Busy Gardens

UGGGHHH Blogger has gone thru some changes this morning. I hate forced changes. I also hate learning new computer stuff.

My gardens are getting busy with bees, bugs, butterflys, weeds, and plants and flowers and me of course. And this is the best time of year in my book when there is so much green and new colors in the garden beds. I love driving up to my house and seeing the gardens as I come down the street.

All of these pics are from only one of my gardens. This is beside the driveway in front.

Dahlia Figaro seeds are doing well here in this bed. Do you think I'll have any blooms? I hope so as they are in a spot that there must be some color.

Some of you identified this one as Yarrow. I've never grown this before. I had no idea that it is a spreader. All of the shoots near the bottom are growing new plants beside it. Am I gonna hate this. It seems to be a rapid spreader?

I believe this is echinacea. The echinacea I have in my yard not just this garden is coming up from seed. This one is from seed. It has a foxglove beside it and they are fighting for space. Hoping for some pretty blooms. There a couple of echinacea plants here.

Foxglove that is growing from seed. All of my foxglove is from seed except the one I bought yesterday. I sure am hoping that I get some blooms this year.

Help me out here. I think this is larkspur. Is it?

Yesterday I could'nt resist more snapdragons. I purchased every one they had. But check it out. When I went out to take these pics I realized I had left these uncovered. 

I had already taken my bath but I got out and covered them up. It's OK I didn't mind getting my hands dirty again.

All covered up and snuggled into the soil.

I found some pretty dahlias yesterday 'Dahlia Dahlinova'. The sun was directly on them so the pic is kinda bright.

My first foxglove - 'Foxglove Camelot'. There was no selection of foxgloves yesterday and they are pricey too. Can you see the poppie plants? I am still hoping for a bloom since they are growing pretty good now. 

I have enjoyed shopping at Home Depot garden center this year. They have had the best selections in plants and they are very healthy.

So this is what the garden looks like now. There is butterfly bush and milkweed and lots of dianthus, cannas and plenty of hollyhocks, echinacea and a few more I can't think of right now going to bloom in this garden. Keeping the green thumbs crossed.

Excuse the blury picture. Mosquitos were biting me and I jerked. The mosquitos and many other bugs are worse than usual this year due to the unusually warm winter. Sometimes its hard to be outside - constantly swatting.

I surprised mom with some flowers and dirt and planted her garden yesterday. She was tickled to death. She was napping when I got there and it was done when she woke up. I planted lantana, mexican heather, salvia, begonias, snapdragons and pentas. She has some seeds in here too and I didn't want to disturb too many of them. I may have to go back and fill in where the seeds don't make it this year.

At mom's.

I can't believe how big this fern is.

Hope you have a nice weekend.

This and That

I found this piece of an egg laying on the ground but didn't see any babies near by. I thought it was neat to find anyway.

Luci turned 5 and had a puppy dog party with many of her homeschool friends and neighbors. Happy Birthday Luci.

I have been wanting some homemade chicken pot pie. I printed off the recipe 3 weeks ago and finally made it. It was the best chicken pot pie I have ever made. The recipe "Lady and Sons Chicken Pot Pie" came from Paula Deen and I picked it up on the Foodnetwork.com. It made a beautiful pie with lattice crust on top. I don't think that I should post the recipe but I can tell you that it the creamyness of it comes from using a quart - yes I said a quart of heavy cream. I was kinda concerned but it was wonderful. One thing I did different is that the recipe called for raw onion to be added to the mix - but I prefer my onions cooked so I cooked them in the oil that I used for browning the chicken. The recipe makes a ton. I baked a 9x13 pan and had enough for an additional 9x9 pan. Also the recipe calls for 4 sheets of puff pastry - I used only 2 and had too much.

I also have been wanting a fresh pound cake and I love to make them. Another Paula Deen recipe. This one was also different than others I have made in that it called for heavy cream also but only a cup of the rich stuff. The recipe is "Southwest Georgia Pound Cake" and it is awesome and rich - ooohhhh. You absolutely have to try a piece of warm cake right out of the oven. It will leave you wanting more. Sorry about the blurred picture - I was about to drop the camera trying to get a photo before taking that warm bite of cake. MMMMmmmmm.

I decided to take the whole pot pie and the cake to my Mom's for their dinner. They were so happy to get a good meal they didn't have to prepare and it was sssooo good.

Well mom had really nice eye candy in the gardens. The leaves are so pretty on this plant. Don't know its name but it in the 'wondering jew' family with its beautiful color on the leaves.

The clematis are so full and the flowers are like velvet and such a rich red.

I love the leaves on this one too. Again I do not know the name but it sure is pretty.

Hope you all have a great Monday.