Perennials

Mother's Day Flower

My daughter planted this for my mother's day present. It is finally blooming in mid-September. There have been several rain-showers to soak the ground and scare the girls. (They don't like the thunder.) I love the dimension of the water drops on the petals.

LaFleur Lake

Everyday Beauty Challenge # 22: Does anyone know the name of this flower? It had a beautiful fragrance and was growing near the banks. We took a little family outing to go fishing. It was very peaceful and the lake was calm. The girls wanted to swim, but it was a bit overcast. Notice, everyone beside the sunbather are wearing jackets and long pants.

Mysterious

I didn't plant this flower, but it just bloomed in my garden and I love it. The colors, the shape, the leaves. It is so vibrant and beautiful. This is my everyday beauty picture for this week!

My surviving perennials

Last year I planted those pink flowers. Two years ago I planted four ivy plants. This is the lone remaining ivy plant that has emerged triumphant this spring. I love perennials and the changes that occur in the flower garden as they grow and spread, or as in my case, die. It's like a surprise party every year.

Memory Flowers

When I was a little girl we picked irises and took them to the cemetery on Memorial Day. I would carefully wrap the cut stems in wet paper towels so we could transport them in the car. They carry special meaning for me since my mother past away. I think of her when I see them. How I would love to cut some and carefully place them on her headstone. I would look at her name etched on rock and remember how she loved her babies. I'm her baby, only all grown up now, with little ones of my own. I think of how she loved to make handcrafted gifts and pick irises to remember her loved ones by. I was so elated to see that there were some irises growing here when we rented this house. In the fall I transplanted them to my flowerbed. I can't believe the blossoms this spring. I'm off to kiss my baby because they grow up way to fast.


Linking up with:

Brilliant

The weather has been so nice this week. Into the 70's yesterday and the 60's today. The tulips opened and to our surprise we have red and pink. Our neighbor gave us the bulbs and told us to wait until spring to find out what color we had. The flower garden looks pretty with the mixture of colors.

Blooming

The tulips have emerged and we are waiting for them to unfold and show their colors.

Seasons

The cool weather has set in. All the flowers are gone, except those ones my daughter planted that had half their roots exposed. I rescued them and gave them some more soil. They are still blooming. They are nestled close to the house near the door. I don't know why they are still blooming because it's getting pretty frigid out. My neighbor gave them to my daughter in a little bucket as a gift and she planted them all by herself. This time of year reminds me of the song Turn, Turn, Turn by the Byrds.

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time of war, a time of peace
A time of love, a time of hate
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late!


My daughters are enjoying the holiday season. They loved the time we spent visiting family and playing with cousins over the Thanksgiving break. Holding the little tiny baby chihuahua puppies at my parents house was definitely a highlight of the trip. Every time we mention that we are going to Grandma's house they inquire as to what pets they will get to see. We were all saddened to hear that Socks passed away this week. She was a dog my in-laws have had since before I married their son. She had kidney failure. When they girls heard the news they were both heartbroken. They wanted to know where she was buried and how she had died.
Now they are busy making cards and letters for Santa. Lu Lu told Z that she must remember to say "please" when asking Santa for a Christmas gift. In the car on the long drive home Lu Lu mentioned that if she were rich she would share her money with people who were poor. This conversation was started when we read Fantastic Mister Fox. The three Farmers in the story are very rich, nasty men. We read the book twice, once on the way to Grandma's and once on the way home from Grandma's. And then there was that part during the visit when we saw Fantastic Mr. Fox in the movie theater. It is such a different, creative movie. I recommend it because it's got great music and may get your kids thinking about sharing.

Sweetness

In the middle of our flower patch grows a cherry tomato plant. Last year this spot was just weeds on the hillside. I use to throw old veggies out for the birds or wild turkeys to eat. To my surprise some seeds from last year grew into a cherry tomato plant. The tomatoes are small and sweet and juicy. But don't take my word for it. I wouldn't know because my little Lulu keeps eating them all!

Images from a morning walk

Our flower garden in full bloom

These murals are found on the community center. I was glad there was a ladder propped against the side of the building. It gives perspective on the size of the paintings. I wanted to share the amazing art work from my community.

September Title Picture

The picture for September was a flower we planted. (cheers and clapping)

The girls had so much fun picking out packets of seeds in the local hardware store. Lulu kept insisting I let her buy a package of pumpkin seeds. We have several green ones growing on the hill next to the house. By the time we were ready to plant seeds it was late in the season and they were all 40% off. It turns out my daughters have pretty green thumbs. They must have inherited it from their dad. I have been know to kill several plants, namely the first bonsai DH bought. I cursed it. Now I am trying to change my ways and become a better person. I feel really bad about that first bonsai.

Good Morning Gladiolus!

Every year in April the city of Indianapolis holds an Earth Day festival. This was our first year to attended. The event featured exhibits from environmental and conservation groups and businesses with environmental messages. There was a tent with activities just for kids and the girls colored "water cycle" t-shirts and made musical instruments from recycled materials. My favorite exhibit was the Endangered Species Chocolate company. This company donates 10% of their net profits to help support species, habitat, and humanity. Their chocolate is ethically traded and exceptionally delicious.

Walmart donated free fluorescent light bulbs. Yeah! Using these light bulbs really cuts back on the amount of electricity used to light our homes. If you don't have any, get some and do a little something yourself in the area of conservation.

In one area we got a package with two gladiolus bulbs. I wish I remember who was handing them out so I could give a proper "thank you". We came home and planted them in our garden. Gladiolus are from the iris family and have swordlike leaves and tall spikes of funnel-shaped flowers. What a beautiful way to make the world a little prettier.

Blooming Garden

My Backyard Part II

Not all crazy, wild, and unusual things happen in my backyard. There are many wonderful and beautiful things too.