I never intended....

Gosh I can't believe it's been more than a month since I last posted. I never intended to abandon my blog. It just happened. I do intend to get back to blogging regular. I have missed you all and will be by to visit and get caught up with you. Thanks for asking about me.

 

My gardens are very neglected. I have pulled weeds but not much else. Haven't planted a single thing since June. I feel like I have lost my enthusiam for gardening and blogging. It is only temporary though. Money got tight and purchasing flowers took a back seat. I passed the Lowe's store today and noticed the plants are in so I am looking forward to getting me some fall stuff planted.

 

I was involved in a car accident 4 weeks ago. I am fine but it totaled out my car. I was rear-ended so it wasn't my fault. Dealing with the insurance company and getting settled into another car was nerve wracking. I am happy to have a Sonata now and love it.

 

Ya'll hang on with me while I get back in the groove.

TGIF

I can't believe we are already into August. Where has this year gone? It's time for school to start back and to me that means it's time to start thinking of Christmas. Yikes! Way too early. But that's all I'm doing is thinking about it.

I also can't believe my youngest grandchild, Luci will be 8 this month and my oldest will be 19 in September - gosh I can't believe it.

I have found a new favorite TV show on TLC, The Learning Channel. It is 'Craft Wars'. I absolutely love reality shows. I was kinda creative and crafty some 20 years ago but since then not so much but on this show I am finding some new inspiration. So far I've learned how to make tissue paper flowers and they look like they belong on a float. Actually I haven't used any of this knowledge yet - gotta get some supplies for a couple of things I've seen so far. I am so looking forward to putting something together. I will share it if I do a good enough job.

Haven't taken any flower photos lately. The gardens are kinda ugly right now with a few blooms but mostly bloomed out plants. There is lots to do in the gardens but I've been lazy. The lazy days of summer I think is what is really.

But I have been perusing my spring garden books dreaming of next year. But before spring, comes the fall and winter. I am making plans for a fall garden and hope I can bring it to fruition. Finances always play the biggest part of those decisions.

Hope you have a nice weekend.



It's Friday - yipee!!!

I thought I'd share some pics I've taken since my last post. Can't believe it's been nearly a month since I last posted. I appreciate the emails and comments asking about me. You are so thoughtful. I'm actually fine. I have been a little on the depressed side and haven't felt like posting but I am feeling better.

Are you familiar with the Four Agreements - a book written by Miguel Ruiz? It is an outstanding book. This is the Four Agreements - 1. Be Impeccable with your word and don't use the word to speak against yourself but to say what you really mean:) 2. Don't take anything personally because what others do or say is a projection of their own reality:) 3. Don't make assumptions - communication is everything and be clear and precise:) 4. Always do your best and remember your best is not the same everyday - simply do your best.

Anyway on with some blooms.

Morning glory.

Knock Out rose.

Echinacea-Coneflowers

Love the huge blooms on the hibuscus.

This is some of the damage from the long dry spell we have just been through. Since my post on June 14 there had been no rain till Monday this week and it has rained everyday. I love rain and am not complaining one bit.

This is one of the gardens that has suffered a lot of damage. Watering with the garden hose has kept most alive but thats about all it's done. All of them will bounce back but many plants have died so I need to replace them. Grrr

I did find a couple of drought tolerant plants. The dahlia figaro has started to bloom. The plants are so tiny and the blooms are small to match the plant but oh so pretty. They are blooming different colors now.

Zinnia's are pretty tolerant of the heat and drought. Hope to get some seeds from this one.

Morning glory but look at the plant foliage. yuck.

Angelonia, Green Envy Zinnia's and Coneflower.

Pentas.

Green Envy zinnia. Looking to get some seeds from this too.

Portulalca covers the ground in this garden with lisianthus and dusty miller visible.

Got some butterfly action. This particular butterfly has occupied this garden for a quite a while now. His favorite seems to be the pentas hanging out on them all day long.

More of this expected today.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Happy Thursday - Almost Friday

I got some rain!!! Did you see me jumping for joy? I did. It rained for 3 days and I guess I received about 5-6" of rain. The grass is greener and the flowers are happier. But you know what that means - WEEDS - again. I'll take the weeds over seeing the plants struggling any day.

Love the cannas. The plants get so big and the blooms are even bigger (or so it seems).

I am loving the Sun Cherry Zinnias. So far the plants are not too tall either - maybe 24-30" which is just right in my opinion.

I believe the seeds for this zinnia came from Lona. It would be Zinnia Starlight Rose.

This is a problem I have with zinnias every year. They fall over and a gust of wind comes up and over they go. I guess I could put the tomato baskets in the garden but I hate the wire cages in a flower garden. What do you do when yours fall over?

The tomato plants are loaded. Notice the extra amount of foliage on the tomato plants. The person who planted them decided that they needed a lot of tomato fertilizer. An entire bag, 1.5#, of tomato fertilizer was applied over 5 weeks. I actually thought they would die but it caused the stalks on the plants to be enormous.

Wind damage.

The cages are leaning now. Oh well we have more tomatos than will be eat at my house.

 On Saturday and Sunday it rained all day so I cooked up some good pasta salad and soup.

I added some cheese cubes to the salad and it was very good.

Cheeseburger Soup is so good. This is the first time I've made it and it won't be the last. I loved it.

Here is where I found the recipe.

http://thebetterbaker.blogspot.com/2011/03/slow-cooker-cheeseburger-soup.html

I used a little white pepper jack velveeta on the top for garnish and pickle relish and bacon. I did not cook the Weight Watchers version. I'm looking forward to this again.

Hope a nice weekend.

In the Pink Today

Linking to Tootsie Time for Fertilizer Friday.

http://www.tootsietime.com/

It's Friday and it couldn't get here soon enough. I've had a stressful week and am glad it's over. To top it off my coffee maker broke and wouldn't make coffee this morning. real bummer.

I'm still waiting on rain at my house. It has rained in the county several times over the past few weeks and just up the road from me but I am still dragging the garden hose around for 3-4 hours a day or every other day. It get old. Even though I'm watering they still suffer. Garden hose is not the same as rain.

I was so happy to see this zinnia blooming. I was afraid that the Sun Cherry Zinnia wasn't gonna make it this year but I guess I need to give zinnias more credit than that since zinnias will grow just about anywhere are very hardy. I ordered the seeds from Park Seed. Hopefully I'll get some seeds. 

I'm really liking the coneflowers. The blooms last a long time.

Dianthus.



I pruned and deadheaded last week and need to do it again. I have to let some go to seed though so hopefully I can share seeds. 

I hope you all have a nice weekend and the weather is cooporating with your plans.

What are you cooking this weekend? I found a recipe for BBQ Meatballs Moink-Balls. Check out the post. They are wrapped with bacon and grilled with a sweet sauce. Found the recipe here:

http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/06/weekend-potluck-21.html

http://sunflowersupperclub.blogspot.com/2011/09/moink-balls.html

Pretty Blooms

Hey everybody - I'm still here. I know you wondered when I'd share some more of my pretty blooms. I have a few blooms to share today. I have to get a new memory card for the camera so I can take more pics. This time of year the gardens are busy. There is lots to do but we have been extremely dry lately. I run the sprinkler for 3-4 hours each day moving it around to each garden area. This is fine for a while but they really need water from the sky.

Someone must have given me seeds for this echinacea. I do not know where it came from. Last year I put out seeds but had no luck with them. This year they are doing really well. I did plant some echinacea pink parosol but the bloom on it has not opened yet. Is this Purpea?

Cosmos Happy Ring is doing well.

Foxglove

Endless Summer. Hope to get more blooms here. The flower is as big as the plant so I am hoping for some growth on the plant.

I'm sorry but I do not remember the name of this one. I believe it is suppose to be purple but it is like a strawberry color.

Love the huge blooms on the cannas.

I was lucky to get this little rain shower last Thur and Friday morning. However when I went out on Friday afternoon to do some weeding I discovered the ground to be extremely dry just below the wet surface. I need RAIN. Actually a tropical system would be nice. Not a storm but just the rain produced by a tropical system.



I am so ready to overhaul a couple of my gardens. This time of year I see the empty spaces and some overgrown plants in places where I would prefer a more tame or smaller plants. I was thinking of moving some plants such as shasta daisy's, salvia, mums and butterfly bush. Wish I could move the daffodils but I'm sure this is not the time. Do you feel this way when your plants are blooming and not doing exactly what you want them to do in the area they occupy? It's kinda like re-arranging furniture I suppose.... 

I'm going to go plant shopping again. I believe there are new arrivals calling my name. Can you hear it?

Friday Blooms

Just a few blooms here today....

Love the hydrangea's this time of year. They take a while to get a full bloom but they are gorgeous when they begin to open up.

I don't remember the name of this one.

This is the endless summer hydrangea.

Dianthus pretty happy this time of year. They are not fussy at all. I just clip off old blooms when I get around to it. Can you see the weeds. The gardens are needing my attention right now.

Salvia.

Don't remember the names of the Butterfly Bush.

I've been pretty busy lately. All I really want to do is to keep Momma's gardens going. It pleases her to sit out and look at the pretty blooms and that is what is important. She is doing OK. She has healed nicely from the surgery but she is not the same. I see changes. It's hard. I hang up the phone and cry or cry myself to sleep at night. I will not take her for granted. Today she wants to get out of the house and go shopping. I was so surprised when she asked me take her shopping and of course I changed my plans to accomodate her wishes.

Hope you all have a nice weekend.

Fertilizer Friday

Happy Mothers Day

Joining Glenda at Tootsie Time for Fertilizer Friday

http://www.tootsietime.com/2012/05/fertilizer-friday-flaunt-your-flowers_10.html

I love this verbena salvia -oops. It just keeps on performing and maintains the flowers for a long time. It spreads and grows taller and fuller every year. I will have to thin it out soon. I may come home with more flowers today since I am making a trip to Home Depot for lovely flowers for my mom.

Shasta Daisy

Dainthus

Begonia

More Begonia's. Thought the caladiums were history when I redid this garden bed.

Mandevilla

This was an unhappy hydrangea for the past 2 years so I moved it to a new bed and it is thriving now.

Endless Summer Hydrangea

Zinnia Green Envy

This one is a darker shade of green

Snapdragon

Strawberry dianthus

Butterfly Bush Budleia

Hibuscus

I want to collect some seeds this year. I have never tried collecting seeds till 2 years ago. I am learning.
I am wanting to collect seeds from this beautiful hibuscus but the entire bloom falls from the tiny shrub with every bloom as soon as the bloom is done. The blooms only last about a day. You can see in the photo below where the one from yesterday fell.

In this photo you can see the elbow I find on all of the blooms and this is where it breaks from. Any ideas how I can collect seeds from this plant. Is this normal?

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Happy Mothers Day