Favorite Things Friday

I'm going to borrow a theme from Jean and call this post Favorite Things Friday.  My favorite people, of course, are my family and friends.  My favorite things are usually anything that involve gardening.  I enjoy incorporating vintage finds into my flower beds.  

Here are just a few ~

I really like this part of the back yard.  This Spring, we took out the old railroad ties that surrounded this area - they were in really bad shape.  Now we have a permanent sturdy wall.  The old park bench was from a dear older gentleman friend of my husbands.  He had worked for the City, until his retirement, and had this old park bench that they would sit on and visit.  When he passed away, this bench was a gift to my husband.  We have had to replace the wood, but it still holds memories for him.  I love planting Impatiens in my wash tubs every year.  They were given to my husband by a co-worker who was getting rid of some of his mother's old things.

Here is a picture of how it all looked this Spring after we got the wall in.  We are so pleased that the Honeysuckle vine came back with a vengeance after being cut back to the ground.  The Hummingbirds have enjoyed it too!  In this photo, you can see my old hay fork that was given to me by my cousin, Cheri , who is on a mission in the Philipines, for her church along with her husband.  You can click on her name to read about their new adventure.  It is a reminder of her beautiful flower beds she had before they sold everything to leave this year.

A birdhouse that sits hidden on the park bench surrounded by Honeysuckle.  The Honeysuckle is even putting on berries, so the Cardinals can enjoy them this Winter.

Another favorite thing is my big Hosta!  And I love old cream cans.  I have a painted one that sits on the porch in the Winter.  And my primitive flower was made by Kindra .  That girl can make gold out of gravel!!

This rusty little butterfly was one of the many open house items at our son's workplace.  It started out as a flat sheet of metal, taken apart like a puzzle, then put back together.  I put a spot of glue where the pieces joined and let it sit outside to rust together.  I wish I would have picked up more of these!!

My old tricycle planter.  I just wish I didn't have to wait so long for the blooms, but this plant does so well in it.

My old garden gate, picked up for me by a friend at our annual Junk Jaunt.  I just planted the pink Knock Out rose a month ago, and hope that next year I will have a nice big mound of  flowers.

And this is my latest find.  I found this while 'junking' with a friend at a local antique store.  It is a vintage clothes basket that folds flat when not used.  Next year, I think I'll line it with burlap and Spanish Moss, then plant in it.  I'm glad I have all Fall and Winter to think about it!

Thanks for visiting!  I hope it's a great Fall weekend where you are and you are able to get out and enjoy it!

Community Gardens revisited

We were back in Monticello, IA last month and I had to stop at their community garden to see how things had changed.  There were new blooms and everything was so much more filled out from when we were there in July.  I took some pictures of different areas of the garden.

The Wishing Well ~

The shaded Hosta bed ~

'M' for Monticello planted in red Salvia ~

See how much the antique horse trough has filled out since my previous post about it ~

Anemone ~

This was the only Daylily that was in bloom.  I was such a rich buttery yellow color ~

Thank you to Jean again, for hosting Bloomin' Tuesday.  Click on the link on her name for more beautiful garden posts.

Bloomin' Tueday

Yesterday, we went to our favorite State Park to see how much damage was done my the Missouri River flooding.  I will show comparison photos another time.  There was only one 'non wildflower' that was blooming.

This beautiful Hibiscus in the center of a planter full of Mums that hadn't bloomed yet ~

There were many wildflowers that were still going strong, in spite of the flooding ~

And this lonely soldier standing all by it's self on the side of the Cave ~

There were still a lot of butterflies feeding on the flowers.  I was surprised at how much bigger the Monarchs were than the ones I have in my yard.

This butterfly was enjoying the abundant flood waters still in the park.  We thought it was an interesting one, because it was so long legged and so pretty - being yellow on the underside with the colors reversed on the top.

Thanks again to  Jean  for hostessing Bloomin' Tuesday.  Click on the link and visit some other gardens from other parts of the country.  

Fall is in the air . . .

Things are winding down in the flower beds, and the Fall bloomers have kicked in.  My Black Jack Sedum is ahead of the Autumn Joy in the bloom progression, so I will show it this week.  

My Coreopsis are in their third flush of blooms

Both varieties get covered with bees this time of the year 

My grasses are ready to show off too.  Although it looks like the sprinkler is on spraying in this flower bed, it is my Sand Love Grass along next to my Artemisia.

Some of the sedum in my enamel bowl planter is in bloom also

I admired this yard when we were in Monticello, IA in August.  Her old rusty bikes were calling my name.  I love the way she has them scattered in her berm - - it looks like they are having a party.

   

Of course, I had to take a picture of each one separately.  I love this one, and don't think I've every seen one this old before.  While I love the basket, I think I would have chosen live flowers for it.

Look at the solid front wheel and the pedals on this one

This one looks a lot like the one I have in my landscape

I really like the setting she has by the door.  An old grocery cart - again, I would have chosen live flowers, but it still has charm.

Hopefully next post I will get the rest of our last visit to the Riverside Gardens in Monticello, IA 

Bloomin' Tueday

It's Bloomin' Tuesday time again at Ms. Green Thumb Jean's blog !  While not a lot is blooming in my beds, in my trips through NE, IA, MN, SD & ND, I was able to capture a couple of pictures of the changing from Summer to early Fall.

A Sunflower field in South Dakota - look how far into the horizon it goes ~

Baled hay in South Dakota ~

My phlox are still going strong, keeping the butterflies happy ~

I haven't been able to get a photo of the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds at the feeders or flowers, but I did catch this female resting on the clothesline ~

A couple of years ago, I bought a Quick Fire Hydrangea.  The first two years, it did nothing but leaf out.  Last Fall, I moved it to a sunnier location, and I'm glad it decided to bloom this year and hope next year is even better.  The description says 'late Spring blooms of gorgeous, large, white pyramidal-shaped flower heads.  Flower color changes as Summer passes, starting white then changing to pink and maturing to red.'  

 This first photo was taken July 11 ~

And here is it now ~ 

I have my doubts as to if it will change to red, but I am pleased that it at least bloomed this year.  I usually go by the '3 strikes and you're out' rule, so it has been saved.  I'll be interested how it does next year.

Thank you to Jean once again for hostessing Bloomin' Tuesday .

Bloomin' Tueday

It's Bloomin' Tuesday on Ms Green Thumb Jean's blog and since it's been a while since I posted, I thought I'd join in.

My flower beds are winding down, but there are a few new faces.

Moonflower 

Naked Ladies

Euphorbia ~ Bonfire

This hosta is one of my later blooming ones.  It's white flowers smell like Easter Lilies ~

Here is some foliage that is adding color.  

Japanese Bloodgrass ~

I especially like my new foliage that I got from Sue this Spring.  Two of my starts are doing nicely.

Painter's Pallet~

And now that the squirrels have given up on my Impatiens, they are looking much better.

My Annabelle Hydrangea has now turned to green.  I hope to get the blooms cut and stick them in a wreath.

We were in Monticello, IA last week again and I got more great photos of their community garden.  I hope to publish them next week.

Again, thanks to Jean for hostessing Bloomin' Tuesday!