Gardening, anyone?

Queen- I love bleeding hearts. The original and the all white! Great old fashioned perennials! Every garden should gave one. You just made me realize I don't! Going in the list for this fall!

Wren- almost all of my roses came from there. Haha! Roses are such a pain. I can't resist them though. I usually dig a bigger hole and plop a clematis in with it. They seem happy together.

Blessings- thanks (and also to the others) for the words of encouragement. Sometimes it seems I'll never get there. But I'm very grateful I was able to move my pride and ego aside and get help for now. I've been able to enjoy the garden instead of fret over it.

Prickley pear catus? Beautiful flowers

Lori- yes, that is my pink one. I also have one that will bloom in yellow (not quite yet). I have a elephant ear cactus that blooms tangerine colors and my claret cup that is just finishing with it's red bloom. I am cactus blessed!

Blessings- yes on both. I refer to the pink one on as the sea pink. I have a salvia out front and also one in the back. They do well here but you are right, they can get very leggy later in the season. I had some friend over tonight and they were just amazed by the blooms in the garden right now. A friend said "it is like everything just exploded in this week!" That happens in May, the slow unfolding of spring and then suddenly in May, there is a big burst! I love the month of May.

It is in the 80s here now during the day too. Cold snaps seem be done finally?

*Good Morning*

Thursday was in the 80's, but possible snow Sunday night.

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A male rose-breasted grosbeak posing for a pic. ;o)

A female baltimore oriole in flight.

varigated solomon's seal

vegetable garden

as you can see, it is still early here. We too might get a little snow sunday night. The trees are just starting to leaf out. Last night a bear got into the garden - the fence was crushed down right behind the compost bin - the bin had its cover removed, but the compost inside was untouched. I know it was a bear, because he got into the bird feeders during that cold snap in april when we shouldn't have been feeding them, but were. What I've been doing with the compost is after I dump the kitchen scraps, I cover it with a couple of scoops of lime, then I cover it with some straw or a bucket of just pulled weeds. It seems to work, because before I started using the lime and burying it, the bear would come occasionally.

I had someone eat many of my snow peas. I've seen rabbits in the yard, voles in the garden. (And my fence is pretty crappy.) You can see a little hole where the critter scooped out each seed shortly after I planted it. I bought some blood meal at the nursery this week, thinking it would work as a repellant when I re-plant more peas - but then I thought it might attract the bear, who might make a mess, not to mention be dangerous if the dogs were to encounter it. So, I might return it to the nursery and try rags dipped in ammonia put in mason jars - I thought I'd put some of these placed on their side down the row of peas and hope it makes whoever would want to eat them go find something else to eat. (Probably the lettuce.)

Sometimes I fantasize about putting up a good fence around the garden. Some for curb appeal when the day comes that I sell this house, and some to be more secure against varmints.

I wish I had more stamina. I work, but then have to rest. And then I work some more. And then I think of all the other things I want to do, and realize that I can't do what I did 20 years ago - even 10 years ago - even 4 years ago before I got cancer.

This week I pruned, fertilized and mulched the roses. They are my favorite, and I probably have around 50 rose bushes. And, this isn't the best climate for them. Even though the maps say we are zone 5, my experience is that many times zone 5 things die in a bad winter. We have some elevation here, and it can get pretty darn cold.

Well, enough rambling. hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.

Beautiful pot plantings Jazzy. I have planted one and now we have a frost warning so I'll have to drag it in. I'm glad I didn't do the other five!

Twohobbies.. Wow.. Just love your beautiful garden bed..:-)

Jazzy.. Beautiful pots..and great mixing of different plants !!

Scottie... Your roses are PERFECT !!

Snowed in Kalamazoo last night--about 45 miles from where I live. But here, just a bit chilly, so my bleeding hearts are coming along nicely. As are the columbines, peonies, and the weeds!

Lookforward. . .luv the yellow flowers. Wil have to add that one to my perennials list.

23rd anniversary yesterday, so we add two more hydrangeas, planted together to make a larger plant. They are called Firelight but theyy will be blue or purple next year due to our soil.

Scottie

welcome Lookingforward!

Loving the color, the pics, the colorful pot combinations (just inspired, those!) and perfect roses. It's all so beautiful!

Flavia- that is a lot of work. I know how you feel. I struggle with my lack of energy and ability. Sending a hug.It looks great though and I hope you get endless joy from surveying nature from a good chair iccasionally!

So cute JuniperCat! Here is one of mine raiding Bob's bowl. Now Bob is looking at me as his bowl is now empty! Funny how strays even think they own you! LOL

I'm SO glad that ya'll broke the ice with the pics of garden critters! My DH found this baby on Saturday on our back steps. We tried everything to reunite it with his mother, but no luck. We've volunteered in the past to assist wildlife rehabilitationers (spelling?) when babies needed a temporary home, but we've always had two babies at a time - they do not do well alone. We're driving him to the nearest rehab center tomorrow, in Enterprise, AL. It is heaven on earth for orphaned wildlife babies. That hairy hand is my DH's!

I should have thanked all of you for welcoming me aboard, but have been very preoccupied with feedings. It is So great to be able to communicate with garden lovers from other areas, as well as to focus on something else besides the "C" word. This is the first place I go when I log on; and I get just as excited as I used to when the gardening catalogs used to come by mail! Does anyone out there remember Burpees? It might have just been for the farmers in the south...

Please keep those beautiful pictures coming!

Angela