A Couple of Great Green Leaves!

I visited Gail at Clay and Limestone today. She's posted about her favorite greens. Frances at Faire Garden has also posted a "Green Post." This is in response to an event begun for this day, June 30, by Emma at A Nice Green Leaf. Emma's site is a new one for me, but I decided to join in and create this post! :-)

Taken May 21 at my niece's home.
This is one bleeding heart I don't own....
but that could change! ;-)

The variety of leaves (greenery) in a garden are often just as wonderful as the flowers!

The photo below was taken May 29 of an unnamed astilbe, unfurling its leaves.
Can anyone help me ID this plant?
I'm swept away by the red edges on the leaves.

These next three photos were taken June 8.
This first one is of part of my sunnyish front yard corner bed.
We can contrast the leaves of the iris and daylily plants to those of the sedum and the catmint. You might also notice the fallen leaves of a daffodil in the top left corner. ;-)

This is a close-up of my Blueberry Muffin Viburnum.
I planted it last Spring in the backyard, and this year it's blooming!
(The birds join me in anticipating the berries.)
:-)

Here we have a "Sugar and Cream" hosta, a sedum, daylilies,
asiatic and oriental lilies, a columbine (way back there),and a fewtulip leaves. :-)

Photos of these hostas were taken June 16.
At the top left you can see "August Moon" hosta and "Iron Butterfly" tiarella on the right.
There's a corner of "Golden Tiara" hosta on the right and in front...
gorgeous hosta "sieboldiana Elegans."
(I found it on the original planting map!)

Do you know who this is? A beautiful
hosta that was already here when I arrived. :-)

Isn't there always more?
But, I've been hauling dirt today.
I'm enjoying the rest!
:-)

The shade was buggy today! IVG left me a nice suggestion as to a mosquito/gnat eliminating spray in my earlier post. Check it out! I know I'm going to!

Just a Thought for Today

We are experiencing quite a number of mosquitoes and biting insects! Some of us are spreading ourselves and spraying ourselves with a variety of anti-bug serums. Most of us are swinging and swatting. In the meantime, however, this is what is out front on the deck! :-)

When Mosquitoes Make a Meal
by Else Holmelund Minarik

When Mosquitoes make a meal,
arms and legs have great appeal.

But they stay out when we go in.
That's why mosquitoes are so thin.

And if we keep them from their dinner,
they're bound to grow a great deal thinner.


My additional stanza:

And so, if we would inside stay,
does that mean they would waste away?

(We might wish!)
:-)

I spent a few days in Omaha last week, tending (and loving it!) my two grandchildren (L who has just now turned 5 years old, and A who is 2 1/2 years). Before I left, last Monday morning, my daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren took me to Lauritzen Gardens. It's Omaha's Botanical Center, is easy find, and is a wonderfully diverse place. They have over 100 acres with many garden areas, special attractions and events. Look it up! We all enjoyed the temporary attraction - the "Kid Structure" exhibit!

You encounter this sculpture, by a small lily pond, just before entering the admission center.

I really like water lilies!

This recirculating waterfall/pond
was very nicely done. There's a little bronze sculpture
of a child holding a frog at the left.

My son-in-law and granddaughter are
checking out the goldfish. :-)

My grandson is posing (for me) in front of another sculpture.I was quite excited about seeing the English Gardens.
They really were beautiful,
but I mistakenly was anticipating English Cottage Gardens.
Definitely not the same thing! ;-)

I like symmetry, but I'm not quite THIS particular about it!

This is the view as we left the English Garden.

I would LOVE to return to this garden for another session! It was a beautiful morning's tour.
I will post more of what we saw on The Grandkids' page, hopefully sometime this week.

This view looks towards the prairie area, as we left the grounds. The sprinkler was too much for my son-in-law and grandchildren to bypass. They had a wonderful time cooling off! :-)

A Few More Odds and Ends from the Yard

I did purchase little Blue Mouse Ears this Spring. I will look forward to seeing its blossom. This is Baby Tears... a cute little fellow. It's surrounded by cute little weeds... most of which I've removed, finally! (You might notice a few little sedum, too.) :-) This hosta is located at the shadier end of the garden right in front of the house.

This is lilium "Orange Pixie."
It's in the front corner of the sunniest bed in the yard.

This is the fairly current photo of the sunniest bed
(I did take care of most of the daffodil foliage today.)
:-)

These are new primula (primroses) I purchased
on my way home from Omaha. Yea!
They're now residing in a new bed on the right side
of the evergreens in the photo above.

This is the "top" north bed in the backyard.
I'm LOVING my huge hostas!
Gradually, there's getting to be a larger
variety of plantings in this bed.
Sum and Substance is in the "way back."
I really can't remember what the big blue hosta
midway back in the bed is... can you help me?

Let's look forward to a great day today!

Just for the Fun of it

My nephew and his wife (my niece)
recently parachuted for the first time.

It's not on my list of things to do,
but here's a game to try.

Good luck!

The Lily Bed

Could this be "Loreto" or a "Brushmark" lily?
Mirabella

Menton

Hemerocolis Daylily Fragrant Treasure

Trumpet lilies, across the alley, name on tag outdoors.
I'll identify later.

This is Crimson Pixie

This is ?

Could this be Suncrest?

I had to include this photo.
This was after the storm we had mid-June... with a little hail.
I have never regretted a purchase of a hosta,
until the the light green one in the foreground called "On Stage."
Whatever possessed me?
(It must have been the name.)
:-)

Checking Out the Western Territory!

I'm now in Omaha. My daughter & favorite son-in-law flew to Seattle, WA early this morning. I know they'll have a great time. Meanwhile, I'm having a great time with my nearly 5 year old grandson and 2 1/2 year old granddaughter. As L stated, "We're having a vacation, too!" :-)

I'll probably return home Monday. :-)

A little of This and That!

These first few photos unveil the mystery with which I left you earlier!
Remember this photo?
Have you pondered??? ;-)

Remove the rocks and old beach towels.
Remove the plastic underneath.
Turn over the new "creation,"
and leave the pile of sand for awhile.

This is what you would have carefully turned over,
so as not to break any edges.

A dirty turtle shell, you ask?
Absolutely not!
Give it a scrub...

Now, what do you think???
Voila!

They call it a birdbath. It doesn't matter if it doesn't hold water...
Isn't it great?
:-)
You start with a rounded, mound of sand.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Place a nice, big rhubarb leaf face-down,
on the plastic wrap.
Mix dry concrete mix (sand-mix) with water and
place and smooth over the entire leaf... near, but not over,
the edges.
Check out the rest of the instructions here!
Click on all the various helps!!

The rest of this post contains "happy items!" Enjoy!

Giant Swallowtail on Catmint.

Below is the pièce de résistance! ;-)
The wrens chattered and chattered Sunday morning.
I hung this wren house from a furnace exhaust pipe of some sort a few years ago.

The Wrens

She chattered long and lustily,
trilling up and round.
He responded ever candidly
perching lightly near the ground.

They called to one another,
"Is it rightly perfect, do you think?
Should we bother moving in?
Oh, what if it should sink?"

It seems they found it suitable,
and carried to and fro,
that which they were capable;
deemed necessarily so.

Oh! How this pair delights my soul
and how I love to hear
their lovely conversations
so pleasant to my ear.

by me
:-)
6/16/08

I hope you approve and enjoy my efforts, but
Please don't copy this poem.
Thanks!

This is for MMD!

Here is my "Sarah Bernhardt."

I planted her early last Fall,
and I was very happy when she grew this Spring.
The blossoms, however, were on very long stems and were quite heavy.
They were also on the ground and past their prime.
So I picked them and made a bouquet.
It's the only photograph I have.

They were brighter pink at one time.
This is an uncompressed photo, so click to make it large.

My Neighbor's Yard is a Little Less Shady!

Around 6:00 P.M. last night,
the wind began to blow,

the rain fell in semi-opaque sheets, and
it began to hail pea-size hailstones.

We went downstairs.

Wow! About 15 minutes later, it had nearly quit.
Looking out from the basement window,
it appeared a large branch had fallen from one of our trees!
However, when we'd gone outdoors to investigate,
this is what we saw:

It was a neighbor's tree. It had fallen across the street in front
of our yard. I called the Kris and Russ (on the left) to warn them
that they might not be able to get to their house.
Then I called Rick and Rachel and their sons
"to see if they had hot dogs and marshmallows!" ;-)

It stopped short of the flower bed in front of our house,And it bordered this flowerbed, without entering it!

Below you'll hear the sounds of "Dueling Chainsaws"
Daa-Daa-da-da-da-da-da-da-da...
Da-Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da....

These first three photos show a tree that was downed
by the wind and storm at the other end of our neighborhood.
Kris stood on the trunk for perspective (sorry it's not
a clear photo, Kris, because I'd kept open the camera lens,
due to the ensuing evening darkness).

The evening's question at Camp Hope was always,
"How have you seen the Lord at work today?"
We witnessed it daily at our work sites,
and we experienced His provision this evening.