce.

Back to my story: We had quite a bit of snow when we went to bed, and it has continued to snow well into Super Bowl Sunday. Many churches cancelled services, including ours. It has been a quiet day, with intermittent trips outside to use the snowblower (twice already, need to do it again...), and let the dog out. By early afternoon there were approximately 10" of snow, with more coming down!

I am SO glad I have nowhere to go. This is staying home weather at its' finest. :)

It's a PERFECT afternoon for a cup of tea. I bought an electric tea kettle upon the recommendation of my daughter - I'm liking the ease of use.

Here's my new tea kettle on the kitchen counter.

Perhaps you noticed this memory board in the kitchen...thought I'd give you a closer look. You'll see a photo of my daughter as a teenager with our dog, Libby; a photo of me at Tulip Time in Pella, and a newspaper clipping with a photo I really like. It's all about "my" Iowa State Cyclones. There are two small bunches of dried lavender from my garden - they look different because one is 'Munstead' and the other is 'Hidcote.' Please don't ask me to remember which is which - I'm thinking the one on the right is 'Hidcote.' Not sure though. The corsage is from Aaron and Kendra's wedding and the ribbon is one I won at the Iowa State Fair for a scrapbook page.

Back to tea...my teapot is from Pella, Iowa. It looks Dutch but is not from Holland.

The teacup is Delft, from Holland. It belonged to my grandmother, who collected teacups (I do too.)

My grandma placed a piece of masking tape with the name "James Hart" on the bottom of the teacup, because Jim, her nephew, brought this to her from a trip to Holland.

Today I'm drinking Icewine tea from Canada. Mmmmm, good!

Love this photo! Perhaps you noticed the other snow pics have a blue cast to them and these have a grey cast. It's all about the light; these were taken on an overcast morning and the others were taken at dusk.

On the left, the Black Spruce and on the right a sugar maple and our berry patch

Along the fence row (pasture behind us) are several HUGE trees. They are hackberries. There's also a mulberry tree back there. They sure look pretty with snow covering their branches. The smaller tree toward the front is our sugar maple. A couple of years ago, I did a tree count and I believe we had almost 30 trees on our property (a half-acre lot).

Super Bowl Sunday has been a good day to stay inside and drink tea.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 15:11:00 +0000

On January 11, 2010, I created my very first blog post and hit "publish." So began a journey that started out as just a blog reader, and grew to much more.

About Me:

I'm a 50-something woman living in Iowa. I grew up in a small town, graduated high school, and went to nursing school. I married Ron 38 years ago, and we have two children, a daughter and a son, and now two grandsons.

I love animals and gardening; I love travel; I enjoy NASCAR and basketball (spectator only). I'm retired, I'm a tea granny, and I like to cook.

About Beyond the Garden Gate:

Over the years I've shared many things (500 posts and counting).

I've shared "weather shots," like this icy day in my backyard 5 winters ago.

I've shared sunsets from my deck.

I've shared bits and pieces of Tortie's story. She was a feral kitten in 2008 who came to stay and in fact still lives with us today.

I've shared tea and food...

I created and photographed eleborate tablescapes that we never ate at. (lol)

I shared a bit of home decor.

And then, there is THE GARDENS...my favorite thing to photograph and blog about!

Swamp milkweed

A bit of whimsy: a faux birdie in a nest I found and placed in our Japanese maple tree

Blueberries - we have four or five bushes and they do very well here.

Edging the garden

A favorite photo - so colorful!

I love daylilies and have about 80 of them in my gardens.

I have hundreds of coneflowers spread throughout the gardens. They, along with daylilies and lupines, are my favorite flowers.

I occasionally blog about my travel adventures. Perhaps there will be more about that now that my hubby has retired. Sweet freedom!

MACKINAC ISLAND:

AUSTRALIA:

CHARLESTON:

CANADA:

Visiting blogging friend, Judith. Judith blogs at Lavender Cottage.

Niagara Falls

5 years, 500 plus posts and counting...what does the future of the blog look like?
I consider this primarily a gardening blog and we all know there's not much gardening going on during an Iowa winter. Therefore, except for the occasional tea post or "weather shot" the blog will be rather quiet until springtime. Then, wow! You can journey with me as I continue the garden remodeling, a big project that began when we added a New Orleans-inspired courtyard and pergola plus a waterfall, stream, and pond.

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 10:00:00 +0000

I want to wish each and everyone of you a blessed Christmas filled with love, friends, and family.

She brought forth her firstborn Son, and laid him in a manger, for there was no room in the inn.

May we all make room for Jesus in our hearts.

Critters at Sunsplash Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 09:30:00 +0000

Gracie likes to sit under the Christmas tree.

Recently I washed some blankets, folded them and set them on the table. Gracie found it an appealing place to rest.

Just back from the groomer - Josey Rose, my miniature schnauzer

I added the Santa hat in PicMonkey.

I put out corn for the squirrels. They will eat a whole ear every day! We call them "piggy" squirrels.

This blue jay likes corn too.

Female (left) and male goldfinches on the niger feeder

The Red-bellied woodpecker likes corn too.

Tortie first came to our yard as a kitten with her mother in 2008. She never left!

We also have seen fox and deer in the yard, and there are two stray cats that come every day for Meow Mix!

There's no place like home for the holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 06:30:00 +0000

There's no place like home for the holidays! Our own home, our childhood home, our children's childhood home (our place)...it's wonderful to spend time with family at this time of the year.

Trees at night...so pretty!

Porch decor at our red front door - the red hydrangeas are from my garden, and spray-painted.

Josey welcomes you.

The living room

A tabletop tree

A better look at the mantel

The bathroom has a bit of Christmas too.

A tiny tree on the vanity

In the back hallway

Jesus is the reason for the season

I made peanut brittle for tea time today. The peanut brittle recipe is from Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage and you can find it here.

I also have toffee, if you would prefer; or how about a sample of each? If you would like the recipe - it's easy - click here. Recipe is courtesy of Lynn from Happier Than a Pig in Mud.

I had the good fortune to win a giveaway sponsored by Deborah of The Beautiful Matters.

Deborah crocheted this festive dishcloth. Love the pretty tag she enclosed with the parcel too. :)

Two pretty dishcloths, perfect in my Christmas kitchen.

Also, yummy Spice Plum tea - that's what I'm drinking today!
Thanks, Deborah! I feel blessed to have won your blog anniversary giveaway!

Santa's Secret

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 10:00:00 +0000

This weekend I tried my hand at something new - a Swedish Tea Ring.

A beautiful creation, if I do say so myself.

It tasted as good as it looks - it's kind of like a decorated (and large) cinnamon roll.

My tea today is Santa's Secret from David's Tea. If you enjoy specialty teas, David's Tea has something for you! I love Santa's Secret, and other favorites include Pumpkin Chai and Pure Chai.

Santa's Secret is a black tea blend that has tiny candy canes.

Time for tea! I serve my Santa's Secret with a generous pour of milk. Candy Cane optional. :)

Tea and a tea ring - what could be better?

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 19:37:00 +0000

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!

I love the look of snow in the gardens. Conifers look especially enchanting with snow cover.

Beautyberries - as winter goes on, and food becomes more scarce, the birds will eat these. I think they are so pretty; I guess that's why they're called beautyberries.

A Christmas-card like view...

A blue spruce that we planted years ago

Our prettiest tree...sold as a Black Hills Spruce, but I think it looks more like a Black Spruce.

A tiny Fraser Fir that will be a Christmas tree for us when it gets larger

This burning bush hasn't lost its leaves yet.

Another spruce (and a bottle tree) - we purchased this spruce at Home Depot for $10 when it was less than a foot tall. I can't remember how long ago, but probably 8 or so years ago.

Another view - do you see our berry patch? It is greatly loved by the birds as a source for food and shelter.

Pine cones grace the Weeping White Pine.

In case you are curious, last weekend the temps were in the 40s. Last night (overnight) and into this afternoon, it snowed (3 inches so far). By Saturday, it will be in the 50s so the snow will be gone.

While I don't love cold weather, or driving on slick roads, as a photographer (ha ha ha), I truly appreciate a snow scene.

Color and Form in the garden

noreply@blogger.com (Beth) — Wed, 19 Nov 2014 17:12:00 +0000

Color in the gardens - now? Am I talking about the color white? Well, yes, there is some of that but there is winter interest in form, structure, and yes, color here at Sunsplash Gardens.

A cardinal enjoys corn on the squirrel feeder on a snowy day.

Echinacea, a rose, and a piece of fencing that a clematis climbs on in warmer weather

This was the view from above after a 2" snow last week. Some of it is gone now.

Grasses are great for adding winter interest to a garden.

Hydrangea 'Incrediball'

In this image, 'Incrediball' provides a tan background to the annual salvia.

Marigolds, full of spent blooms and also seeds - perhaps they will self-sow for next year.

Butterfly weed has released its seeds.

Blue and green bottles add color, too.

Variety is the spice of life! Echinacea, a dwarf Alberta spruce, a weeping spruce, another spruce, an ornamental grass, and bluish shades of lavender all add interest to my gardens at this time of year.

The pond and stream are closed for the season. To see the waterfall, stream, pond, courtyard, and pergola we put in this fall, click here.

I find beauty in my gardens in all four seasons!