New Seasons....

So, I realize its been since July since I last wrote in this blog....thats pretty SAD! Your wondering, "what happened to that girl??" Well, I finished school and started working fulltime as a hospice Social Worker for Asera Care. I love it! I realized very quickly, however, that my flower patch would be mostly on its own this summer...I just haven't had the energy or "ummmphh" to do much with it! Fortunately, by the time I started working, the hard work had been finished so I could mostly just watch everything grow! YAY!



We had a great summer and I thought I'd post some pics from our adventures. In August, we went to Swaziland Africa and in September, we went on a camping trip to Copper Falls State Park. Photos to follow! Thanks for being faithful followers :)

A pretty leaf that got stuck in a branch--Copper Falls State Park

Lee and I during our hike

Me with some of the children at New Village, Swaziland. The kids are beautiful!

Lee with his new buddy :)

A family we met during our walk through the New Village community.

Whats bothering my Malva?

I just love this perennial...Malva. The blooms are so delicate and unique. I also like Malva because it doesn't get as tall as a Hollyhock with a similar look :)

Something, unfortunately has decided to destroy the leaves...is it a fungus? I haven't seen anything actually crawling on the leaves so thats what I'm thinking.
Here is a pic of the supposed fungus and a hole in the leaf which could definately be from a predator of some sort.

Long time, no update...

I recently started my new job...full time social worker for a hospice agency in Green Bay. Since then, my poor flower beds have been placed on the back-burner. Fortunately, I was able to get a lot of work done on them before starting the job, so now I just have to weed occasionally. Thought I'd update you all on whats been blooming :)

Bee Balm

Coreopsis...it gets bigger each year! Pretty soon, the Rhododendron will be totally covered up!
Purple Cone Flower

So, I've been trying for two years to get poppies started. Finally, this year, I threw some SEEDS in the ground, held my breath, and watched them grow! They're small this year, but I know next year they will fill out. I was really suprised at how finicky the seedlings were...too much water=not happy...not enough=not happy. They're so pretty.

Does anybody know what this little BUG is?? It is wreaking havoc on my mums....and doesn't bother any of the other plants. The plant is covered with them. I am not sure what to spray because I haven't been able to identify the bug. I figured someone might know!

Is "Peony" plural?

I love the deep pink of this peony. This is the first summer that I've ever had peonies since I'm new to gardening and all...last summer, I was driving around the neighborhood and saw these gorgeous flowers! I had to find out what they were and I HAD to get some. So, now, I have peonies! I'd like to research more about peony varieties...

These lighter pink peony have a stronger fragrance than the dark pink peony. Not sure why...
Oh yea...and is "Peony" plural or is the plural word "Peonies"? Just curious, really.... I figured some of you gardening guru's would know the answer!

:)

Precious peonies and more...

Some of my peonies are finally starting to bloom after a long awaited growth period. Sometimes I look at the buds a wonder, "how much bigger are they gonna GET!?". I snapped this picture the day before the first bloom of the summer:

And here it is on bloom day! So delicate and pretty.

In this pitcher pot I have planted bunny tails grass, which will be nice in the fall/winter months....at least, I think it'll stay through winter. Its on the front porch, so it shouldn't get too covered in snow. Anyway, surrounding the grass are moss roses that are just starting to take off. Last year, I removed the seed pods after they formed and was able to save the seeds from the plants I had purchased. What a great way to save money!

I just love this blue flower. I can't remember what it is called at this second, but it makes a great pot flower. The blue is so intense...

Mischievous Mango

Mango has loved crawling inside of things since she was a small kitten. I'm really not sure what started her infatuation, but I think its pretty funny! She loves crawling under the bed blankets, too. I know this has nothing to do with gardening, but thought it worthy of being posted! Enjoy :)

Mango "wearing" a pair of Lee's boxers:

"Oh... you didn't need this basket did you??"

A cat after Lee's heart :)

Coca-Cola Kitty

I guess she wanted to see what ITT Tech was all about...

Meadow Rue

Thanks to those who commented after my last post. It appears I was wrong! The plant is definitely Meadow Rue (thalictrum) and not Columbine. The foliage looks so much like Columbine, but the blooms do not. I did a little internet research and found out the "blooms" are actually individual stamens...not petals. Interesting! Next spring, I will probably still move it so that it does not block the Vibernum shrub. It obviously loves this spot, though, so I won't move it far :)

Getting Big

So, I didn't realize Columbine grew so tall! Its almost as tall as I am! I probably would have placed it behind the Vibernum shrub had I known....you can't even see the shrub behind it. Sooo, looks like I'll have to do some moving around in the early spring before things take off again. The lesson is learn as you grow, I guess!

Pretty shasta daisies smiling at the camera :)
I just love the Silver Carpet...I always forget how pretty the dainty little blooms are until I see them every year. Purple chives next to it...I often will pull off a stem of chive to chew on while I'm working in the garden.

Mango, wishing she were an outdoor kitty.

I should start charging...

My mother-in-law has enlisted me to help transform her flower beds. It makes me excited because she has a gorgeous yard with SO much potential! She's already done quite a bit but really just needs my help to move some things around, add a few more things, and help bring it all together. Anyway, I'll post before/after pics when/if I get them! There have been a couple people who have asked me to help re-arrange things in their gardens...maybe I should start charging! Haha :) Just kidding...maybe.
Here are some pics I snapped this morning from my garden:

Iris in bloom:

There is a lot of stuff crammed into this garden space: Iris, Cats mint, Wormwood, Peony, Hens and Chicks, Daisies..to name a few. Its a pretty mix of things.
Tried to get a good shot of this peony bloom, but it came out a little fuzzy. Boy, the ants love eating the sweetness from these blooms!


Lambs Ear.. I just love the velvety texture of this plant! It adds neat variety.
More Iris in bloom. I was really suprised at how much taller the blooms grew on the dutch iris! If you look at the picture, its a significant difference. Is that typical? Also, I didn't expect the dutch iris to get multiple blooms on a single stalk. The white iris don't do that as far as I know.

A lot can happen in a few days!

My family came to visit this past weekend for my college graduation...we had such a great time! I had wanted to get some new pics up before they arrived, but in the midst of cleaning and getting things done around the house, I did not get a chance to. I figured all of my fellow garden bloggers could wait a few days :) So, here ya go! I snapped these Friday morning:

Pretty Vibernum shrub...I can't remember which variety this is....maybe V. prunifolium. Anyway, I will post more pics of it in a couple days because these little white buds are all beginning to bloom! This yellow flower is blooming off of a neat groundcover that a gardener friend gave me last year. She didn't know the name of it and I don't either. I will have to look into identifying it. Any ideas? Last summer, we planted a white dogwood tree in our front yard. Unfortunately, the poor thing didn't make it through our long winter. Soo, we replaced it with a Magnolia tree which I've always wanted! Even though its really small at this point, I'm so excited to have it as an addition to our yard. Blue grass, Iris, and Marguerite Daisy

Bue Grass & Bleeding Heart

Blue Oat Grass. I've been getting more interested in ornamental grasses...they add such neat variety to flower beds. I planted this one last year...It has grown a lot even since I snapped the below picture. I love how it stays in a mound.

The blooms on this bleeding heart are so delicate! This is actually the first year I've seen it bloom since last year mom gave it to me...it sprouted as a seedling in her yard in Michigan. Maybe it'll produce some seedlings that I can plant elsewhere in the beds...I don't think I could ever have too many Bleeding Hearts :)
The Rhododendron is in full bloom! It is still a small shrub..it will be great in a few years when its had a chance to grow bigger. Planted underneath it are Coreopsis Zagreb which produces pretty yellow blooms. I was hoping the Coreopsis would bloom at the same time as the Rhododendron, but I'm thinking it'll bloom a little later. At least in a couple weeks.

Unique Visitor

This little guy was hangin' out on this leaf for quite awhile today. I hadn't seen him at first so it kinda suprised me when I saw him sitting there :) This year, I've seen quite a few frogs...maybe because its still so damp out.

Springin' Up!

Peonies are getting bigger...can't wait to see them bloom! I can't remember which variety/color I planted, so it'll be a fun suprise :)

These Iris are gettng ready to pop open...
These were the mystery plants that the previous owner of our home musta' put in the ground...so pretty, I'm glad they opened up.

Bleeding heart just starting to produce blooms. This is my first bleeding heart and I just think they're such beautiful plants.

I put this basket together to add a little variety. Pansies are such delicate flowers.