Fall Blooms

I'm still here ya'll. I know I've been MIA and don't really have an excuse other than I just am. Anyway not much going on in my world. I took these pics a few weeks ago and just haven't gotten around to posting them.

Bougainvilla is doing great considering the time of year. I am falling in love with this plant.

 Kitty Cat loves the garden.

Have ya'll seen the new 'skinny houses'. I really don't know what they are called but they appear very small. I first saw these on HGTV during one of the reality shows where they each had to decorate one of these type homes. Notice they are long and narrow. This is how homes were built a long time ago and were called 'shotgun' houses'. They got that name because you could open either door and shoot strait through to the other side. These are the only 'skinny homes' I've seen. It will be interesting to see how these fair in a hurricane.

 I bet they are designed for efficiency and storage. Probably making use of every inch of the home including the ceiling and attic if it even has one but I bet it does. These two homes are facing each other as you can see.

 

I just thought they were interesting so I wanted to share them.

This is what fall looks like here on the gulf coast. Very little color but the weather is so nice. Our weather has been seasonable for the most part with hi's in the 60's/70's and lows around 50 or so.

I've been doing some baking and still loving it. This is Sand Tarts and the recipe is can be found by going here: http://beccascookingspot.blogspot.com/

Hope you all have a fabulous day.

A Little This n That

Good morning blogger buddies. I found a few things blooming this morning. It is cloudy and it is morning and I was shaking while taking these so I hope I don't hurt your eyes too bad.

I am surprised at some of the things in bloom right now. I don't remember my canna's blooming this time of year. I appreciate it though because the yellow adds a lovely bright spot in the garden.

Osteoporum (sp?) has only a few blooms. I suppose I should douse everything with some fertilizer.

Love these begonias. They bloom freely throughout the season taking a break during the hottest periods.

Ya'll I picked the best out of pics. This one is horrible blurry. The buddlei is blooming well. I forget which one this is.

Red verbena laying on the ground and hardly any leaves.

Mums.

Bougainvilla blooming again.

Pulled this old bed out of the shed this weekend. Originally I had thought I would sand it down and use it in a bedroom. Now I'm thinking I want to put it in a garden. It is extremely heavy and the iron is thick. It's not real fancy but I like it. I'm not sure how it will stand in the garden since it is so heavy. It may need to be anchored somehow. I also like it leaning against the tree. I'm planning to let vines run it. Of course you see there is a footboard and I'm thinking it may not be so hazardous to use it in a garden if I can bury enough of it.

I spent my time in the kitchen this weekend. I baked some apples, brownies and banana bread and cookies. Didn't get a pic of the brownies or apples. Oh well sometimes you just have to dive in before you think of the camera.

Perfect bottoms on my cookies. Just the right amount of crunch. You can get the recipe here http://beccascookingspot.blogspot.com/search/label/cookies

Here I have bagged everything to give away (except the apples - they were all mine).

I love baking and love to share. I got this idea I've had for as long as I can remember - it is to bake/cook for a cafe or bake shop - rather to own my own place. I am getting ready to put myself out there and see where this may go with selling my baked goods. My ideas for an avenue include online site, flea markets, festivals and flyers. Down the road perhaps to have a permanent location. The town I live in does not have a bakery so that is wide open right now. I do not decorate cakes as that is my sisters specialty and she is definately good at it. As I said I've thought of this for a long time and possibly working my way towards that goal. Still thinking though. Sure could use the extra money too.

Hope you all have a great day. It is hump day so counting down to the weekend.

By Ivan - Welcome Kitty

Good FRIDAY morning everybody. Not much going on here thus the lack of posts. We are having some gorgeous fall weather. We had some cooler weather move in last week and we are in the seasonable range of the low 80's and low 60's at night. It just makes me feel good when the seasons change.

I know that I introduced ya'll to Ivan the dog two weeks ago. Well Ivan didn't make it in my home. He was a very good dog but I was too worried about him visiting the neighbors too much. Plus he wouldn't stay out of my gardens. I work too hard on the gardens to let a dog tramp through it all the time.

The Kitty may or may not work out. I'll have to see with the neighbor. But still she'll be confused too... I just don't know. But she sure is cute and cute with Buddy.

Well I'm trying this sweet little one out here. She is about 3 months old. The kitten belongs to my neighbor but she has taken a liking to Buddy. She got to the point that she would come up to him, even though Buddy is barking and just want to love on him. Well I took a liking to Kitty. If she likes Buddy then I like her too.

The kittens were so bony and underfed. I hate this about my neighbor and I am gonna have to say something soon. Neighbor has 4 cats and 3 dogs and none are fed well and I know none have ever had shots.

I'm trying her out in the house and have already checked with the vet if I decide to keep her and get her shots. After feeding her for a week while she went back and forth next door she is fattening up nicely. A plump little thing now. Buddy and Kitty are here nose to nose. I love it. I let her stay indoors last night. By the way the neighbor doesn't miss her so I knew it would be OK.

She is beautiful and has some nice markings on her. She answers to Kitty so I will call her Kitty.

Found a few blooms this morning.

I told ya'll I don't do pansy's well. There is only one live plant out of 6 here.

 

Wish all the pansy's would have lived - oh well.

Help me out here. This thing is big and it is heavy. It is made of clay and came from Mexico 30 or so years ago. I have no place for it inside and it doesn't go with anything I have. I had an idea of placing it in a garden but I'm afraid that the clay would disintegrate. Any ideas? Maybe I should just take it to Goodwill. What do you think? What would you do with it?

I thought I'd taken a more recent photo of the dead Rose of Sharon I transplanted 3 weeks ago. It didn't make it. Sad face.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend. I bet there are lots of fall festivals or sorts going on this time of year.



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.

Cottage Flora Thursday

I'm joining Tracie over at Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursdays. http://fishtailcottage.blogspot.com/2011/05/cottage-flora-thursdays-18.html


I can't believe it's been slightly over a week since I have posted. Sometimes things just happen that way. I've had a few things going on and lots of work to do too here at the office.

I haven't felt good in a few weeks since I am dealing with a bad tooth. Have to go back to the dentist on Monday. Yuck!

I've missed you guys and will be by to visit as I can today. I love blogging and visiting so I hate when I can't check out your gardens regularly. Ya'll mean a lot to me, each and every one of you.

I've never seen the poppies in this stage right as they are opening up. They are so pretty. I need to know how to extract the seeds from the poppies. Help me out here.

I love the hydrangea I recently purchased. This bloom is only an inch from the ground. I had to get way down LOW to get this pic.

This bloom is on the same plant as the one above. I fertilized a few days before I took these pics with Miracle Gro All Purpose. I usually use the all purpose and then a week later I spray them with Bloom Burst. I fertilize about every 3 weeks alternating.

How do plan your stages when you fertilize with what and how often?

The begonias are really taking off now. This one is crowded though. The salvia I planted next to it is a larger plant than I first thought. Would this be a bad time to move some of the plant?  

Mums blooming.

The butterfly weed is looking good. I've noticed more butterfly activity but can't capture those pretty things on camera.

Beautiful dianthus.

Check out the blueberry bush. The entire bush is leaning towards the ground loaded with berries. They are beginning to turn. Soon I'll have some cobbler. Yummmmmmy!

Enlarge and check out the critter. (PS it's a fake) Can you see the berries?

Beautiful snapdragon.

Put on your sun shades to look at this four o'clock. The sun is bright, shining on this yellow beauty. There are many more to come. The plant is loaded now.

More butterfly weed.

I love the blue sky and the wispy clouds this morning.

No rain in the seven day forecast so the sprinkler will be used regularly. I bought me another sprinkler from Ace Hardware and hopefully it will last the entire season.



I'll be visiting my daughter this weekend for Mothers Day. Can't wait to get some kisses and hugs from everybody. I miss them so much.

Since I'm taking tomorrow and Monday off I'll be back to visit on Tuesday.

The state of Alabama is still cleaning up after the tornadoes a week ago. This will be a long road for these people as as there is so much loss. There are 38 counties in Alabama that are disaster areas. The death count in Alabama alone is above 250. Please continue to pray for these people as they pick up the pieces and put their lives back together.

Have a great day and a lovely weekend.