A Few Blooms and an Update on Claire

It's been awhile since I've popped by the blog. Time seems to be zipping along and I'm behind in the projects that need doing around the house, indoors and out. (At some point there should be a period of time, without the threat of rain, when I can stain my arbour.)

As for current flowers, the tulips in the front garden are looking a bit past their prime, but the ones in the back yard are still blooming or about to do so.

I'm glad I planted this magnolia tree a number of years ago. The soft pink flowers make me smile.

Have you noticed that there is an absence of "overall" garden shots. Just picture the beds that need edging and weeding, a rusty wheelbarrow and a few projects that need paint or stain. Some people have an eye for garden design; not me. I plant, hope for the best and enjoy puttering.

Tomorrow, the local garden club is hosting its annual plant sale; I plan to stop by and see what's there. I wonder if I have room to wedge in one more plant!

For those who are familiar with my foster puss, Claire is still with me. However, the wonderful news is that someone has indicated an interest in adopting her. Some wheels need to be put in motion and then Claire will go for an "extended visit" in the potential home to see if the fit is right for all concerned. I'm not sure when that will happen (other people organize this) but it could turn out well for my furry roommate.

Please cross your fingers for a happy result!

Thank you for visiting. I hope your weekend is a lovely one.

More From the Garden

Now that spring has arrived, it looks like it is going to linger awhile. That's fine by me! I'm always sorry when it rushes headlong into summer, given I enjoy these days of increasing colour and the slow unfurling of fresh green leaves on the trees.

Each year, I think I might take a drive to Ottawa for the Tulip Festival, but somehow I don't get around to it. Here are some of my own, planted last fall, along with the cheery yellow daffodils. I definitely need to do some edging around the garden beds.

In my last post, I showed these flowers in the early morning, before they opened for the day and several people commented on them. I don't recall their name. Could they be some kind of English daisy?

More tulips. I picked one of these to bring indoors. It adds a nice bit of colour to the rather subdued shades in my living room.

                                                                                 

Spring rain, spring flowers, spring joy.

I hope your day is a lovely one. Thank you for visiting.

A Few Blooms

For me, it is a daily pleasure to walk around the garden and see what's appearing. Some of the daffodils are blooming and the hyacinths will soon be finished.

I like how these purple/blue flowers are closed in the early morning and then open as the sun warms them. I'll have to take a picture of them later in the day.

This is one of the clumps of tulips I planted last fall. Other patches of them are scattered about the garden  beds and I know they'll add a cheery note to the place.

In some pots, a variety of pansies are flowering. They do so well in the cooler days and are always the first thing I plant in the spring.

I find this a "wake-me-up" colour. 

The garden needs loving attention, but will wait awhile longer to receive it, as I'm feeling a bit under the weather right now (just a springtime bug picked up last week). It'll be back to raking, tidying and soaking up the sunshine soon. Come to think of it, I think I'll take my coffee outside and enjoy the fresh air right now!

Thank you for stopping by today. "How does your garden grow?" as Mary, Mary, quite contrary was asked.

Ferries, Flowers and Fixing

I can't help but think that Linda will recognize this location. A couple of hours drive took me to Bath, recently, to meet a friend for lunch. I opted to take "the scenic route" home and that included a very short ferry ride.

I'm sure I've mentioned before that I love ferries, getting out of the car and feeling the crisp breeze over the lake or river. I suppose it stems from ferry rides from Kingston to Wolfe Island (in my youth) as well as others encountered in travels. Like the Wolfe Island ferry, the Glenora one is a free trip.

Back home again, a few more crocuses had popped up in the garden.

A particularly welcome sight was the discovery of new peony shoots. Come June, there will be generous-sized, deep pink blossoms on this plant. I'm wondering how many, as this is my newest peony; it was planted from a piece of another one in the garden and has had a couple of years to get established in this spot.


In this photo, you can see a clematis swirling up the arbour and New Dawn roses dripping down from it. That was last June. This June will show a different story. Take note of the arbour shots on the right. Many of the slats, horizontal and vertical, were loose or had fallen off as a result of the rose canes winding themselves in among them. The rose has now been (severely) cut back, as well as the clematis wrapped up in it. I'm hoping they spring back to life, rejuvenated, and that I haven't harmed them.

Some new wooden slats have been cut and attached with a combination of nails and screws. I thought I'd been so clever in getting galvanized nails, so that they wouldn't rust. I'd nail a slat into place and then move to the next, just to have the previous one detach from the vibration of the hammering. Hence, the addition of screws. I wouldn't want a carpenter to look at my handiwork, but everything is in place now and waiting to be stained the same blue you see above. That will be sometime after the current rainy period. (I zipped out yesterday morning to put down grass seed and take advantage of  the predicted soggy days.)

Spring is springing, if in a cooler and slower manner than usual. Nevertheless, hyacinths are blooming, tulip leaves are getting taller each day, and the grass is now green. Inside and outside jobs are multiplying on the list. I'd better get to them.

How is your "to do" list looking?

Thank you very much for visiting today. 

Petals and Stitches

After a long wait, crocuses have started to appear in the garden. With equal predominance, however, I'm discovering small holes that have been dug. I suspect that explains the healthy looking squirrels this spring. (I've noticed some reddish ones, as well as the usual grey and black; must be the "good eating" in my yard.)

Colour choices for little knitting projects have been influenced by this new season, or earlier, by the anticipation of it: fresh greens, sky blue, lovely lavender, sunny yellow, and sprightly coral.

For those who may be interested, here are some pattern links on Ravelry:
Lavender and yellow kitchen cloths
Greek Key design
Coral hearts:
Green heart

Back to seasonal choices, they also occur inside my house. When fall arrives, I want cozy warm throws and pillows. Come spring, lighter and brighter colours call to me. Even some items on the walls move from room to room. The autumn scene print in the dining room migrates to a room at the back of my house, and the old mirror with the leaf-coloured frame comes forth.

Changes and choices (seasonal or otherwise) can be eye-opening, surprising, rewarding and, on occasion, come with a pair of spring-green eyes.  After 2 months here, my foster puss, Claire, is still waiting to be adopted.

From my (our) home to yours . . .

 Happy Easter

Happy Passover

Happy Spring

 

Thank you, as always, for visiting and for your comments.
-Karen