It's Bloomin' Tuesday!!

This week, I'm going to show another garden I visited last month during our citie's annual Backyard Garden Habitat Tour.  

This yard had many conversation areas.  This simple little sign led us to their first area, along with a small foot bridge that passed over a faux stream.

On the other side of the picket fence is another conversation area.  A few of the gardens on the tour had fire pits raised like this one.  I think we may do this to ours.  I have been moving ours around the yard to avoid burning the grass in one place, but I think I'll find a permanent place and do this.  There's a lot more stones and pebbles than what I would like in my yard . . . but difference is what makes the gardens interesting.

They also used landscape stones to make raised flower beds.

Another foot bridge with a small stream

I thought this was a cute idea - a small clay pot upturned on a section of rebar for focal interest

Another area to sit and enjoy the surroundings

The last gathering area in their yard - a pond, with an Asiatic feel to it 

I've seen the forms to make these foot path stones, but had never seen them used in a garden  

I thought this path turned out really nice using the stone path forms

Thank you to Jean, of Ms Green Thumb for hosting Bloomin' Tuesday !

Surviving the heat

The heat is taking it's toll on the Midwest!  I can only water so much, and I think the strange seasons we've had, have had an effect on our blooms.  I know my tomato plants are suffering - they aren't even worthy of a photo.  I've added tons of mulch, but need/would like to add more.

The circle of bricks had daffodils in it in the Spring.  I think I'll dig them up and put a Hibiscus in that area.

I had 3 buds on my Stargazer this year.  The first one opened fine, the other two looked like they were rotten.  Their fragrance is intoxicating!

Happy faces 

  

My Astilbe are doing great!

The Astilbe, Heuchera, and a few Hostas are loving their area this year.

I love this fun Corkscrew Rush I planted this year.  I also put one in a planter that I am going to move to the ground.

The Knautia is doing great

This is a Quick Fire Hydrangia I bought a couple years ago.  Last year it was covered with blooms - this year. . . ONE flower.  I have NO idea why.

The birds have been enjoying the bird baths and when I have the sprinkler on, the Robins bring their off spring for showers.  It's been fun watching the Chickadee's sitting on the Coneflower blossoms and sway too and fro as they pick insects out of them.  They've been too fast for me to get any photos of them so far.

The Chickadee kept going in and out of the knothole in this fence picket.

I got this Mistical Amber Mist Coneflower last year.  The rabbits chewed all the buds off as soon as they sprouted up this Spring.  I quickly put chicken wire around them and was able to get a couple blooms from them.  I've been scouring garage sales for more attractive barriers - I got four of these half baskets for $1 each.  It should keep the rabbits away from the base of the plant next year.

Little Grapette Day Lily

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy Nature.  I'm ready for Spring of 2013!!

On my June 7 post, I wrote about some picket fence I had picked up curb side and what I had done with the gate.  Now, I've found a use for the shorter section of fence.  I've planted a Duchess of Edinburgh clematis vine in front of it and hope it attaches on and takes off.  We'll have to see what happens next year at bloom time.

My old fashioned phlox are blooming, along with the drumstick allium, coneflowers, and the day lilies are putting on their show.

Although I'm not fond of the blooms, my hostas are going gangbusters.  I'll cut the blooms off when I can stand to be out in the heat that has hit us this week.

We've been busy the past few days putting mulch down in the flower beds.  It has been so hot and windy that everything is drying out so fast!

~ a much happier shady area ~

I hope you are able to stay cool and yet enjoy your gardens.  Thank you Jean for hosting Bloomin' Tuesday! Stop over and look at the other gardens posting this week.

Backyard Habitat Tour

Last weekend was our annual Audubon Society Backyard Habitat Tour - one of my favorite events to visit.  I took SO many photos, that there are too many for one post.  I'll post a different home every week or so. This year, a number of the homes were on one street that is in an older part of town with lovely older homes.   The area was known as 'professors row' at one time because of it's location to the Ag area of the University of Nebraska and the fact that a lot of the professors lived along the street.  I'm  going to start with my favorite , and the one I took the most pictures at.  If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you know how I love to add rusty points of interest and little nick knacks.  I went to school and Girl Scouts with this homeowner, and then she went on to work with my Mom in the Municipal Court system.  I am in love with all of her miniature fairy gardens!!  I'll be taking my Mom over for her private tour and pick Cathy's brain a little more for my container I plan on adding fairies to.  

I'll let my pictures do the speaking ~ 

I LOVE this!!

How sweet is this!

They do have a tiny bit of grass

Thanks to Jean for giving us the opportunity to share our passion!