Cottage Flora Thursday and FF

I'll be joining a few parties today. You can find their link at the end of this post. Head on over after viewing my post and check out the other bloggers sharing blooms today.

Who knows whats going on with blogger/google but it is irritating that I can't leave comments on some blogs. I am hearing from many other bloggers that they also are having problems. Don't know if everyone is having the same problem but I'm sure it is irritating to anyone to not be able to comment. I'm not sure if this will fix the problem but it seems logical to me since this is the problem I am encountering with comments. If your setting is on Google Accounts only - Google isn't allowing me to sign in on these blogs. Thinking it was me I reset my password 4 times. It isn't me.

On to some fun stuff. Rain please come to visit our area. We are in a drought. It is bad now. All of the crops are dying. I water my gardens at least 5 times a week now. Today rain is in the forecast but it isn't expected to be more than a 1/4 inch and spotty at best. I really shouldn't be complaining with so much devastation over the past week. Poor folks in Joplin - it breaks my heart watching the evening news. I can't help but to cry for them. Prayers continue for them.

 Lovin that this snapdragon is blooming again.

Red Verbena is showing off again.

I'm so lovin Linda's Snapdragon. I love the pink and soft yellow. Sweet.

Bougainvillia is going strong for another round of blooms. It is beautiful as the petals turn from green to pink.

Daisy.

Pink zinnia just starting to bloom. I don't remember this one from last year. A nice surprise.

Love the larkspur.

Thank you Lord for all these re-bloomers.

Hope you all have a great day.

Wishing you a happy and safe Memorial Day.

I'm joining Tracie with Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursday.

http://fishtailcottage.blogspot.com/2011/05/cottage-flora-thursdays-21.html

AND

Tootsie at Tootsie Time for Fertilizer Friday.

http://www.tootsietime.com/

I'm having an issue with google

Seems blogger is still acting up today. If your blog is set for only comments from google accounts then I can't comment on your post. Each time I try to sign in google isn't recognizing my password to my email. I have reset that dang password numerous times and still I can't comment on those blogs. Sorry ya'll - I visited you. I've never had this problem before so hope google gets it fixed.
.

I got a problem. Is anyone else having a problem with blogs where you have to sign in to your google account to leave a comment. I can't sign in that way. It isn't recognizing my password. All other blogs I can leave a comment. If you have a blog with these settings - I came to visit you but could not leave you a sweet comment.

Dedicated to Raingardener

I'll be joining a few parties today so check out their links at the bottom of this post.

Today I am dedicating my blooms to Linda Karr aka Raingardener of Gardening by Trial and Error. On Friday I learned that Linda had passed away on Wednesday May 18. I was horribly saddened by this news. I have followed Linda since I began blogging. She and I celebrated our blog in the month of Feb more than 2 years ago now. Linda had the prettiest flowers and she loved gardening. While Linda invited us into her gardens she also invited us into her life as many of us do. Linda had only learned of her cancer in April and it quickly spread throughout the rest of her body. It could be any of us. Linda you will be missed by so many. But we know that you must be walking through the most beautiful gardens you could have ever imagined. A garden where the soil is just right and the perfect amount of sun and rainfall. You don't have to drag a sprinkler around anymore. I bet you have the most beautiful golden ornaments of yard art everywhere.

Linda Karr - Raingardener you will be missed.

I received the following information to share: Hello, Linda’s brother posted this poem, and a picture of her, on her face book. I think it’s a beautiful poem to remember her by. Ronda



HER JOURNEY'S JUST BEGUN...

Don't think of her as gone away,--Her journey has just begun.-



Life holds so many facets,--The earth is only one.-

Just think of her as resting,-- From the sorrows and the tears.-


In a place of warmth and comfort,--Where there are no days and years.-


Think how she must be wishing,--That we could know today.-

How nothing but our sadness,--Can really pass away.-

And think of her as living,--In the hearts of those she touched,-

For nothing loved is ever lost,--And she was loved so much.

By: Ellen Brenneman

Hello Everyone,



Bob (Linda’s husband) just stop by here, he had just come from meeting with the minister to get Linda’s memorial set. Her Memorial is set for June 11th, at 12:00 (pot-luck afterwards) at the Jackson Prairie assembly of God Church in Chehalis. Her obituary should be in the newspaper’s (The Chronicle-Centralia, WA, and The Longview Daily News paper -Longview, WA) on Monday. You should be able to go on-line and view it, and there should be a on-line guest book for anyone wishing to sign it. I will let you know of any changes. Thanks everyone! Ronda

 

This snapdragon just began to bloom on Wednesday last week. This one came from seeds I received from Linda. This snapdragon is now named Lindas Pink Snapdragon. Thank you.

Darla this is the larkspur you sent me. They are loaded with buds and are now opening. Beautiful. Thank you.

The milkweed is also from Darla. I love that there is more and more butterfly activity.

Nemesia is blooming nicely thanks to MG Bloom Burst. (note to self - need more bloom burst)

 The marigolds are liking the bloom burst as well.

The portulaca kinda bounced around in this garden like jumping beans. I have small clusters in a number of spots in locations in which I did not plant there.

What can I do to encourage more and larger blooms on the hydrangea? One of them isn't even looking like blooming. This one is a new one this year and was blooming when I purchased it. Perhaps I need to move the other one to this shadier location.



I cut the dahlias, daisies and the zinnias. They made a nice even if small arrangement.

I toss Buddy a cherry tomato and he will play with it for a half hour. If it was on a salad he might eat it but otherwise he just plays with it. Buddy also loves when I toss him a peach or pear. He takes off running to go inside like he got a prize and isn't giving it up. Funny dog.

I hope you all have a fabulous Tuesday.

Prayers for the Joplin. This has certainly been a year of seemingly record breaking twisters. More than two times as many this year as last. Last night the reports were more than 1100 this year compared to 500 last year. The worst part is that they have hit in more populated areas. Prayers for a quick recovery and rebuilding.

Ya'll go check out the other bloggers sharing today.

Jean at Ms Green Thumb Jean for Bloomin Tuesday.

http://msgreenthumbjean.blogspot.com/2011/05/its-bloomin-tuesday_23.html

Sidewalk Shoes for Garden Tuesday.

http://www.sidewalkshoes.com/2011/05/garden-tuesdaythe-random-edition.html

An Oregon Cottage for Tuesday Garden Party.

http://www.anoregoncottage.com/2011/05/tuesday-garden-party-sad-day-for.html

A fellow blogger has passed away

I just received this email. I am heartbroken ya'll. Sitting crying over this. I don't know what to say except I am praying for the family

Hello Becca, my name is Ronda Sigler and I am a friend of Linda Karr’s (Gardening by Trial and Error – rain gardner). I tried to post to Linda’s blogging site the other day, to let everyone know that she was diagnosed with cancer just a few short weeks ago. I don’t know if it worked, as I’m not familiar with her site, and I don’t see anything when I look there. But Linda passed away yesterday(5-18-11) around 4:10pm. Is there anyway that you can get the information out to the her follower’s. There will be a church memorial for her in the near future. If you, or anyone needs to talk with me, my number is 360-785-3523. I live in Winlock, WA just down the road from her house. She did a blog about my little cabin on the creek some time ago. Thank you, Ronda

I was able to get an address for those of you who wish to send a card or something.

The Karr Family
c/o Ronda Siglar
113 Kollock Rd
Winlock, WA 98596

HELP! With Blogger

I accidentally deleted my background. I can't find the gadget to add it back. Can you help me find it?

Cottage Flora Thursday - Fertilizer Friday

Hope all of you buddies out there in blogland are having a good day.

I'll be joining Tracie at Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursday and Tootsie at Tootsie Time for Fertilizer. Ya'll go check out these blogs and see their pretties and check out the other partiers.

You can find them here http://fishtailcottage.blogspot.com/2011/05/cottage-flora-thursdays-20.html

http://www.tootsietime.com/

I have a few things to share today.

I was dancing the happy dance this morning when I found this Rose of Sharon blooming. I've been watching these buds form but I really didn't expect this. The plant is still a baby and is only about 15" tall but let me tell ya this plant is loaded with buds. Last year when I planted this tiny thing it was only about 3" tall. I didn't hold out much hope but boy was I wrong.

And also this morning I found this one spreading its wings. I'm so glad to see that it opened up more than the last little thing that bloomed. I would love to start a garden with just bulbs and have a lot of iris in it. That is a dream right now though.

Love that the shasta are really yielding me lovely blooms. They last a long time and the plants are loaded with buds and every day I see more buds forming. I'm pleased with the Shasta Daisy but I didn't realize how big these plants would be.

The pentas are awesome after shooting them with MG Bloom Burst.

I need to know why my Sarah Bernhardt peony still has no buds. This is the third year for it. I feel like ripping it right out of the garden. But I won't. Maybe it isn't happy where it is. It receives more than 8 hours of sun. The soil is good. I enhance the soil every year with fresh MG Garden Soil and I fertilize regularly. Any ideas?

Last weekend I worked my hiney off weeding this big garden. As you can see I have a lot of vacant spaces. The plants that occupied this space last year are no shows this year. I have given them ample time and now I'm needing to fill this space in. This garden is part shade. The front side gets more sun than the back. I live in Zone 8. Do yo have any ideas on what would look good in the back? It was a beautiful space with the dahlias and milkweed and okra hibuscus and a few others last year. I suppose these probably weren't the right plants for this space either since I didn't realize the amount of sun this part of the garden receives.

Inside I'm a furniture mover. I'm thinking I need to do the same thing in the gardens sometimes. I don't usually move plants around but I'm thinking maybe I need to move things around. Do ya'll do that? I'm afraid I will lose plants.

I'm wishing for rain. Rain come... I'm watering the gardens regularly now. Our grounds are so dry. Way too dry for one of the rainest cities in the US. I'll take thunderstorms - anything.

Prayers for the flood victims. And for the economy. Fuel prices.....trickle down effect... everything cost more.

Have a good weekend whatever you find yourself doing.

Some Blooms to Share

I'm happy that I found a few new plants to feature today. I was about to get bored with the same old blooms. Not that they aren't pretty by any means but it sure is nice to see new things.

I shared this one yesterday but I think it deserves a repeat. I'm proud of the Jean Marie Dahlia.

The bougainvilla is revisiting with some new blooms. I've never seen one as it was going into a bloom stage. It appears as if it is taking on new leaves and growth and then this. The blooms start out looking like leaves and are turning pink as they age. Neat.

Glad to see the milkweed blooming now. I've noticed some activity but not as much as it should be. But I expect it'll pick up soon.

I can't get enough of the geranium. I think the name is strawberry sherbet. Ya'll correct me if I'm wrong.

I have two shades of the butterfly weed. This one is more on the pink/fushia side. They are very hard to photograph.

While this one is more purple. It is blurry - sorry. The flowers in the background look nice this way though.

The marigolds are looking nice now. I gave everything a fresh shot of Miracle Gro Bloom Burst this weekend. I think bloom burst works pretty quick - perhaps within 36-48 hours. I noticed a big difference. You can see the nemesia behind the marigold taking on new blooms as well.

This is my first year to have the Shasta Daisy. They sure do get bigger than I thought. But they are so pretty. The plants are full of buds.

Today I'll be joining the following parties:

http://msgreenthumbjean.blogspot.com/2011/05/its-bloomin-tuesday_16.html

http://www.sidewalkshoes.com/2011/05/garden-tuesdayblueberries.html

http://www.anoregoncottage.com/2011/05/tuesday-garden-party-still-waiting-for.html

Ya'll head on over and check out these parties and see the other blooms gardeners are sharing today.

Hope you have a great day.



Happy Monday

I cooked the best grilled salmon this weekend. I used frozen salmon steaks and fresh pineapple. First I cooked bacon till it was cooked just right and used the cooked bacon for another dish. I used fresh pineapple and chopped some up and cooked in the bacon grease. After it browed slightly I placed the cooked pineapple with a tablespoon of liquid over the raw salmon. Seasoned with salt and pepper a dash of onion powder and garlic powder. Grilled the fish and grilled pineapple. Basted the fish with bacon pineapple drippings and after turning the salmon one time placed the grilled pineapple on top of the fish and completed the cooking. Also grilled some fresh parsley and topped the fish with the grilled parsley too. It was so good.



For the rest of the meal I cooked fresh snap beans with new potatos and fresh squash with fresh onions. All of the fresh veggies came from mom and pop's garden. The squash was so sweet.

I smiled a great big smile on Friday when I came home and found this baby blooming. This is Jean Marie Dahlia.

Hope you all had a great weekend.

I'll catch ya'll here tomorrow for our favorite garden meme's.

Blogger

I knew I loved blogging. But I was not prepared about how much I love blogging till I couldn't blog or comment on your blogs. If I read a blog I leave a message and it isn't no fun reading if I can't tell you how I enjoyed that post - ya know what I mean?

Anyway I'm glad blogger is back up. I see everyone who posted recently the post has dissappeared.

I'm leavin work now. Ya'll have a good weekend.

Catch ya back here on Monday.

A Few Blooms

I don't have much going on in the gardens right now. Most of the plants have bloomed out for a spell. The grounds are dry. We are in need of rain something terrible. I have been watering regularly so as not to lose the pretty babies. We have rain in the forecast tomorrow and saturday as the high pressure system moves away. We will have temps once again hugging 90 today. Next week a reprieve from the heat with highs more seasonable around 80. I hear its suppose to be around 95 in Tallahassee - Darla. Ya'll didn't really care about my weather but it's what we gardeners are so mindful of.



This new bloom on the Full Tide Iris is kinda wierd. 

These little straglers came up from last year. I just noticed them all by there self. No other plants to bother them right now. I'm so ashamed of how my garden bed looks.

Haven't showed ya these dianthus in a while. 

I really do not like mums this time of year but hey they're blooming.

I dashed in between the sprinkler and caught this one yesterday.

Look at those weeds. Last year I had all this space full. I don't know what happened this year. It really looks bad and needs my attention. I need to do something different with this front garden space. I'm not pleased right now so I'm thinking....

My newest piece of garden art. A mothers day gift. I'm always happy to recieve somthing for the gardens.

I'm joining Tracie at Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursday and I'll link up to Tootsie at Tootsie Time for Fertilizer Friday. Ya'll go check them out and see who else who has a bloom to share today and tomorrow.

http://fishtailcottage.blogspot.com/2011/05/cottage-flora-thursdays-19.html

http://tootsietime.blogspot.com/

Hope you all have a great day and can get out and enjoy your gardens.

Prayers for the people who are being affected by the terrible Mississippi River floods.