Miscellaneous Musings

Today I thought I would just show a few of the stray photos I took during the past two days.

On each side of the deck entrance I have these planters that have tall liatris (blazing star). After the storms this weekend, a few of them toppled over. Don't you just hate when that happens?

I will probably cut them for a bouquet.

On Sunday morning it was so humid that my camera lens immediately filled with condensation when I walked out the door. Hence the hazy hosta picture below.


Here's a crocosmia 'Chopsticks' that fully opened.

This is just the view of my new arbor from the driveway.

The white callas I bought from Walmart this spring are now blooming. They would be great in a bouquet. I hope the bulbs spread for next year. They are planted in a container that I can store for the winter. Callas cannot take the cold winters of N. Michigan.

When I pulled out this very loosely woven jacket to wear today, I was shocked to see that the elbow was all ripped out. Sorry for the blurry picture. I must have moved when I snapped it.

I have no idea how that happened. It's a good thing I get up early. I had plenty of time to cut the sleeves off and rehem them. Instead of long sleeves, I now have short sleeves, which is better for summer anyway.

What is this Lovely Weed?

I may have asked this same question before, but if anyone told me, I have forgotten.

Does that happen to you?

I am always looking up flower or weed names, yet I never remember them when I need to know.

Yesterday morning I went out in search of yellow and pink flowers for my latest vintage tablecloth inspired table. I thought this weed was so nice that I used it in the bouquet. I hope it's not poison!

The yellow flowers are dahlias. I think they are a pretty good to match to the flowers in the cloth.

I have not been out in the garden at all today. It rained earlier so I don 't have to water anything.

Yesterday we went to a lakeside picnic.

Luckily we were under a pavilion because after about two hours, a big thunderstorm with a lot of lightening came up and we had to hurry and pack up everything and get out of there. It was scary. Even the bats came flying out of their hiding places in the log ceiling of the pavilion. No kidding--three bats flew out. I think it got so dark they thought it was night (it was 5:00 p.m.ish).

I am not a picnic lover--it's a lot of work to haul all the stuff, set it all up, cook, then sit and eat with the bugs. There were very few bugs yesterday...guess they didn't like those high winds that kept kicking up. Even though we didn't swim, we were all thoroughly soaked when we got home.
Overall as picnics go, this was one of the most exciting I've been to.

Enjoy the rest of your evening,

Get Those Toenails Dirty!

I got a lot done this morning despite the cool, wet, gloomy day.

I was outside about 8:00 a.m. with my shovel and wheelbarrow removing a few weeds and pink mallow.

As I walked down this grass path, I was suddenly overcome with the urge to remove all of the creeping phlox and yarrow from this area.

Grass is beginning to infest the phlox and the yarrow is too tall for this area--see it falling over in the grass? That's the area I redid. I spent a couple of hours removing it all, then finding other plants to replant the area.

I am planning to do a table with my polka dot vases tonight so I walked around looking for flowers to match the vases. I love to use spiderwort when it gets big round heads of seed pods.

While walking through the woods, I spotted some money plant and decided to use it with the outer wrapping left on. Then I spotted some of the dreaded bellflower that I've spent three years getting rid of in my gardens. I hate it invading my gardens, but I love it in arrangements, so was glad to find some way back in the toss out piles. I want these arrangements to be all blue/purple and green, so I used some Sedum Autumn Joy just for its pre-flowering green color.
Here are the finished bouquets. I am quite happy with them. I will probably post the table I do later tonight on my tablescape blog (link on the side panel).

The old wooden crate they are sitting on was recently gifted to me. The gifter could not believe that I wanted this old piece of junk.
I am thrilled with this old carrier. I do believe it is a strawberry carrier that pickers would carry through the fields and put their filled quarts inside. There are a lot of berry fields in this area.

After I finished the bouquets, I decided to rearrange some of the deck containers and use the old piece as the focal point.

It took less than a minute for me to spot a long container of pineapple mint that I thought would fit nicely inside--and it did.

Then I put a screw in the wood to hold the Dutch shoe planters.

By this time I was working in the rain -- I ended up working in a light rain for about an hour.

I was quite a sight by the time I was done!

I am afraid you may not be able to appreciate the sheer beauty of this piece from that little picture. Here's a better view:

See the long legs it has? I think that's so the strawberry picker does not to bend down to put the quarts in.
Here is a little wider view of the new arrangement.

I was outside for about three hours and I went through three pairs of socks. They were so full of mud that I had to hose them down before I could put them in the washing machine.

I have to say that gardening is not dainty work. If you don't like to dig dirt from your toenails, then it may not be the hobby for you!

Phlox, Globe Thistle & Pink Mallow

I did a little plant moving after work yesterday.

I moved a bunch of blooming phlox. It was blooming in an area where I am trying to get rid of all flowers. We are thinking of putting a shed in that spot.
Here is some of that phlox, although not the plants I moved.

These are some of the phlox plants that I moved:

They are very tall - about 4 feet or so. I am quite amazed that they are still standing tall a day after I moved them.

I just noticed that there is a wagon wheel in this garden, too. It's on the opposite side of the garden in in the first picure.

This is the same spot where I moved the lychnis coronaria last week. It's still standing tall, too.

Some plants are so easy to move!

I also removed about a dozen pink mallow plants like this one:
see that little spot of pink way in the back? I am trying to remove all of this plant from my gardens. I thought I had, but suddenly I am seeing a bunch of little spots of pink.

I like the plant, but it's terribly invasive. I decided that I would let it grow in the wild areas, like behind the rockwall.

I noticed that this globe thistle is almost ready to turn it's eye-catching blue color.

I really enjoy this plant.

It does have ratty lower foliage so it needs to be planted where that is hidden.

Here is a close up:

In my walk around the gardens tonight, I noticed that my ruffled pink daylily was blooming. Recently my bloggy friend, Dianne, from Dianne Rambling On posted a ruffled lily. I had a vague memory that I also had a ruffled daylily, but could not really remember. Sure enough I do have one! It's the darker pink lily in this pic:

Here is a close up so you can see that the edges are indeed ruffled:
I guess this post is getting pretty long, so I will end it here. I had more to show you, but I will save it all for future posts.

TGIF! I hope we all have a great weekend!

Silence is Golden

I came home from work today to find six men on my roof wielding shingles and air compressor hammers. It was so noisy inside that I left to go shopping for a while. I thought they would leave around 5:00 p.m. When I got home shortly after 5 p.m., they were still up there. I tried to sit out on the deck and read a book, but that air compressor was sitting out there, too. Every few seconds it would make a loud noise as they nailed.

I asked them how long they were going to work and one of them said, "Until it's done."

"Are you really going to do the whole roof in one day?" I asked.

"It looks like it." They are men of few words.

I expressed my sympathy for their long work day and went inside. Call me selfish, but really I was most sympathetic to my having to listen to the dreadful noise for a few more hours.

I holed up in my computer room and turned on the television which did little to muffle the sounds from above.

A few minutes ago I realized that it was silent for longer than sixty seconds. I looked out the window and they were just pulling out of the driveway.

Ah, blissful silence!

Look way up near the top of this tree.

Can you see the nest?
I zoomed in so you can see it better.
It's a humongous bee's nest! Thank goodness it's way up high so nobody can bump into it.

Yesterday I finished this pillow and put it out on the deck glider.

While I was sitting out there looking around I spotted something new in my little garden by the garage.

It took me a moment to realize that these are 'Green Star' gladiolus that I planted on Easter Sunday. I am just thrilled that they are going to bloom. I had completely forgotten that I planted them. The flower itself will be green. Can't wait to show you a picture.

I Just Placed a Flower Order

I think this is my only flower order this year.

I could not resist these Rai Parrot tulips. They are like the Blumex I bought last year, only a different color.

from Breck's catalog: ...Spectacular colour combination for a tulip with irresistible impact. In flamboyant bloom, this Parrot Tulip shows off half its outside frilled petals in unique shades of plum and purple.The remaining petals reveal shades of rose splashed with light green accents. Inside, an intense purple colour is complemented by a yellow and white base.

OMG, could anything sound more beautiful?

I really enjoy my Tango lilies, so I decided to order more of them. I ordered a collection of 4 different colors: I get three of each color.


Dot Com® Tango - Innovative colour combination! Alluring, pink blooms are dotted with dark red at the centre. Don't you just love that name?

Kentucky Tango - Racy tangerine blooms are enormous and peppered with flecks of cocoa. I was only going to order this one, but then decided to get them all.

Capuchino® Tango - Wakes you up in style! This two-tone lily has cream-coloured petals sprinkled liberally with those coffee grounds you love so much. This is the one I already have .

Olina Tango - Dressed in flaming red with auburn highlights, this pretty lady is a tough act to follow Really looking forward to seing this one.

12 bulbs of Azure allium,
which are 18- 22 inches and go well with the pink drumstick allium that I already have.

The last item was that Pineapple Lily I showed a few days ago.

Since Breck's sent me a coupon to order $75, and get $35 off coupon, I went for it.

Everything but the pineapple lily will arrive in October. The pineapple lily will ship next spring.

I shall be looking forward to next year's blooms.

A New Focal Point in the Garden

I was outside early yesterday morning removing plants to fit the new arbor in along one of the stone path walkways. I had to dig out 5 plants and then replant them after we leveled out the ground and re installed the pavers. I just planted them all this year, so they were very easy to remove.

I was all done by 8:00 a.m. On Saturday morning I no idea I would be buying myself a major weekend project! I'm pretty happy with it. I think it provides the large focal point I needed in this area. Maybe next year I can grow some blue morning glories or something up it. This path goes right through the middle of the arbor.

Here it is the view from the larger arbor.
This is about 10 feet down from the pic above.


Now I have to decide what color to do the potting bench. Hopefully I can get that done next weekend.

Dahlia Flower Bouquet

I finally arranged the flowers last night.
Here's the freshly picked container.

Here's the finished bouquet.

I ended up using a black/pink pottery container rather than the black wooden one shown above.

Oh, the Treasures I Found!

I have had the most amazing day. It's nearly 4:00 p.m. and I never did get that flower bouquet done.

I was at the Farmer's Market at 7:30 a.m. Thank goodness I got there early because I found a ton of treasures!! They had everything from junk to this guy in the front who made wonderful objects from cedar wood.

Before I left I stuck $25 in my pocket. I didn't carry a purse. Instead I brought along a tote bag to hold any treasures I might find.

I had my tote filled on the second booth I stopped at! Just look at all these treasures I got for only $11.75! Vases, magazines, a book, a flamingo, a magnificent candle holder (I think it's a chicken with accented with gemstones), a pair of Dutch shoe planters...

I have seen these cast iron corn muffin pans many times. They are usually about $10. When I saw this one for $2, I grabbed it. It's incredibly heavy. I can't wait to use it.

See that flamingo? I am really into flamingos lately. Yesterday I finished a flamingo quilt block and today I bought this little cutie. What is it for? you ask.

Well, here it is in my garden.

How adorable! I am just loving this $1 purchase. I even had to change the watering can arrangement to pink flowers to match the flamingo.


Remember that first picture with the cedar arbor and the potting bench? Well, they are now in my yard! The man gave me a great deal since I bought both. DH had to go home and get the truck to transport them.

I spent 3 hours staining the arbor white. When I got done DH did the top. When it gets dry we will put it in the garden and I will show you a picture of it.
The potting bench is sitting on the deck. I need to decide what color to paint it. I am pretty sure it will be aqua with an orange bird house.

Did you notice the Dutch shoes? I planted them with hens and chicks.

I finally had to come inside because it was starting to rain. I need a break anyway.

It's a been a great day.
Since it was a Farmer's Market, I did come home with one veggie--

Aren't these red onions gorgeous? I think they look like artwork.

I hope your day has been equally as wonderful!

A Bucket of Flowers in Waiting

Last night I went out and snipped some flowers--lots of pink and purple.

This is the time of year when my gardens start producing pastel flowers. It's always a nice change from the oranges/reds that have been my favorites for the past few years.


I stuck the flowers in a bucket of water overnight. I have some floral foam soaking up water right now and will make a bouquet shortly.


I am planning to use that black container sitting in front of the flowers.



Here are a few pink lilies. They are in the same spot where I removed the big white trumpet lilies last weekend. I like the big canna leaves down where the path turns right. They are finally big enough to see above the other greenery. Cannas do not grow well in my garden, so these are in a pot sunk into the ground.

I didn't even realize I had this purple campanula near this path. They just reseed where they please. I think it picked a good spot here.


I snapped a shot of the woodlland area all lit up with white daisies. I didn't realize I had put quite so many back here, but I like it. It's too dark for much to grow in this area, so the white color is very welcome.
At 8:00 a.m. I am going to the Farmer's Market. Today is their annual flea market day. I am in the mood to find some wonderful treasures. I may even stop at a few garage sales. I have only been to two garages sales this year. Wish me luck!