I spent a large part of the day outdoors yesterday. It was still quite breezy out there, but I was determined to get the impatiens I had purchased exactly a week ago in some pots. Finally.
But a small sampling of the many pots – hanging and not hanging – of impatiens. They work perfectly on the shady porch and last well into the fall. It’s a no brainer for me. I still have to get hanging plants for the front of the porch and some geraniums for the whiskey barrels by the funky patio. All in good time, all in good time.
We mowed the front yard and then collapsed on the glider, savoring our favorite view – the one that looks down the porch toward the big garden bed, the sugar maple, the red shed and the lilac bush. Sigh. It’s good to be back out there.
We’ve had so much rain that the plants are doubling in size overnight. Well, I’m sure it’s not overnight, but it sure seems that way!
And look:
Peony buds! My favorite, favorite flower, complete with the requisite ant. I dragged Don around the yard yesterday, showing him the peony buds, the lilacs that are starting to fade and drop to the ground, the buttercups that are growing on the edge of the lawn, and the leaf buds on the shag hickory.
Do you want to see them? I find them fascinating.
This is the way the bud looks at the end of a branch.
(This shag hickory is somewhat young, having grown from a seedling during the course of our time here at the cottage. It’s mama is the huge shag hickory on the far edge of our property that inexplicably faded away and died about three years ago. We’ve yet to get it taken down. I was so saddened by its loss that the only comfort I could find was that this little whipper snapper was just across the driveway on the main part of the lawn. It’s not so little any more.)
This is the leaf bud as it starts to open. You can see the little leaves emerging.
And this is what they look like as they break free. Isn’t that incredible?
I had a grateful day yesterday. Grateful for this property that we love. Grateful for all the green growth emerging from the ground. Grateful for lilacs and their scent. Grateful for the glorious payoff that my perennial gardens give us every year. All that patience (not always my strong suit) and willingness to put in the time to establish the gardens has produced something beautiful that makes me incredibly happy and satisfied. Grateful for trees and bunnies and groundhogs and the deer I saw walking through the woods this morning and robins that take a bath in our birdbath and butterflies and the honey bees that have returned to the catalpa tree and the sound of birds chirping as the day begins.
Happy Wednesday.
Your peonies are at the same stage as mine. I am eagerly for the bloom and the heavenly scent!
I can’t wait. I’ll camp out down by the road and spend the day inhaling their scent!
My peonies are a little behind but last year I had no buds so I am happy to see I might have 7 flowers this year. The weather has plants growing differently each year. It makes gardening interesting.
It sure does. But even last year, when winter lasted forever, my peonies blossomed the same time as ever – the first week of June. I’ll have to see if it happens again this year.
Our peonies are budded as well. And covered with ants…I hate that part. Love looking at leaves emerging. It’s a miracle each and every time. A wonder! Grey and gloomy here again – Friday is supposed to be in the mid-70’s and sunny and then back down to the 50’s and rain for the weekend. Oy vey!
Rain tomorrow, apparently – and on Saturday and Sunday, as well. Ah well.
Everything is looking so pretty and ready to bloom! I’ve got more work to do on my front flower bed. The rose bush got planted but I need to get some flowers to plant. This Sat is the big move and it is of course, suppose to rain. It will be so good when Mom is next door. I love love peonies and may just have to see if I can find one to add to the beds this year! Happy to hear you had a gratitude day, it does us good to feel that way!
hugs,
Linda
It’s supposed to rain here on Saturday, too. I sure hope it holds off for you until you finish the move!
Happy for you that Spring has finally spring, while we are in the throes of 70’s and 80’s weather. I garden in early morning or late afternoon. The mid-day sun just poops me out. I love peonies and would like one in my yard….
I’m afraid that we’re going to go straight into summer, Wendy. I hope not!
It’s good for us all to stop and think about the things we have to be grateful for…too many times we tend to dwell on the negative and overlook the positive…I went to Lowe’s yesterday to check for flowers that they marked down..I came home with Pansys, Impatiens, Marigolds and Calibrachoa…I paid $1 for single pots and $3 for 12 packs….Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warmer so hopefully I can get some planting done..My Hostas are also growing fast because of all the rain..Have a good day Claudia!
You got a good deal at Lowe’s, Nancy!
Happy Wednesday indeed! We survived another light frost! I think that is the end of it? This has certainly been a strange spring around here. The clematis that I planted last year has bloomed glorious blooms….and that is a nice surprise! I’ve got it by the side of our shed….really beautiful purple flowers! I bought some plants the other day…but haven’t planted them yet. Today is the day! Hope you enjoy yours! ;)
Another one? Yikes. I hope that is it for you. My clematis (also red-purple) looks like it will be blooming soon. In fact, I should go outside and check on it!
Well, we dragged all of the flats of plants and hanging baskets we have purchased so far, back into the garage last evening. We did have frost again. From today going forward we have 70’s in the day and 40’s-50’s over night. At least that is as of now. No rain til next Tues. Wouldn’t it be great fun if we could actually rely on those forecasts? I still don’t understand the need for a 5-10 day forecast, when many times they can’t get the next 24 hours right. wah! wah! wah!
Your gratitude walk was perfect. Our peonies are in the exact same stage. I had never heard of a shag hickory tree. Quite a beautiful reveal that it does!! Did your hollyhock come back from last year? I bought some Bachelor Button and Hollyhock seeds this year to plant.
I need to set my attitude to gratitude, as well. It is honestly sort of mind-blowing to realize how much the weather impacts us and how I, at least, let it affect me. I need to keep that fact in focus!
Happy day, kiddo!
Well, I understand! It’s frustrating! Enough of the cold weather.
The bark on a shag hickory is actually shaggy. Not so much on the younger trees, but definitely on the older. I’ll take a picture of the bark on the mama tree for you.
Ah, such a nice post, Claudia; glad you had a good day. Your yard is lovely and so are your photos. I don’t know a thing about peonies; isn’t that odd? Or dahlias; Mom had told me that her parents had a lot of dahlias in their flower beds when she was growing up in the late 1920s and 1930s.
I’m having a problem in the yard…all of a sudden…with feeding the wild birds. Pigeons and doves have overtaken the environment, crowding out the sweet and colorful little birds. Have you ever had this happen? I don’t know what to do about it, except to just stop feeding altogether. I have no interest in feeding the doves and pigeons.
Well, a bird is a bird. They all need to eat. I used to love to feed the mourning doves when I lived in California. They are such gentle and sweet birds. I’d try a variety of feeders. Pigeons and doves are on the larger side. Get a feeder that is smaller to accommodate the smaller birds.
I guess I sounded pretty mean about the doves and pigeons, huh. Thing is, I feed the wild birds but I really am uninformed about them. I’m only doing it because my mother fed them for 40 years and I’m living in her house, with them in her yard; I feel guilty if I don’t keep it up. I’ve always over the years at my other homes, given water to the birds…have pretty much always had a bird bath…but I never fed because I always had too many cats who’d try to get at the birds. The feral cats I have now are old and well-nourished; not so interested in catching birds. I think my problem is location, location…and, as you said, I should probably investigate different types of feeders, so that ‘everybody’ can be happy out there! Next month, our annual ‘landscaper guy’ is coming in to do the big hillside trimming and other work in the yard, and we know we have to move the feeder anyway to keep it out of reach of the dog (she’s SO much better, Claudia; warms my heart), so I’m gonna plan this out and work with Mr. Landscaper to rearrange everything (I don’t want my husband doing any heavy lifting; not since his surgery just mere months ago***). The way it is now, we’ve crowded the bird area, the dog area and the veggie-growing area all too close together, and the pigeons/doves are pooping all over my tomatoes and cucumbers. Those birds are HUGE.
***I’m the one who bought Mom’s birdbath for her; yep, back in the 70s. She’d begun to show an interest in the yard birds. I got it for her birthday. The nursery loaded it into the trunk of my car and the two pieces, pedestal and bowl, were so heavy that my car almost dragged at the rear. I was noticeably listing. (I had a really small car!) My poor brother got the job of lifting the things out of my trunk in the dark of night so that we could set it up for Mom to see the next morning when she drew the living room curtains. Heavy, heavy stone; nothing synthetic in that old birdbath; weighs a TON. It didn’t even topple over in the 1994 earthquake!
Your entire last paragraph today would make an excellent prayer for Thanksgiving – what am I saying? For any day. Beautiful job… ?
Aw, thank you, Janet!
Claudia, So glad you got to get out and do some gardening. I know you are ready for pretty flowers and plants. Blessings, xoxo, Susie
I know you have lots of success with the Impatiens …these will be so pretty on your porch.
I’m happy for you Claudia to have a heart of gratitude — it overflows everywhere in our life once it begins to bud! You are a woman of gratitude– and I think when we have difficult times, such as you’ve had in recent years, our gratitude tends to be swallowed up and hard to muster at times. Reach for it, Claudia and hold on!
Sounds just lovely. We finally got sunshine again but the silly wind keeps coming up. The mornings are great though. So when I awaken thats where I go into the garden. Glad you were able to bet your impatients finally in some pots. It took me several weeks to plant my tomatoes. Happy Wednesday/Thursday. With love Janice