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Monday, May 30, 2011

Happy Memorial Day

REMEMBER!





Those who have fought for us!





Thursday, May 26, 2011

Snowballs in the Spring




One of my favorite bushes is the Snowball.
They help to give our home that vintage old house look, even though our home is only 13 years old.



The actual name is Viburnum 'Roseum'

The Original Snowball Bush. 
They can get up to 12' feet high and wide. 
They like full to partial sun and are very tolerant to growing conditions.



I have them in every flower garden and around the house.





I love their old fashioned look. 



This year is going to be a good year for these bushes, sometimes they can be affected by bugs and it just wipes out the whole bush, leaves and all. 
 This bush is about 11 years old and as you can see it is  huge.










They turn from a limey green little ball to a big white ball of snow. 


Just look at those puff balls, perfect for throwing.


When the petals start to fall from tree, I let the children have their Spring snowball fights.  Nice thing about these snowballs, they don't hurt when you get hit by one.  By the end of the fight there are white petals everywhere and you would have thought it really snowed.


So, anyone up for a snowball fight?
  They are already pre-rolled.



I am off to the garden, the sun is out and I have flowers to plant.

Thanks for stopping by, if you want to see more gardens pop over and visit Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursday with Tracie. 


and Debra from Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday.



and Cindy from My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.

<br><br><br><b>Join us every Friday...</b>
One final note; I think we are all still having problems with Blogger and leaving comments.  I tried a few and no luck, maybe they will have it fixed soon.
 
Just so you know I will try to stop by later.  Alaina



Sunday, May 22, 2011

This One Is For Karen




My buddy Karen over at Ow, My Angst is not feeling well and she is also feeling down about not being able to get out in her own garden.  



So, I thought I would share some more of my garden pictures from last year to help cheer her up.
If you were to visit me, I would gladly walk you around showing you my gardens, talking nonstop about my favorites and the ones that drive me crazy. 



I am not the by the books gardener, I like to plant TOO closely, that way by the end of summer my garden is full each year.  I do not trim at the end of the season so my flowers will reseed.

I even like to weed.



These roses are wild roses that can be found at the side of the road or in farm fields. 
All of mine I dug up from the field behind us and transplanted.  They are great climbing roses, I just wish they would bloom more than once during the season.  I fix that problem by planting Clematis or another reblooming climbing rose.



Hardy white Hydrangeas that can stand full sun. 
I try to transplant shoots that under root if that makes sense.






Sometimes I find that I don't like the way a bed turns out after a couple of years and I have to change things around.  In this garden the ivy was taking over, solution, rip it out, dump new dirt on top and start with new plantings.  Already this year I have added some perennials to this bed to help fill it in. 


Karen I hope this brings you a smile. 
 Remember I am just over the border, so if they work in my garden, they will work in yours.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Me, I am going to my father's home to celebrate my belated birthday with my family.
Yep, that means CAKE!





Friday, May 20, 2011

Flowers to Come


I mentioned in my previous post that my gardens are doing well with all of this rain.
  I thought I would show you some of the beauty that will be here in the next couple of weeks.

I am so looking forward to the blooms that are yet to come.



When Mr. M. and I started planting our gardens the year after we built it, I insisted on Bridal Wreath Spirea, one, because I love the white flowers and two, it would help make our house look less like a newly built home.  They are around the whole hose and I have never regretted planting so many.   I even put them in my other gardens I love them so. 
 In a couple of weeks my house will be surrounded in white. 



There is a seat in every garden, to sit and enjoy the view.


Roses, roses everywhere!



The bird houses are usually covered in climbing roses or vines by the middle of summer.


If you enjoyed my gardens you should stop by and visit Tracie from Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursdays.


and

Cindy from My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.

Thank you for visiting, I am off to work in the gardens, a gardener's work is never done.




Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Special White Wednesday


It's a celebration!


 
Faded Charm
100th Post!


Come and join us in the White Wednesday fun with Kathleen from Faded Charm.

I didn't always have white in my home, seriously, I once had a different color in each room. 
But, I think I always, in the back of my mind knew it was the color I was most drawn to and wanted around me.

Due to rain, this past weekend I spent my days inside, painting with my new chalk paint and sewing new slipcovers.  I had a very productive weekend.  Not that I don't want the rain to stop one of these days, but I used my time indoors very productively.



New cushions for my outdoor seating. 
  I made these with an envelope closure on the back for easy washing, no need to pay for expensive Sunbrella fabric when cheap cotton duck will do.
My favorites are the cushions with the ruffles,
love me some ruffles.



The rain has also done wonders in my gardens. 
Happy flowers in bloom.
Yeah spring!







The birds have filled all the white houses.


This frame has already been given the WHITE treatment and is now just waiting for a chalkboard insert.

These rainy days also gave me time to do some shopping.  I was lucky enough to find a set of 4 chair cushions at TJMax my favorite lunch time shopping store.  I think they look great with my vintage wooden folding chairs.  Perfect for extra party seating.


White Wednesday was the first link party I ever joined, and even though I can't always join in each week, I always stop by to visit.  Seeing all these other bloggers who decorate, appreciate and dare I say LOVE white too, made me feel more normal.  Thank you Kathleen for giving us this great Link Party.

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to let a little white in your life.

 

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Roses for My Birthday!




Yep, it's my BIRTHDAY today!





The kids didn't have baseball this morning because of the rain. 
 So, what better to do on my birthday, but to go flower shopping. 
 We found some beautiful pink roses.




This was where the kids sand pile WAS. 
It is going to become a new flower garden and fire pit area. 
By the time I get done with it, this will look very different. 
 I may even try to put a new arbor in this area.  Shhhh..........don't tell Mr. M. yet.
I have to do it in baby steps, first garden, then fire pit, then I ask him to build me the arbor.
Besides, he owes me, he is not here for my birthday.  Bad luck, he was scheduled to work 
 last minute for the weekend.  Now if only I can convince him to get me my Ikea sofa while he is in the area.



Now that spring is officially here, I will have lots of gardening to do.
I have a few dozen or so plants just waiting to be planted.


And just a few more.

Even though it has been raining a bit lately, it is really helping the flowers grow. 
 It also gives me some extra time to finish up some painting projects.



This is my painting project for tonight.
I am going to use some of my chalk paint, white this time, I still have not gotten used to the blue chair yet.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are having a wonderful weekend too.