The time had come when I was settled in our new home AND didn’t have a cast on my foot. It was fall and the garden needed some prep for the season. We did trimming back or the wild bushes so spring blooms would be dense, cleaned up the dead parts of things, trimmed back the irises (FINALLY) and generally got it back in shape. Here’s a few pictures of the day.
Okay back in the Fall Alice the corpse flower at the Chicago Botanical Gardens bloomed. Mike and I went to see her when we had a weekend free. Sadly I have lost the photos of her. Also sadly when we got there she was going to seed and the stink was gone. I offer pictures I did find of Alice’s neighbors. Do enjoy after the cut –
Here’s a few photos of beautiful flowers in the Cherokee National Forest. Enjoy!
Next photo post – the abandoned homestead that was for sale as a Preferred Property just on edge of the National Forest.
It’s a well know fact Mike likes to putter in the yard and I don’t. I find it too much like work – I’d rather make something than sweat in the beating sun digging in dirt. Still I love beautiful flowers, yards, and gardens. Honestly if it weren’t for Mike I’d live in a condo an enjoy the grounds tended by others. Since he likes it I live in a house with a yard tended by Mike. Here’s some photos that were on my camera from our yard.
Been awhile but here’s a photo post. Getting to be nice weather so time to get out with the camera! So sit back and enjoy the first photo post in a long time… as always click on any photo to be taken to my Flickr account where there are more photos on the topic.
Until next time!
I’m not a gardener, never have been, never will be. It’s just not in me. I find it miserable work. Though I enjoy the fruits of the labor be they flowers, vegetables, or fruit. If I had to do it I would. Mike on the other hand finds it relaxing. He likes to garden and looks forward to it. It’s beyond me just like my comic book hobby is beyond him. He appreciates it makes me happy. I appreciate produce and flowers.
Join me as I checked in on Mike’s garden. It’s coming along fine. The kritters enjoyed watching me take photos of the garden. Except Rappy, she slept in the sun. Can’t say I blame her.
How in the heck Mike gets in there to bring in the harvests he does is beyond me. I think of gardens as being measured in portions of an acre with nice wide rows not a jungle where if you step wrong you crush your next harvest. It’s his garden done his way. Left to me, I’d be living in a condo but it makes him happy. So there for the dense garden makes me happy.
It’s been a busy weekend of fun. Don’t worry I’ve not forgotten you. I’ve been out making photos of all the doin’s. I’ll be sure to share once I get them all sorted out. That should be Monday or Tuesday depending on how long the visit to the DMV takes on Monday. Yeah, that shouldn’t take long.
A Comic Comment will be up on Monday.
Until then enjoy a bloom from a butterfly bush.
A few weeks ago Mike and I took the Secret Gardens tour of Kenosha. Mike enjoyed gardening ideas. I enjoyed the photo opportunities. Despite the drought the gardens were lovely. I’m sure the owners put in a lot of hard work and watering expense to make them ready for the event. Sit back and enjoy this colorful photo post.
It all started when I wanted a big crisp dinner salad. No dinner salad is complete without a boiled egg.
So as afternoon was rolling in it found me standing over the garbage in the kitchen looking out the window peeling boiled eggs. (I always make few extra). Rappy was out in the backyard and I was enjoying the feeling better stage after a week of being ill.
I noticed how much more had bloomed and greened since the last time I felt well enough to assess the yard. The red tulips had come out and were flanking the yellow custard ones with the same number.
The perennials in the same bed are greening up nicely. Their winter trash getting cleared away. I wondered if Mike had done it this weekend, I bet he did. The purple tulips are just making a showing as the frilly jonquils are doing their finale. The lilac bush Mike had trimmed so harshly not only has leaves but is getting ready to bloom. The cat nip by the fence has grown in leaps and bounds.
As I stood there watching the wildlife began its activities with no human clamoring around in the small space. Squirrels perched on the back fence running back and forth to keep an eye on Rappy as she romped in the grass. Soon they took a perch up on the peak of the back neighbor’s garage to survey when it was safe to make a run to the currently full bird feeder.
While they wearily watched Rappy a nuthatch landed in the lilac bush. They always make me laugh because they seem to look at the world upside down for most of the time. He’d dart out and land on the feeder to eat a few bite before the chittering of the squirrels made him dart back to the cover of the heart-shaped lilac leaves. It was so loud I could hear them through the glass of the windows. Greedy buggers didn’t want to share with the tiny nuthatch. But remember there’s always someone bigger than you keeping watch, in this case it was Rappy. The chittering would perk Rappy’s ears. She’d prance around looking for squirrels and they’d go silent hunkering down on the shingles of the neighbor’s roof. Then the nuthatch would dart out again to eat. Once Rappy settled down to watch out the gate the squirrels would scold the nuthatch, it would dart for cover and Rappy would prance about on patrol. Then rinse and repeat again.
As this went on a large robin bopped into the scene. He wasn’t concerned with Rappy, squirrels in the balcony, or nuthatches nibbling birdseed. He was collecting the dried vines from last year’s morning glories. Then he was back to pull out the dried leaves from the perennials. He made several trips to our yard then up to our garage’s peak the off in a Northernly direction to return shortly and clean up my yard some more. So maybe Mike had some help with that.
This was just a moment peeling eggs and looking out the window. Yet it was just what I needed after a week of being in bed ill. The freshness of it all, the simple fun and quiet activity that goes on all the time unnoticed. I’m not up to a full day’s activity yet but it was good to see it go on.
Now excuse me I’ve a dinner salad to make now that the eggs have chilled. As always it’s good to hear from you. Until next time.
Today was a warmer day. I made a few more pictures of our garden. I’m always thrilled after a Wisconsin winter (even a mild one) to see color and greenery again. Here are a few shots of what’s growing in our gardens.
Soon the cats won’t have to get their high from the old dry stuff they’ll have tender fresh new twigs to maul.
Our lemon custard tulips are always the first to bloom. This year was no different. But my favorite is pictured next: the blue hyacinth. I’ve always loved their blooms more than the tulips.
Just because it’s my favorite you get another one.
I like them so much I even enjoy the grape hyacinths but they migrate because squirrels like to dig them up. Ours are starting to spill out into our yard and our neighbor is enjoying a few. That’s okay since the squirrels brought us some red tulips from somewhere to go in our daffys on the side our house in exchange. Here’s both flowers.
I love the center of the red tulips.
That’s the garden tour for now. After I made these pictures Rappy and I went down to the lake. There I made pictures while the sun was shining. More photos from that tomorrow.
That’s it for tonight. Take care, sleep well. Remember to give me a like if you liked the post and rate it with stars! Also don’t miss tomorrow’s lake pictures and the Southport Public Beach House here in Kenosha Wisconsin by following or you can sign up for e-mail notices right there in the upper right corner.
As always I’d love to hear from you feel free to leave a comment. It’ll so up when I get it and I check regularly. Until tomorrow!
Mary Louise Eklund 