Tornadoes and Cottage Flora Thursday

Did anyone see this post before I changed it. I had Bloomin Tuesday on the title. Duh Rebecca check the calendar. Today is Thursday.

The tornado destruction in Alabama is widespread. There are 128 deaths in Alabama this morning. There are a number of bloggers in the Birmingham area and north. This year it has been so bad all across the middle of the country all the way to the southern parts of Alabama and to the Atlantic. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones. I know that everyone is praying for these people as I am.

It feels a little bit somber this morning but I'm going to share a couple of blooms today. I'm joining Tracie over at Fishtail Cottage for Flora Thursday. http://fishtailcottage.blogspot.com/2011/04/cottage-flora-17.html 

I was so delighted when I caught this bloomin this morning. I'd been watching the bud for several days. Finally it popped and it is beautiful. Sorry about the blur. The wind was blowing the flowers so they were hard to capture.

I'm enjoying the penta. 

 

See the vacant area here - this is where I had dahlias last year. All of them are no shows this year. The ones you see were planted this year. I put down 6 new bulbs earlier this year. I can't figure out why they didn't come back.Could a hard prune in the fall cause this? I did cut them back good when they had bloomed out in the fall.

My first shasta daisy on plants I had threatened to pull up. The plants are huge and need to put out some blooms before I get disheartened with it.

I am feeling the need itch desire gotta have more feeling I get so often this time of year. I will be making a trip to a garden center somewhere to find some more blooming beauties. A new garden area may have to go in to accomodate them. Ya'll know how I hate to put in a new garden - NOT. I love it.

Let me say something about sprinklers you hook up to a garden hose. Why is it I end up buying and having untold number of sprinklers only to have them work a month or so and sometime not that long. I don't buy the cheapest ones. I've bought expensive ones too and they eventually don't work. What's the deal. Have you found a great sprinkler that may last for more than a couple of months? Tell me about it.

Well I'm done. Hope you all have a wonderful day. Pray for those who have lost family members and lost their homes.

Bloomin Tuesday

Linking up today with Jean over at Ms Green Thumb Jean for Bloomin Tuesday. Ya'll head over and check the others who have a bloom to share today. http://msgreenthumbjean.blogspot.com/2011/04/its-bloomin-tuesday_25.html

I've waited long enough on the dahlias to come up in the vacant spot you see toward the back here. I'm gonna have to fill it in with a new plant(s). Awe the drudgery of shopping for plants. NOT. I love to buy new plants.

I'll be so glad when all that daffodil foliage has died down. I hate that about daffodils.

Happy Nemesia needs pruning again.

 I am happy to see this container beginning to fill in nicely. That's butterfly weed coming up next to the container. Happy to see the purple white eye verbena.

This was my big ole project I had planned for myself this past weekend. I painted my front porch and door. It was a job getting it cleaned and ready for paint. I worked hard and am happy with it. It certainly isn't perfect but I did the best I could. 

Hope you all have a great day.

(Anybody besides me gonna be tuning in to the Royal Wedding. If you watch any television then you will since it seems that every network will be carrying live coverage beginning at 3 and 4am on Friday. I'll be watching and looking forward to the dress.)

Cottage Flora Thursdays

I'm joining the party at Tracie's Cottage Flora Thursdays at Fishtail Cottage. http://fishtailcottage.blogspot.com/2011/04/cottage-flora-thursdays-16.html

Just a few things today.

These are nice pom pom like marigolds.

After trimming back the blooms on most of the plants a couple of weeks ago and giving them a shot of Miracle Gro Bloom Burst they are taking on a lot of new buds. This snapdragon is getting so big I may have to transfer some of it to a new location. Thats for another time though.

Nemesia is doing well with a shot of fertilizer. The purple nemesia is rather puny. Not bushy like the salmon colored.

 

I have a ton of work to get done today. I'm taking the day off tomorrow so I won't be around a computer for a few days.

I am working on a project tomorrow. I'll share that next week.

Hope you all have a wonderful time with your families this weekend.

Happy Easter

Bloomin Tuesday

I'm linking up today to Jean at Ms Green Thumb Jean or Bloomin Tuesday. Ya'll go check out who has a bloom to share today. http://msgreenthumbjean.blogspot.com/2011/04/its-bloomin-tuesday_18.html 

I have to admit I don't have much to share. I didn't take many photos this weekend and I was just too lazy when I got off work yesterday. So this is what I have today.

I couldn't resist taking this when I was working on the new shade garden. If you enlarge it the photo picks a more blue flower. That is what it is suppose to be. I have two opened here at the same time. They are a memory and a photo now. They sure don't last long.

Buddy loves to be outside when I am working and I love to have him near me too. He has found a stick to play with and chew on.

I have a very busy day ahead so I need to get a move on. I'll be by to visit as I can today. I hope you all have a great day. Enough snow already for you guys up north.

Hope you all have a great day.

A New Shade Garden

I changed my mind over and over about where I was going to put the plants I bought last weekend. After having them for a week I had to make up my mind. After sitting them down in a few spots I picked this area off the side of the porch. This area is on the west side and the big pecan tree is above this area. After watching carefully the amount of sun here is minimal. It will receive mostly dappled sun after 4:45 for a couple of hours. Hopefully this will be perfect. The area will drain but will retain a moist area due to it's location. 

Behind the grass this is what it looks like. A pecan graveyard. I expect I'll be cleaning out a lot of pecans from the garden this year. Oh well.

After clearing and digging the grass and ground up. This is what I had when I quit on Saturday. I stood there and looked and thought 'this is not gonna work - girl gotta have a bigger garden'. After all the hostas are too crowded here and no room for the caladiums.

So off the Lowe's I went and purchases more edging stones and went to work. Always when I put in a garden by the house I leave room behing the garden so rear access is available and also I want to get to the sides of the house. 

Here I am also able to pull in the azalea bush in and include with this area and that will also make the azalea more healthy. 

The first bloom on the hydrangea going into this garden. Isn't it pretty.

A bloom on the begonia. It's barely off the ground and already blooming. Begonia's are usually kind to me so I'm looking for some hefty plants and blooms.

A bloom on this one too. Look how tiny the plant is.

Help identify this plant. It is in the garden where seeds were put out and mixed up. Those tiny sprigs are grass.





The storms were horrible this weekend. There was a tornado only about 25 miles from me but other than the wind my weather didn't get too bad. There were so many lives lost during the storms that roared through on Friday and throughout the weekend. Prayers for those who lost loved ones and their homes.

Hope you have a great day.

Happy Friday Ya'll

I'm hooking up with Tootsie at Tootsie Time for Fertilizer Friday. Here ya go http://www.tootsietime.com/2011/04/fertilizer-friday-flaunt-your-flowers.html - head on over and check out the others flaunting a bloom today.

Guess what if you set your camera properly you get photos that aren't blurry. Amazing.

I am falling in love with this new snapdragon. It is so different than any snapdragon I've grown before. It is a very slow grower. This flower has been opening up now for almost a week. It is tall - 15" and only has the one bloom. Most snapdragons spread but not this one. Snapdragon Giant Tetra from Hometown Seeds.

The fourth bloom on the Full Tide Iris.





Hope you all have a great weekend.