Blooms and Tools

It is dangerous to let me loose in a garden center. A little bit like the book store...almost like the fabric store...way too close to the flea market.

Recipe in hand, I gathered the plants needed.

(Recipes found from the Proven Winner Website.)

Having had the house just painted last fall, I am trying to discover the right color combination.

Deep purple snapdragons, million bells in shades of yellow and violet.

Licorice plant to highlight in frosty variegated tones, all held together with wasabi coleus.

All this rusty green goodness just in time for Spring.

Never far behind me...Mr. Reagan and his favorite...Cat mint.

Just inside, a wreath and bully sign hang for unsolicited visitors.

(Sign bought from the vintage crafter extraordinaire....Magpie Ethel.)

Vintage child garden implements just beyond the door.

Dressed up garden tools and seeds to place your keys near.

Just in case the dogs and sign don't keep the solicitors away...I will not hesitate to use my vintage bug sprayers on them!

(FYI we haven't finished putting in the floor moulding yet on the tile...patience.)

Sprouts

After a brief stint in the high 80's (degrees) this March we are enjoying a beautiful Spring. The kind you can leave the door open all day long.  There have been a few plant losses from the fall renovations and a few new plantings.  Nothing major...but the blooms this year are beautiful.

Clematis

(Every garden should have one to remind you how gorgeous Mother Nature is.)

False Indigo

(Soft foliage and lovely sweet pea like flowers.)

Yellow False Indigo

 (The first year this yellow variety has bloomed for me.)

Iris

(Planted near the hose valve, it is such a treat to smell each time you have to water.)

 Viburnum
 (Mature flowers create this beautiful Queen Anne's Lace effect.)

Viburnum

 (New flowers start out lime green.)

Variegated Hosta

(Reliable, and beautiful in arrangements.)

Viburnum

(No noticeable flowers but the leaves are striking.)

Among all the fresh new foliage are favorite tools emerging from their winter storage. 

In the garden...

There are so many things growing in the garden this month.

Not the least of which are tiny little tree seedling from the river birch and maple.

Tiny little green tomatoes are dangling off the tomato branch.

Between the weeding and the watering I found some other things blooming too...

Nasturtium  with variegated leaves.

Purple Cone Flower

Goose Neck Loose strife

Butterfly Weed

Lythrum

Bee Balm

Hydrangea

Just when I was happy with all the blooms...

I realized we had to trim the shrubs...all 31 of them.

  I despise trimming shrubs and even more I despise trimming them into balls. 

 My husband does that.  

It is such an unnatural shape but oh so suburban. 

 I guess you can never take the suburbs out of the man...darn it!

Eight loads of trimmings later I can hardly feel my feet and my lower back is aching.

I must admit it looks so nice...don't tell him its because of his beloved topiary shaped shrubs.

I can hardly contain him as it is.

You should hear the kids.

"Mom! Dad's got the clippers!"

Never a dull moment.

Want to see another fantastic Midwest garden?

Garden of Daisies is hosting a darling Tea Cozy giveaway

Her blog is full of vintage charm.

Strawberry Girl

Lois Lenski's Strawberry Girl was my favorite when I was a pre-teen.  Prairie girl meets garden.  Just might be a foreshadowing of my life...plus modernity.   The strawberry has always been a favorite.  Sweet, bright, sign of early summer.  Imagine me with the toy Strawberry Shortcake!  Blueberry Muffin was my favorite...she smelled better.

Today's harvest was plentiful.

My ironstone creamer overflowed.

The goose neck are almost out.  It has such a great shape.

My daughter loves to cut and clean these for dinner.  

Wait till she sees how many she has to cut tonight.

A tiny bit of superfine sugar makes their natural syrup ooze.

For the record, this is my only anchor hocking decal bowl.  My mom gifted it to me.  She picked it up for a quarter at a local garage sale.  I am never that lucky.  

I bought my daughter Strawberry Girl.  She shows no interest in the book and when the newest reproduction Strawberry Shortcake came out she said she would rather have Pet Shop puppies? 

Remember I am not that lucky. 

Beautiful homegrown fruit...today I am the strawberry girl!

Garden lovelies...

Image courtesy Imagimeri

It is my most favorite garden week.  Peony blooms in plethora.  I pulled most of my ironstone pitchers just to fill them to overflowing.  Fresh flowers in the house should be affordable.  These are right in my budget...free out of the backyard.  

These are transfers from ten years ago when we moved in.  Love the old fashioned feel they have.

In college we called them poor mans rose.

A tiny Johnson Bros. creamer just right for my desk with Japanese irises and a full pale pink peony.  I even enjoy the petals that fall on the table...

Baptista in full bloom as well...last year I planted a yellow variety but like most hybrids it is slow to grow.

Not slow growing...the strawberry patch.  Definitely going to have to can jam if these make it. 

Some where in there are my kids snap peas and a pepper plant.  My kids love to eat those snap peas raw while playing ball in the backyard.

These are the most amazing blooms to watch.  The fruit forms before your eyes.  Always a favorite...

These are going to be great if the birds don't get them...

The rhubarb is just now turning.

Soon the honeysuckle will be coming out.  I remember as a kid growing up in the country outskirts of Houston, my mom taught us to pick wild blackberries so sweet from the warm sun I will never buy one from the supermarket.  She also taught us how to pull the stamen out of wild honeysuckle and lick the honey inside.  

Spring continues...