Fertilizer Friday 7-24-09

It’s time again to join my friend Tootsie for Fertilizer Friday.

It is a fun way to see what is in bloom in our gardens.

Click here to see all the other pretty posts!

First for me is the lovely Painted Moon Rose.  It had a rough patch for a few weeks, but is looking much better now.

Here is a favorite daylily….

My red sedum is starting to bloom.  I have this everywhere, so pretty.

This is one catmint plant…. can you believe how big it is?

A black eyed susan with hydrangea and feverfew is pretty together.

I have been really happy with my Zinnias this summer.

But the candylily steals the show……

Here is a close up of the purple ones too.

Have a great weekend everyone, and thanks Tootsie for doing this fun post.

~Brooke~

Teddy Wants To Go For A Ride….

This is Teddy, my “rescue” dog from the pound last summer.

He loves living way out here in the country.  And if I get a 4 wheeler out, he loves to ride with me.  Lol… this is not the best picture of him…but he is a happy little guy.

We started out just going to the edge of the lake.  It has been so muddy here, it’s too wet to walk the trails.

Here you can see the dock thru the cat tails.  This is the only patch I have left.  They can take over, but I think they are pretty.

Teddy talks me into going up the trails.  The girls are at Grandma and Grandpa’s and hubby’s at work. so we can play….. you can see the lake below.

One of the first things I noticed it what I call “pokeweed”

I love it’s red stems, but it is not a good weed.

I checked online and found these funny tidbits…

 

The common name 'pokeweed' originates from the Native American word for 'blood', referring to the red dye that can be made from the fruit (however, the color is difficult to fix). Some of the other common names, such as 'inkberry' and 'inkweed', refer to this use.

Juice from pokeweed berries was once used to 'improve' the color of cheap red wine.

Supporters of President James Polk wore pokeweed twigs instead of campaign buttons during the 1845 campaign.

Medical researchers have isolated a protein (pokeweed antiviral protein or PAP) from pokeweed that is being used to try to inhibit the replication of the HIV virus in human cells.

Roots, leaves and berries of common pokeweed were used medicinally by Native Americans and early settlers to treat a variety of conditions from hemorrhoids to headaches.

The young shoots and leaves of pokeweed have been eaten as greens ('poke sallet'), boiled with the water changed several times prior to consumption. The taste is described as similar to that of asparagus or spinach. Berries have been used to make pie. However, ingestion of any part of common pokeweed cannot be recommended.

This is more of the wild flower my daughter gave me last week.

There is quite a bit of it popping up.  Anyone know what it is?

This purple one was at eye level.

Now we are at the top of the big hill.  There is an 2 acre pond there, and lots of the deer sleep near it.  You can see the places they lay.  We have TWINS again this year, we have seen them 3 times now.  I love them, they never come near the house or my plants.  Too much green out here to bother me and the dogs.

This hummingbird vine was almost growing in the water.

So far it is a good year for the persimmon fruit.  The dear will eat them, but my husband loves them too…. so he watches them closely.  I know you can cook with them, but I haven’t yet.

We are headed back, but on the way I watched the butterflies.

This rose of sharon is pretty at the fire pit.  My friend dug this up for me right out of a fencerow at a cookout last summer.  It was a twig…. but it must be happy here.

The Carl Forester grass looks like fall.

But this one still is pretty and pink.  I love my grasses.

Where was Scooby this whole time?  Crashed on the couch of course!  The girls are not home to bother him….  looks like we need a bigger couch or a smaller dog!

I wish you all could just see how long his legs are…. but he is a good boy. :)

We’ll I think that is about it.  Looks like there will be lots of friends at the lake this weekend, the weather has been so nice.

Here is a new pic of me….  so you know who your talking to….lol.

A Note, Some Pretty Things and a New Project

 

Good Morning.  Good Rainy Morning  here.

Thought I would share some pretty things today. 

You know how I love my vintage art.

And these are a few new ones I found.

This is probably my favorite.

But this is beautiful too.

I never tire of roses….

Or little girls…. good thing!

Because I have two little ones saying “I’m bored” every 2 minutes.

But these are too pretty not to share with friends.

Speaking of sharing, I am working on a new adventure.  Most of you know I love graphics almost as much as gardening.  I have been asked if I ever did other’s things, and now I do.  I have a little site  I will post projects too, please take a peak.  It is brand new as of yesterday.  I will add more things as I do them.

http://creativecountrycards.blogspot.com/

I am calling it “Creative Country Cards” and of course, it is mostly for fun.  But I thought you will never know, unless you try.  I am a substitute teacher, but my hours will not pick up until the weather cools down.  They try to be there the first few weeks of school I think.  So this is a fun little project for me.  Plus, it is something to do this winter.  :)

Have a great day everyone, and I will enjoy the rain.

Hugs….Brooke

Is Your Garden Gate Open?

I love to talk gardening, maybe that is one of the reason I blog and follow sooo many of your blogs too. So I am going to start some “Garden Notes” posts with questions. When I think of one I will answer and then let everyone add their point of view too.

So, here goes….

“Is your garden gate open?”

I recently watched a special on HGTV and they said if your garden gate was open, you are seeing visitors that day. But if it is closed, you are not.

What I mean by that is…. if someone drives past your house and would stop one day, is it welcome for them to see your beds----or would you rather someone not even ask?

I think I know the answer from almost all of us, we blog about our blooms, thus we would love for others to see them…. But do you think that is the case for most gardeners?

Why am I asking? Because I had to drive to Evansville today by myself and looked at several homes and thought…. I would love to see that up close. Or I would like to meet that lady, I bet she is interesting. Or just to say, your home is beautiful.

I guess the only way to find out, is just to do it. It is not like these are million dollar homes with professional landscapes. They are regular family homes and you can just tell they are loved.

I am the kind of person that once I see something done, I can usually do it. Or at least try, and once I see an idea…it makes sense. I get so many idea and learn so much from visiting gardens and blogs. Don’t you?

So for my answer, my garden is public. Anyone and everyone that wants to gets the flower tour. Sometimes against their will…lol. But why go to all the work and not share it?

Would let my home be on a garden tour? If ever asked yes… My hubby would kill me, b/c he hates when anyone parks on his grass, but I would enjoy it.

I want to take master gardener classes in a few years, and then after that I plan to be more active in our regional garden clubs. I know I could do that now, but I am busy enough as it is.

My garden is really only 2 years old and I just have so much more to do. I just run out of time and energy. Plus the girls are still pretty little. They are 7 and 9. I just feel like once I jump in I would like the gardens to be more “done.” Does that make sense?

Okay one last note…. I was VERY EXCITED to finally meet a fellow garden blogger last Friday and to see her LOVELY garden in person….

I met Lisa of Greenbow, and she is lovely. Her private oasis of a shade garden is pure heaven. I did not take my camera, but her blog has tons of pictures.

http://greenbowgardens.blogspot.com/

She is planning on coming my direction soon, and we have another friend I want her to visit too. Isn’t it nice to actually see and enjoy all the beauty and inspiration of another’s creation. I think I might just stop and see that lady after all….

And if she tells me no, that is okay too. I will have gotten close enough the see her island bed up close and be on my way anyway! I just want to know what that purple bush is in the back…lol!

Let me know what you think….

Is your garden public or private?

(All the beautiful pictures in the post are from Country Living Magazine.)

Monday Morning Blooms

Lots of dew this morning makes pretty pictures….

And wet feet in your flip-flops…lol.

My irises are doubling this summer, will divide this fall.  They are huge!  But still looking good.

This blue Althea (Rose of Sharon) was a gift from my MIL.  I planted it yesterday.  I love blue flowers, it is pretty with the variegated grass behind it.

These Black Ball Bachelor Buttons have been a hit this year.

And the Red Fox Veronica is still lovely.

It’s blooms are the same shade of pink as the Wine and Roses Weilgea next to it.  It has bloomed all summer long.  I have a purple one too, they do well here.

Few hosta blooms left.  I like this one because it is pure white.  Don’t know the name, sorry.

Daylily and Daisy are still going strong and bright.

4 o’ clocks are so pretty.  Looks like I need to dead-head!  Oh well…

I have been really happy with my Agapanthus.  If I would not have divided it when I bought it, it would have been a lovely clump.  But all 7 starts bloomed and look good.

Look at how the columbine has filled in around my steps.  It is such a pretty color against the purple leaves.  We have rocks for steps to the front porch. This is just one side, it is that way on the other side too. 

Hydrangea and Guara…. so pretty.

But this is my favorite plant in the garden right now….

It’s that pinky-winky hydrangea I bought this spring.

It isn’t very big yet, but it is sooooo pretty.  I think if I just had room for one hydrangea, this would be it.  It is NOT drooping either, which I love.  My limelight is similar but blooms are still small on it.  I think the frost got some of my flowers, or maybe it was just later in the year.  It seems like I should have more by now.

But I will be happy with the ones I have now.  When they are so beautiful, how can you not love them?  Or want MORE in my case. 

Things are good here, Hubby goes back to work tomorrow night.  The house is a mess and I have a ton of laundry to do.  I cannot believe school starts three weeks from tomorrow.  Where did the summer go?

I hope everyone is doing well… and thanks for visiting!