Ahhh, back in the Shade!

Today was quite the fun day. I began the day by using my wheelbarrow. I'm making a "log dam" at the end of the bed below. You can see that the job is yet unfinished. I ended the afternoon by visiting all my "friends" in the shady backyard. Everyone is growing, new blooms blooming, etc. This being the 3rd growing season for many plants, they're maturing and how grand is that!
Please feel free to click on any of the photos. You'll find more than what I'm describing.

Here are a few photos. The photo above shows the extreme north bed on the east side of the house. The bush closest to the camera is called a "Dappled Willow." You may note a Bleeding Heart to its right. There's a sign that says "A Kiss of the Sun for pardon, the Songs of the Birds for mirth. One is closer to God in a garden, than anywhere else on Earth." I believe it.
Just beyond that are two Japanese Painted Ferns. This is their second year. I'm hoping they're happy.

Photo one below shows a closer view of one of them. Way at the end of the bed in the first photo above, you might be able to see Sum and Substance hosta. The second photo below shows a close-up of Sum and Substance, now in bloom.


I am standing at various points on the east of the house as I take these next photos. Photo one shows the north side of the "big bed." Photo two shows the center part. (Note the same "Revolution" hosta appears on the right foreground of photo one and on the left foreground of photo two.) In photo three, I was standing at the southeast side of the house, looking at the south end of the "big bed," but looking at a slight bit northerly angle.


This photo looks at the east side of the "big bed." There's a little walkway between the two parts of this bed. Beyond the hosta in the foreground you'll note two different Pulmonaria (lungwort), and the Tenryu hosta.

Last, but not least... here's a photo of another robin nest! On top of the wren's house! Looks like they've both been quite busy nesting. My photo's a little "jiggly," but I think there were 4 babies being fed today!

I'm Home Again!

I'd been away from home for nearly two whole weeks! It was wonderful to drive into the driveway last night, and see . . .


. . . our new flowering crab tree! It's a (click name for info) Sargents Crab. This tree was planted in memory of my sister. We're all missing her a lot. We were to have had our fifth "Sister Weekend" this summer. And we missed the planning of it as well as the participation.

Anyway, it's a beautiful tree (like my sister), and it has multitudinous white blossoms in the very early Spring. Hopefully I'll have a picture to post at that time.

I planted a (click name for info) "Blue Muffin Arrowood Viburnum" bush in the backyard this morning. Its berries, hopefully, will attract birds in the fall and winter.


And then, there was the matter of walking around the yard a couple of times. I saw:

They just grab your attention, don't they? Wowee! And there is sun enough, even for a "Shady Gardener!"

Happy Birthday to Me!

My birthday was actually Monday (yesterday). Wow, what a nice day that was. An enjoyable walk around town, lunch with a friend, a library trek and refreshing "sodas" with another friend, dinner with my hubby - sounds like the day was all about food! But it didn't stop there... cards and e-mails from several special people and a phone call from my brother-in-law. A special day!

But then, my birthday "stretched" into today! It was another beautiful day, weather-wise. Got my hair cut, had lunch with a friend, scooped up a whole pickup load of "used mulch," mixed with bush trimmings that someone was getting rid of (!), unloaded and spread it on flower beds, had Bible Study with another friend in my backyard :-), more cards from special people, and now I'm home.

I'm never sure if I want to continue remembering my birthdays... you know how it is: Every year it's another year older. Somehow I just don't seem to feel older. Oh well. It sure is nice to be specially remembered!

Thanks Kris! My birthday Bleeding Heart surrounded by the free mulch! Looks pretty "chipper," wouldn't you say?

Lady's Mantle. I moved a smaller one from a spot that was too shady to her new residence next door to the gal shown below. I'm sure they'll get along famously.


And here's a snapshot of our fox! I was driving the truck back to town when I spotted him in the ditch. I stopped the truck, on the road, on the downside of a hill. Needless to say, I didn't stay long enough to take a good photo! Oh well. He seemed very satisfied with himself and his environment. (Click on the photo for a close-up.)