TGIF and Fertilizer Friday

It's Fertilizer Friday over at Glenda's - Tootsie Time. Go visit and check out the other beautiful blooms.

http://www.tootsietime.com/2012/03/fertilizer-friday-flaunt-your-flowers_15.html

I'm so happy it's Friday. It has been a long week. I am certainly enjoying the time change only in that I have extra time to work in the gardens after work. The dark mornings not so much but the trade off is good.

I went shopping this weekend at Lowe's and look what I came home with. This gorgeous Hibuscus. I'm gonna enjoy this beauty.

Gosh the name escapes me on this one. I'm looking forward to lots of blooms on this pretty thing. The color is so hard to photograph.

Also picked up another Plum - Santa Rosa Plum. Wonderful pollinator to the Bruce Plum.

I was surprised yesterday to see a few whites I hadn't spotted before. They are bursting out now with the sunshine and warm temps. Love the bridal wreath - spirea.

I so love snapdragons in any form or fashion. The blooms are so delicate looking.

And dianthus is a great performer in my gardens.



I am hoping for another shopping trip this weekend in search of some flowers with blooms on them for some color till some of the seeds do what they want to do. Direct sowing these seeds will be a test and either they make it or not. Seeds aren't expensive. I'm looking forward to a little garden time this afternoon on this beautiful day along the Gulf Coast.

Hope you all have a great weekend and get a chance to get down and dirty.

Mom's Birthday

My mother celebrated her 74th birthday on Saturday the 10th of March. Mom is doing OK. We are waiting on word as to when her surgery will be. Doctor said he is removing half of the right lung. But she is gonna be fine and a trooper through it all.

Mom and Pop March 10, 2012

My sister is the Cake Baker in the family. I only think I can bake a good cake. I can't top my younger sister who started this more than 20 years ago. This is her first fondant cakes.

Pear trees blooming at Mom's.

Dogwood.

Camellia.

A painting I did a while back and framed for Mom.

Hope you have a good evening.

Fertilizer Friday

Joining Glenda at Tootsie Time for Fertilizer today.



The azaleas are just beginning their grand show and are so colorful. I love the coral color of this one and the best part is this one blooms multiple times a year.

The bees are swarming everywhere right now with so much nectar everywhere they go. Looks like he's enjoying his lunch here.

The daffodils aren't as plentiful this year as last year. But they are so pretty and I love this one. It is my favorite.

Two blooms in one. Love the double blooming daffs.

Hope you all have a nice weekend.

This n That Fertilizer Friday

Joining Tootsie Time for Fertlizer Friday today.

http://www.tootsietime.com/2012/03/fertilizer-friday-flaunt-your-flowers.html

You might want to grab a cup of coffee of drink of your choice and sit back. My post today is way too long. I shouldn't wait so long between posts. I fully intend to post more frequently. I feel love for you all. Hang with me though.

The weather is so upset lately. So sorry for all the loss of lives and homes and business's from the tornados this week. So sad the destruction that these storms cause. So much sadness in the news lately. I won't go there today though.

I was glad to see some seedlings coming up this week. I think these are the Zinnia Green Envy.

This is Delphinium Sky Blue Magic from seedlings. Photo below.

These will be growing next to Zinnia Green Envy and Ecinachea Purpea and Hollyhock Yellow.

Photo from Park Seeds.

I think these are Zinnia Green Envy seedlings.

Photo from Park Seeds.

This is Bleeding Heart Pink I planted from root. Photo below.

Clematis is not up yet. Expecting it soon though with all this warm weather we are having.

This is Hollyhock Yellow planted from a root.

Echinacea is not up yet.

These are seedlings from Pink Hibuscus I received from Lona Dawn from A Hocking Hills Garden. Thank you Lona. Can't wait to see them bloom. In this same bed I have Split Second Morning Glories, Aquilegia Caerulea and Aquilegia Sunshine. Photos below.

Aquilegia Sunshine.



Morning Glory Split Second.


Aquilegia Caerulia.

It's looking like I will have an abundance of Blueberries this year. The bush is loaded and very active with bees. I dare not get too close since it looks like a ton of bees are enjoying the flowers.It tried to get a photo of the bees but they were very busy flitting from each flower so quick.

I did manage to catch a critter on the Pear tree. The tree is loaded this year.

The plum tree is really coming along nicely. The leaves are clustered on the tips. Just as happy as could be.

.

This pansy's will probably soon lose it's flowers. The weather is getting too warm.

I got a haircut last week and haven't posted a pic of myself in a while. Can't change the blogger photo without purchasing google space. Oh well.

I've had a couple of people who wanted to see a painting I did. This was done 5 years ago and since then I haven't painted much. I'm ready to get back into it, just bought new paints, and hone in some of my pitiful are skills. I chose watercolor because it seemed to be the easiest and I've never used any other medium. People who paint oils and acrylics have said that watercolor is the hardest to paint - leave it to me to pick the hardest. I began painting about 9 years ago as a form of therapy after going through some trauma. I looked for an outlet and painting was it as it took my mind off of things and focused on something positive. I could paint whatever I was feeling. Painting water is calming to me and I love barns and the like.

Just got my new edition of Southern Living. Looks like this one is all about spring and gardens. Can't wait to dig in to this one.



I need...

 I need to get my hands dirty and sniff the good soil. I'm dreaming of this today.

Ya'll have a good day. What are you doing today?

Feeling Like Spring

I have enjoyed this warm weather we have been experiencing. It feels so much like spring. I have to keep reminding myself that this is February. Temps this week have been seasonable in the mid-low sixties and cool nights in the forties.

This weekend I planted some bulbs and roots and put down some seeds. It is too early to be putting seeds out but I just couldn't resist.

Still have lots to do in this area but I couldn't resist getting something in the ground here. I planted hollyhocks and echinacea purpea and some seeds.

The yellow Knockout roses were hard to resist at Lowe's...

And the red Knockout roses were so full of buds too.

A new Bruce Plum tree was sitting pretty at Lowe's and begging to come home. Have to get another for pollination.

The peach trees have blooms though they don't seem as big and full as 2 years ago.

The azaleas are getting ready to be so pretty. This particular one has been blooming for the past 3 months.

Put down another starter garden. I put down Clematis Jackmanii and Bleeding Heart and some seeds. I intended to go all the way around but I wimped out on Saturday so I'll get back to that later. I noticed after taking this that the neighbor cat has been in here. 

The daffodils are so bright in an otherwise dreary looking garden.

My mother will be meeting with a surgeon next week to discuss removing the cancer in her lung. It is looking positive for a good recovery. We are being positive and believing she will be fine. Thank you for your prayers.