Roses

The deer do not like the red roses but they LOVE the white ones. We only have one white rose and every time the bud is about to open up...the stinkin' deer have it for breakfast or late night snack. Not this time. I saw it first and brought it inside. I was cleaning out the 'bus stop flower bed' and trimmed the red knockouts and saved a few buds. So now we have a rose garden in the house. Ha, ha Bambi!

The Bees Knees

It has been too hot to even venture outside. But for my loyal fans I got this today.

Another Beauty

Not really sure where this lily came from or who planted it. I just happened on it when I was weeding behind one of the tall grasses. But I know where her new home will be in the fall...with the other lilies right behind the white screen thingie.

They Just Keep On Coming

Invaders

Ralph is growing pumpkins and watermelon. I mean pumpkins...300 pounders. They have taken over the corner of his backyard and have invaded our compost bin. While I was gone yesterday, look what snuck under the fence...

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Just thought I would share with you some of the flowers that I can see from just about anywhere I sit the back yard. That sun feels good today!

A Rainbow of Glads

A I am totally amazed everyday when I go out to the Glad Bed. There are so many different colors of gladiolas...I don't think there are two of one kind.













We have never tried to grow gladiolas so I have no idea how to care for them. After I cut them for an arrangement...do I cut the stalk back to about an inch about the ground and wait until fall to dig them up or do I just leave them alone? Will we get a second bloom? I know there has to be someone out there that knows something....HELP PLEASE.

More Surprises

Look what I saw out the window and went out in the rain to get shots of. I was afraid that the deer might eat them before I could share pics with you. Seems they now like just all my tiny almost blooming white rose buds. This is our first year growing glads. I was so excited. I think I remember planting around 80 bulbs. Wouldn't it be lovely if they all came up and bloomed? Anyone ever grown glads before...care to share some tips?
I can not remember what this is called. All I remember is that it will turn bright red after awhile.
I had to call my Dad first thing after seeing these. Last weekend when I was home I checked his to see if his were coming up...NOPE. Betsy calls them Surprise lilies. My Dad and I call them Naked ladies. I don't care what they are called...they are just real pretty.

I am so frustrated with those stupid deer. One of my first questions to God..."Why didn't you make the weeds more enticing to the animals...why did you decided that it was a good idea for them to eat all the pretty stuff?" There are way more weeds to eat in our yard than flowers.

Well, Good Morning

These beauties greeted me in my morning walk around the yard.

Hmmmmm?

The last time I weeded this bed I saw just a wee little sprout. It didn't look like any flowers that I thought we had planted. I looked like some vegetable. So I decided to just let it go and see what has volunteered to come up in the flower bed. Ralph, our gardener with a green body...he can grow anything!, thinks it might be some type of squash. Anny guesses?

Gourds

Way back in the spring, Mark brought homw several different packages of goard seeds. We have a neighbor that grows them on theri split rail fence. They aer pretty cool. I was hoping to be able to make some birdhouses out of them. I have been checking daily but nothing, nada, zip....until two days ago. Maybe they decided it was time to reach up to the fence and grow....since we have had some rain.We have been watering seems non stop these last few days...temps in the 90's (while Cassie is in the 50's). I think I just might have to give them a little extra kick i the hiney with some fertilizer.

Free Meal

It is a really good thing that we have an over abundance of these these Black-eyed Susan's this year. Maybe now that they are blooming the deer will leave the hosta alone.

Second Blooming

I had no idea this rose would bloom again. The other bloom mysteriously disappeared before it even had a chance to shine. I am hoping the deer won't make there way back over to this side of the yard. Eat all the hosta you want pretty little deer...JUST STAY AWAY FROM MY ROSE!

Glads

We have never tried to grow Glads but this year it seems the 70 bulbs I planted int he spring are doing well. I think we have only lost three. Yesterday I noticed that probably this weekend they might make their appearance. They better be good is all I have to say...better be worth having to plant, dig up and replant next year.

We saw some at the Farmer's Market last night and they were so pretty. I am keeping my fingers crossed...double crossed.

Ralph...Mr GreenThumbs

We have a back-door neighbor that has a father-in-law that has the biggest and greenest thumb I have ever seen in my entire life. He can make anything grow. This year we have decided to let Ralph grow all the vegetable and we will take care of growing the flowers...as long as he promises to share his bounty. That is fine by him. Just last night he and his wife, Janet, came over with a bag full of two different kinds of zucchini, some cucumbers and tomatoes. Then he showed up again later with a huge tomato plant, some cucumbers that he started from seed (he feels bad for me) and a pineapple plant. Yep, you read right, a pineapple plant.He is believing that I can grow this and eat the fruit and then start my own little pineapple plantation. The pressure is on. Pray for me!

Coneflowers

The coneflowers are blooming like crazy. We have dark pink ones, whites, all shades of pur and about that many Japeneese beetles to cover them all. I swipe every flower I go by. The big bumble bees really seem to like these. I wonder who would win the war...big bumblebees or pesky Japanese beetles?