Lily of the Valley 2011

I loved loved LoVeD Kate's bouquet.  So beautiful.  It had to have smelled as good as it looked too.   While lily of the valley is entirely too aggressive in my garden, I've always kept some going because when the blooms come, I pick them every one.  They're just coming into bloom now, so I'm looking even more forward to them this year!

A Primitive Plot Visits The Farm

I am so proud of my mom Peggy, the artist.  I love her art and she inspires me to make my own.  So when I had the chance to take some of her pieces to The Farm,  I couldn't wait to see what would happen.    Gail is keen on displaying items in her shop according to theme and color, and she knew exactly where she wanted to place them.  And in no time, they had flown out the door!

Tuesday Purple

 

MoRe rain today. . . I am thankful for rain.  It was just a few weeks ago that we were wringing our hands because the garden was so dry.  But  I do wish we could ask for a raincheck from Mother Nature :)   Still, it's beautiful--so lush and green with the birds singing and building their nests.

This is my latest attempt to make a collage with photoshop.  Usually they won't upload to blogger, and I have no idea what I did differently.   Have a good Tuesday, watch out for the puddles!

Happy Happy Easter

 

Happy Easter!  This sweet little bunny vase came from my  sister, PJ.

And this little basket went down to London last week to Betsy & Kyle.  The bunnies didn't  last long :)

Best PaPaw in the Whole World

April in London Continued

April in London

I saw this in USA Today and can't stop thinking about it.  The caption reads: 

Masataka Unoura, 81, plants a tree where his house used to be in Rikuzentakata.

Epimedium

I've been telling my friend Gail about epimedium lately.  Love this combo with the daffodils.   After the daffs fade, the epimedium leafs out and it's such  a trooper all through the hot months and even into fall.  Keeps its green heart-shaped leaves, stands upright and follows  my no flopping rule! Good spreading plant, but it's not a thug either. 

I had a beautiful weekend.  Between The Farm and Petals & Co, I took hundreds of pictures, so I have lots to show you :)

April Peonies

No, these aren't from my garden, they're from the grocery store where I try to stop every Wednesday night after exercising at Body Symmetry with Chad. (I'll have to tell you about Chad sometime--he's helped me lose 15 pounds!)

I'm a sucker for peonies.  At the grocery store, in the back yard, at The Farm, wherever. . . Last fall I dug and divided some peonies that were being shaded out and replanted them in sunny areas.  So glad I took the time and made the effort.   

And these are some that were left on the bench last fall and  forgotten, when I ran out of steam and couldn't dig one more hole.   Maybe, thanks to Chad's help, I'll be able to dig more holes this year :)

April Vase

Do your blooms ever flop over and face the ground?  I don't know why--maybe the wind, the dogs, the cold. . . It can't be iron-poor-tired-blood.  Mark covers the garden with compost every spring.  But maybe I'll get some bulb food too.  Anyway, when it happens, I just chop 'em off and put 'em in a vase.  So that's how these  blooms became the first garden vase of the year :)