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.

Party Time

I am linking up with Tracie at Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursday and tomorrow with Tootsie at Tootsie Time for Fertilizer Friday. Ya'll go check out these great blogs to see what others have to share today and tomorrow. It's that time of year when the parties will be getting bigger as most of us have some pretties blooming. I just love this time of year.

http://fishtailcottage.blogspot.com/2011/04/cottage-flora-thursdays-14.html

http://www.tootsietime.com/

The weather is just gorgeous today. Wish I could take this desk outside to enjoy the warm sunshine or better yet be in my gardens enjoying the sweet smell of the soil.

These pretty skies are expected to last thru the weekend with the exception of a 20% chance of rain tomorrow. Well that means I probably won't get wet or even have too many clouds. We are expecting temps to be in the upper 70's and warming into the mid 80's this weekend. Could be a beach weekend.

On to some of the flowers I have to share today. I love how the snaps look with the pink verbena.

The red verbena is also showing off. This one is a true red too.

I have toyed with tossing the broken down bird feeder in the trash. I have repaired it so many time now that a nail wouldn't hold the feeder onto the bottom. I was on my way to the trash when I thought I just can't do that. So I placed it in a pot with some white dianthus coming out. Around the bird feeder I placed more white dianthus and purple white eye verbena. Hope it fills in good later on. 

Can't believe all of the mums are so loaded with buds.

Orange marigold is in the herb garden.

These are the newest yellow marigolds. I love the petals on this one.

This is the size of my only blueberry bush. It must be at least 10' high. The berries on the top will be for the birds unless I take a stool to the tree. I don't really need that many berries though and the birds really appreciate them.

Kinda hard to see here but there are berries everywhere you look. Hope they will be big and juicy like last year. Remember last year we had a drought for a couple of months so we will see. The peaches are definately affected.

That's it for me today. Hope you all have a beautiful weekend where ever you are or whatever you are doing.