A Whole Lot of Gardenin' Going On

This time of year, gardening and outdoor work is what takes up most of my time, so I will hopefully not bore you with more photos.  I'll start with this one, it is the back yard garden, looking down from the deck into what used to be the pool.  The flower boxes are a real challenge, too much sun for impatiens but not enough for sun lovers.  The lack of sun is a common problem for me.

This is a Griffith Buck shrub rose in its first year.  If you are not familiar with Griffith Buck, he grew hardly shrub roses in Iowa years ago that I think are very under-appreciated.  This should be a large 4 x 5 shrub in a couple of years.

This is a climber/shrub rose, an old hybrid musk called Lavender Lassie.  One of my favorites, and can tolerate less sun (this in on the north side).

This honeysuckle vine has never before bloomed this heavily.  I wonder if it is because of the bird feeder providing constant fertilizer?

The old original well pump with an angel on top.  It still worked until I broke the handle off accidentally :(

 

This is perpetual basil.  I love the variegated leaves, it does not bloom, and makes wonderful pesto.

The fountain garden.  I love the sound of trickling water in the garden.

As you can see, the barn painters were a little over-zealous.  I hope it eventually wears off the stone.

Here is a photo that I saw in a dr office.  I love this idea.  I even have an old sewing machine base, maybe this will be a project for next year.

I have a plethora of bird houses all over the place, including many wren houses.  This year a mamma wren chose to next in this house right on the porch!  Can you see here looking out?  She flies in with a bug for the babies, then flies back out with a little piece of poo!  She keeps her home so clean.  She doesn't make any mess at all, much different from swallows in the barn, whose babies just turn around and poke their little bottoms out of the nest!  That is how I can tell if there are swallow babies,  a pile of poo under the nest.

If you haven't given up on me, one final picture.  Little Bella home from the groomer.  Look how happy she looks...

Compared to this little sad sack two years ago on her first night here.

 Melinda

xxx