Dog Daisy Days

I'm going to show you why I am too soft hearted to be a great gardener. If something is growing I hate to yank it out and do so only very reluctantly.

 We had an early and mild spring this year. The mulch has not yet been put on my garden but I am beginning to think there will not be much room left to apply it. Looking down from my upstairs window you can see my garden is in the midst of what I call the dog daisy days. Yes, those white flowers are popping up all over. Some might call them wild flowers. Others might call them weeds (my Dad used to call them dog daisies). But I like the billowy quality they give to my landscape at this point in the season.

Here is another good patch of the daisies. I better investigate closer as there is meant to be a white lavender on this front corner. For nostalgia's sake I like to have lavender in my gardens as it was a favorite of my grandmother and, although she seemed to move house quite often in her latter years, she always made sure to plant lavender. The weather conditions here make it difficult to grow lavender successfully but I keep persevering.

 Down in this narrow planter I had some tomato plants pop up the first year after I used compost from my bin to amend the clay soil that the planted had been filled with. This will now be the fourth year that I do not need to plant a tomato plant - indeed what I do need to do is be strong and pull out almost all of these seedlings that are growing. This is a clear example of "despite the odds, nature prevails" as this garden is on the regular route of the deer who pass through but yet seem to leave it alone and the amount of sunlight this spot gets is marginal for vegetable growing.

 And here, there is a terrific number of basil seedlings, despite the fact that it is across the other side of the driveway from the herb garden and the pots where I had basil growing last year.  There's also a few of my blue larkspur that pop up wherever they please.

 Oh, this mint looks so healthy. But it will have to be dealt with severely. It has smothered out the tarragon and the oregano. Additionally I usually can find some seedlings of dill and cilantro popping up but they will have had no chance this season.

 Out front I spent an hour hacking away at a very large budleia (butterfly bush). One stalk still remains as it was too thick for my heavy secateurs and I really need to get in there with the shovel and dig out the last vestiges. Now we can see the iris although their bloom season will soon be over. Then it will be time for me to feel guilty about all the black eyed susan's that have self seeded all over the place. And yes, the dog daisies show their face here as well.

Finally, just to record how it looked, the deck re-staining happened last Thursday. It always appears a rich deep color to begin with but soon weathers down. In the front left (behind the mint!) is the bottle tree, a charming little piece of southern nonsense. Bad spirits are meant to fly up into the bottles and get trapped within thus saving the residents from bad happenings.

If the weather will co-operate tomorrow I really must get out and be ruthless in pulling out all the extraneous seedlings. So sad. But it is what is needed.

Happy Birthday Doggo

Today we celebrated the eleventh birthday of our dog Rolo.

 I wanted to give him a new bandana. This one was found at Michaels; it has doggie motifs along with the words "woof woof" all over it. Rolo could be persuaded to pose for his photograph.

 But this present came from a doggie store so it smelled very exciting to Rolo.

 We decided to take it outside. The point of the toy is that it is a "tree trunk" with three squirrels hiding inside. The dog is meant to figure out how to get the squirrels out.

 Oops. Rolo has figured this out way too quickly. The first squirrel out loses an ear in the process.

After a very short time we figure out we might as well come back inside.  To the victor go the spoils!

Happy birthday Rolo!

Easter Day blooms

I'm taking a walk through my garden today to record what is blooming on this Easter Day. Of course the first bloom, above, is not actually in my garden but is the potted Easter Lily to perfume the house on this day.

This is one of my favorite trees in my garden, a native dogwood. This view is from ground level but when I'm sitting at the computer or at my sewing machine and I look out the window I get a glorious view from above of the blossoms. In a week or so it will look as though there has been a wedding with confetti all over the ground as the blooms fade and fall.

I have had several tries at growing a bleeding heart and they usually fail. This time I seem to have planted one in the right spot for it to flourish. On the down side it is in a portion of the garden that I infrequently see. But now I have this photo to enjoy it a little longer.

The lilac tree out the front is no longer producing the spectacular large blooms it did some years ago. Probably some pruning is called for and some fertilizer to perk it up.

The creeping phlox is in full bloom. The color is called emerald blue but it is a very pastel version I'm thinking.

The bridal veil spirea is cascading down onto the New England asters which won't bloom until the mid fall season.

Here's the pink dogwood as seen from the upstairs window. There's lots of weeding waiting to be done underneath this tree.

Oh my, this periwinkle is becoming too aggressive. I cut it back severely last fall but I think some more serious pulling out is needed. In the meantime it does have a pretty blue flower and this corner gets so little sun that I should be happy that something grows there.

The Korean spice viburnum in the foreground is producing lovely fragrance right now and the flowers on the different viburnum behind it are already coming out. They do not usually bloom at the same time.

This spirea will have a pink flower in upcoming weeks. But for the present the brilliant lime green is just as glorious a sight as any bloom. The garden benches have reappeared for the outdoor season.

Did you enjoy the walk through my garden?

Spring is in the air and in the garden

Yesterday afternoon we went for a walk along the riverside to enjoy the sight of the Virginia Bluebells which are in peak bloom right now. I posted photos from this same location in 2010 but I notice the peak bloom that year was April 10 so once again we see that spring is early this year.

The blooms are so dainty and the color is exquisite.

Here we can see more wildflowers. I'd have to check what these are.

It's awash in bluebells on both sides of the trail.

Back in my own garden the bluebells planted last year are only just poking their heads above the soil. I do so hope they are going to bloom. It might distract the eye from the pitiful grass!

This photo of the cherry blossoms on my front lawn was taken at peak of their bloom on March 22. But with the hot weather we had last week they did not last very long and already most of the blooms are gone and the leaves are spouting out quickly.

Out back I continue to set out the welcome sign for the birds. The bird baths are being filled and new birdhouses have been installed. Last week a pair of chickadees were quite busy going in and out of this house.

More blue in the spring garden with the periwinkle but there is no missing the spots of yellow provided by the dandelions. The robins are just happy to have the birdbath available again.

The Spring Equinox

The morning sun highlights my garden on this day of the Spring Equinox. That forsythia in the pot at front right demonstrates how mild the winter has been - the poor thing has been sitting there patiently waiting to be planted out since I bought it eleven months ago. I always have a few plants that captivate me at the nursery or spring plant fundraisers but when I get them home I can't immediately find where to plant them. Since this one has shown it is a survivor I had better find it a more permanent location.

The view from my driveway on a misty start to the day.

I liked the patterns the spring sunlight coming through the trees was making.

The green man finally made it out of the garage. This was a catalog purchase years and years ago but somehow it had never been installed. When this cedar tree had to be cut down because of winter damage last year I had them leave a good length of the trunk figuring I could still use it as a venue for morning glory vines. Without the vines it was looking fairly silly so I hung the green man.
The cherry trees in our street are out in peak bloom for this day. The blue periwinkle and the daffodils add to the spring vignette.

I just can't help continuing to record the beauty of the pansies this year as they are the most gorgeous I have had.

Did you enjoy sharing the views of this wonderful day that nature has provided for the spring equinox in my garden year?

This one's for you Jill.

Aah, March 1 - is it the beginning of Spring? Certainly, with the sunny sky and temperature heading for 70 degrees F it seemed as though it was as I headed out for an afternoon in the garden to deal with a heavy crop of weeds.

My artist friend Jill had bemoaned the lack of opportunity to paint en plein aire earlier in the week so I thought I'd have a little fun and set up some scenes or still lifes for her to consider next time she is looking for a subject.

I thought I would title the above scene "waiting for spring". The wind pruned twigs and branches have been piled up waiting to be carried away. The daffodils have sprouted and are setting buds. The bird bath has been set right side up again waiting to be filled with clear water. The bluebird house has been cleaned out and is again full of hope that this will finally be the year the bluebird finds this prime location and moves in.


Could this one be "end of day"? The sun is getting low in the sky and making good shadows. It is time to head inside and think about making dinner.

Earlier I had thought I might set up a still life. Alas, it is clear I am not the art teacher as there is way too much going on in this scene. But just in case, "the purple pose".

But the gardener wants to make a statement about how lush and vibrant the pansies are for the time of year. "A spot of yellow".


"Say cheese everyone" and squint into the bright afternoon sun.


And take a pause and "reflect" on the day.

Speaking of reflections...a cardinal has been stopping by to protest the intrusion of a look alike bird that sits right there at the base of the front door. But alas, neither of them will hang around to have their photograph taken.

So, are any of these scenes worthy of the paint brush, oils and canvas Jill?

In a Pink Mood

Do you sometimes find yourself noticing things in one particular color? It has been a while since I posted anything but from time to time I would think "oh, I could put that on the blog" and never get to it. And then I noticed that the images I was thinking of all had a pink theme. Above, it was the pink tulips that made a pretty bouquet.

The January sunset after a snowy day made a lovely showing for just a brief time.

While the one in February was not quite as pink.

Today, still in February which should be cold and wintery weather, I was outside celebrating the sun and 50 degree weather by doing a little weeding. And suddenly I looked up and noticed the pink blooms on the plum tree so it was time to put away the tools and get out the camera. This blossom is three weeks earlier than last year.

No, I know this is not pink, but it is the first photo of the daffodils blooming for this season. This one is two weeks ahead of what it was last year.

After a winter that really barely happened it is a joy to see the first blossoms of spring.