School Break = ME TIME!

I'm 2 days away from a week out of school--  Spring break I'm ready for you!  I have plans to garden, camp, garden, yardsale, garden, pedicure, garden, massage and finish off with some gardening!  Ha.  I have managed to get some time outdoors in the evenings.  So far I am keeping pretty well with my "do-one-thing-a-day-and-it-will-eventually-get-done campaign for this growing season. Things are happening so fast in the garden.  Makes you want to freeze it in time to slow it down.  The irises, clematis, and roses are starting to pop like popcorn.   Feast your eyes fast is my mantra.

Introducing the first rose in my garden..a foundling.

I had to call on Glen for this job.  It's not impressive now but next year it should be.  20+ stella d'oro daylilies were planted on each side of my hillside stairs to help hold the gravel and make them more finished looking.  Pixie is inspecting my work!

I decided to stop fighting this shady area and plant things I KNOW will like it there.  I bought the heucherella stoplight (center) at the perennial plant sale in my last post.  I have lusted after this in magazines and was oh-so-happy to locate such a nice healthy specimen.  It never knew it was transplanted.

I realize many people probably don't realize where my garden is in relation to our house.  This might give you some idea.  Can you see the red roof of my potting shed and the spring house half buried in the hillside?

Last year it was funny, I had to stand directly over this obelisk to even see my clematis.  They have risen to new heights better for viewing this year.

Dont'cha like the little zap of red that the native columbine gives?  This good color combo was completely accidental.  There is reddish veining in the heuchera if you look closely.  It seems that anything looks good against the chartreuse spirea.

And for a parting shot....

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

If I could liquefy Monday through Friday and inject it into Saturday and Sunday then the weekend would seem SOOOO long!   However when I have a very fun Saturday it just zooms.  Barb and I went Saturday to Nashville to a perennial plant sale and back through Franklin for the Bloom-n-Garden Expo.  I was up at 4:30 am and back home by 5:30 pm, by that time I was flippin' tired delirious!  All I had strength to do is wander about the garden, hopefully to spy out a place to plant my treasures when I recover.

The Perennial Plant Society of Nashville really go all out.  Here is the mascot with some random guy she pulled into the picture.  I should have cropped him out (smile).   

They take this sale seriously.  It wasn't scheduled until 9 am but people were lining up at 8:00.  Apparently they knew something we didn't so after much coaxing Barb convinced me it was worth standing in line for an hour against my loud protesting.  I thought what the heck so I had someone take our pic.  The line behind us is LONG!

Once it was opening time it was "Katie bar the door!"  People were racing all directions toward their favorite plants.  It was all neat and orderly with things alphabetized by botanical name.  I am grateful to know that hemerocallis= daylily...I would have lost out if I had been standing at the D's!  I didn't get any pics inside (I would have been stampeded).  Imagine 10,000 13 year olds at a Justin Bieber concert and you'll be close to imagining the scene.  Barb scarfed up some peonies (she's a sucker for those) and I got some phlox, tiarella, rosemary and daylilys.  I knew my ninja skills would be handy someday.

This is the scene at the Bloom-n-Garden Expo.  A big old county fair looking place in a stock barn.  Much more laid back.  They had lots of this & that.  I mainly got cute ideas for garden decor.  Barb lugged out a Japanese maple--green edged with red.  I'll quit blabbing a minute and show you the pics I took.

Check the frog....

Love the espalier....

This gets my vote for cutest booth...a mini potting shed with all kinds of cool garden junque d' art!

Could someone give me a "piggyback ride home?"

Gardening Tazmanian Devil Style

We have our 70s-80s back as of Saturday! I have been all over my garden kicking up dirt and weeds as I went.  I make a goal every spring to do at least one garden chore per day so I can keep on top of things.  So...when God let off the pause button I was ready to rip!  Storms are forecasted for tomorrow and as long as they are not severe I will welcome some showers-- I'm not ready to drag out the hose yet!

Glad these tulips returned, I needed a jolt of orange.

This "obelisk" brought to you by my wonderful brother-in-law Richard. He is an awesome woodworker and brother. (I apologize for being so bratty when you and Barb were dating!) I have been drooling for one of these for years but they are so expensive. I painted it red and planted an orange climbing rose beneath it.

Mom's funky birdbath I inherited.  I didn't want the bother of changing out annuals every year so I opted for green/white hosta in this shady area.  Good call?

I never get tired of photographing my bleeding heart (obviously)  I did manage to create a little vignette with my thrift store angel (thanks Barb), climbing euonymous and native sedum in my iron kettle.

My body told me to cool it for a while so I just sat on my stone walkway and enjoyed the view.  Thank you Lord for all of your beautiful creation and entrusting a slice to me!