New blooms

Last week, I was fortunate enough to nab a great curbside find.  I found this cute gate attached to some picket fence.  So far, all I've managed to do with it is this.

I still have these panels, minus the gate to figure out what to do with. . .until then, I'll just store them.

While I was out working in the yard, I decided to take some new pictures to show what has changed in the past month.  This bloom is from a Hydrangea that I think is my favorite plant in my yard.  It is a start from my Great Grandmother.  This one bloom, measures 11 inches across!

I have had a heck of a time with rabbits this year.  Here are a couple of my Purple Coneflowers they chewed down, along with some of my Asiatic Lilies.  I have a lot of the Purple Coneflowers, but they also chewed down a new one I bought last year.  As for my Asiatic Lilies, I don't know why they chew some but not others...needless to say, these will now have to have rabbit cages around them also.  Not the prettiest sight, but I can't always catch them when they are doing damage.  I have gone through 3 bottles of pepper spray so far, and I hate to say it, but I wasn't all that disappointed when we found a dead rabbit in the garden Tuesday.  Believe me, it was a FRACTION of the rabbits that come to our yard.

 Here are two of the Lilies they avoided.

This is a new Coneflower for me this year - it is called Tiki Torch.  After catching a rabbit chewing two of the buds off, I now keep it sprayed with pepper spray.

My Daylilies have started blooming, although they are a month early, like most of our flowers are this year.  This planter holds Stella de Oro Daylilies.  Thankfully, the rabbits don't like them.

This is another new plant this year.  Gooseneck Loosestrife 'Beaujolais'

Monarda

I love my B I G Hosta

This is a new Hosta I got from a friend last Fall.  I was able to get two plants out of it and look forward to splitting it more in the future.

I love to add 'junk' to my gardens.  Some are antiques, some are not.

This has been a confusing year for our plants.  We had a very mild Winter, and a long Spring, which is fine with me. . . Spring is my favorite time of year.  I hope you are enjoying your gardens and yards this year!

Long time no post . . .

The weather here has us so confused.  One week it's hot, the next is pleasant.  Today brings a pleasant week, so I went out and took some photos.  I have been planting as weather permitted.  Seems like it rains every other day - so we just make do with what we are given.

While my Tree Peonies are done blooming, the herbaceous Peonies are beginning along with the Bearded and Japanese Iris and Daisies.  They are usually open around Memorial Day, so we can use them for bouquets to place on graves of loved ones and brave soldiers that have passed.  This year, the florists are going to be busy instead.

My Miss Kim Lilac bushes have just finished blooming.  We enjoy having them so close to the house, so when the weather is nice, we can have the deck door open and enjoy their fragrance inside as well as while on the deck. 

The butterflies have been enjoying them too.

Slowly but surely, as we get a few sunny days in between rainy days, the flowers are starting to bloom.

This puzzles me.  I have many varieties of Day lilies, and in the center of this plant, the foliage has a white stripe through it. 

Last year, I planted this Knock Out Rose in front of my old garden gate and hung the Wren house.  For some reason, the rose bush is spindly at the bottom . . . not much foliage - but the Wrens don't seem to mind.  They have been busy bringing sticks into the house for a nest - but I have yet been able to get a picture of them doing so.

A Nuthatch came to the feeders while I was on the deck this morning.

Last week, we spotted a Wood Duck and her ducklings in the neighbors yard.  At one point, they were under our deck before visiting the next yard.

I was happy to see this Geranium blooming that I got from Sue at A Corner Garden last year.

I am ready for the Hummingbirds to come!  My Honeysuckle has gone gangbusters and is ready for them, as is our feeder.  We haven't seen any yet, but a friend that lives in the country near town has.

I hope you are enjoying a colorful and beautiful Spring!

First Harvest!

I harvested some of the lettuce that I planted on January 30 for a salad!  Now if I just had a nice tomato to go with it . . . but that won't be for some time yet.  I like the variety of colors and textures I get from the packet I selected.

Spring is hanging on . . . actually, by the calendar, it is Spring, but the it seems it has been Spring for months.    We have to be patient, as Nebraska is known for it's ever changing temperatures.  A week ago, we turned our air conditioner on . . . now, we are running the furnace.  Such is life in Nebraska.

 The Jade Crabapple was in full bloom along with the Redbuds.

And then it appeared as if it was snowing . . . 

A few of the ground covers are blooming

Yellow Archangel

 Variegated Periwinkle

The Honeysuckle vine is blooming - are the Hummingbirds on their way?  We haven't seen any yet, but have heard Orioles and the Juncos are gone . . . so it shouldn't be long. 

The tree peonies are blooming to beat the band!  It's a shame I can't cut them for a bouquet without jeopardizing next years blooms

The Bleeding Heart continue to put on their show, while the Iris, Peonies and Daisies grow to be next in line

I hope you are enjoying Spring where you are.  It is my favorite time of the year.  A time with promise of new beginnings.

Spring has sprung!

Spring is officially here!  While we had hotter than normal temperatures last week, it is more seasonal now and the forecast for this week is for gentle rains almost every day.  I took most of these pictures a couple of days ago - our constant drizzle keeps me from taking my camera outside.  A lot is sprouting and greening up in our yard, but now we will need the sunshine that is promised to us this weekend to really brighten things up.

The Pasque is beginning to bloom

Ground cover is waking up

My Autumn Joy Sedum as well as Black Jack are poking out

Last year, I planted a pink Knock Out rose. . . I'm glad to see it is greening up

I was really happy to see the Pink Double Delight Coneflower I planted last year is sprouting

The lettuce I planted January 30th is doing nicely . . . in spite of spending a few weeks under the 11 inches of snow we got shortly after being planted

I have new Drumstick Alliums poking about 6 inches out of the ground, the Coral Bells are bushing out, daylilies and much more.  The Lilacs are leafing out, and Redbud trees have buds.  The Jade Crab also is budded out and will probably explode with color next week. And the cats will be happy to hear the Cat Nip is up :-)

Every Spring brings us a new year of surprises.  Last year, we had horrible floods on the Missouri River.  Last week, while our grandson was visiting us for the week, we went back to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge that spans across the Missouri connecting Omaha, NE and Council Bluffs, IA.  The comparison photos show the magnitude of the flood waters.  I never knew so much sand/silt could be moved onto land with flood waters. While this is just in one area, there are farmers that will be recovering from the flood for many years to come.

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Peace Omaha

What the heck is right!  A walker in the sand and rocks forming a question mark.

The only thing that hadn't changed was the tall supports rising above.