The Lone Little Apple Tree

When we first moved into our house, we wondered what kind of tree was growing in the middle of the backyard.  It is short (less than six feet) and with a trunk that is only about two inches in diameter.  My husband's first inclination was to take the tree out since it was planted in the most random spot in the yard and is a challenge to mow around, but we decided to hold off until we figured out what kind of tree it is.  Evidence confirms that it is an apple tree!

Apples have been growing on it since about mid-summer and they are weighing down one side of the tree.  To my untrained eye they look like little Gala apples.  Now if I can just figure out when I should pluck them from their branches, I might make a little apple tart from my harvest.

What's In Bloom

Saturday morning I woke up to the most wonderful sight: an Icelandic poppy had bloomed in the mess of a raised bed in my backyard!  Poppies are my favorite, and while the Oriental variety are my preference, this beautiful scarlet bloom did not disappoint.  There is even a tiny pink poppy and several other shoots ready to burst open.

Hello my pretties.  You are welcome here.

Backyard Raceway

With a third of an acre and most of it being grass, it just made sense to buy a riding lawn mower.  Little did I know that it would turn our backyard into a raceway, provided oodles of fun AND getting the massive lawn cut.  A very worthy investment if you ask me.

A Quest For Lavender

Moving into a new place can bring about an adventurous treasure hunt.  Today I explored our backyard which holds a brambly haven for birds, a lawn that takes an hour and a half to mow, and a raised bed with mysterious plantings.  Amongst the questionable foliage and weeds I discovered a marker with "lavender -->" on it, and immediately I was intrigued.  Lavender?  Where?

I saw rocks, roots, other markers, and worms, but no lavender.  I found strawberry plants, Italian flat leaf parsley, what I assume are raspberry bushes, and stunning hyacinth flowers, but no lavender.  Cut back rose bushes bring the promise of lovely blooms in June.  Birch trees grace my yard with their papery branches.  And the chives shooting up from the earth make me think of great culinary uses.  But no lavender.  Well, if I don't find it I will plant some, and I just may place that old marker in the ground next to the bushes, so that its purpose will be fulfilled ... and I will search no more.

Pretty Little Snowdrops

"A Snowdrop plant looks like three drops of milk hanging from a stem."  I find this description (from the flowerexpert.com website) to be a perfect description for these winter-blooming flowers. 

And I am thrilled that these are the only drops of snow I see in my front yard!

Spring In December

Have you ever heard of "Christmas in July"?  Well in my very backyard I am having "Spring in December"!  

The cat and I went exploring in the yard and I was so surprised to see a camilia bush with buds on it and what could be narcissus coming up out of the earth.  When I lived in a town where the elevation was 4,200 feet, we were lucky to see anything blooming by May, but now as I live at 1,300 feet I see signs of life everywhere.  And when the lady on the radio says that the next few days will be cold with a high of 40° I can't help but let out a snort of disbelief ... that's not cold!

Only having lived here a week, I am still getting used to my surroundings.  But I'm easing right in, and so is the cat who is relieved to go outside in the winter and NOT have to tromp around in at least a foot of snow!

Attack Of The Coral Bells

My window flower boxes featured many types of blooms this year.  Remnants of coral bells, grasses and mums existed from last year and so I filled in space with deep jeweled toned petunias, begonias and lobelias.  I was not expecting that the once puny display of coral bell leaves would bloom into such a monster!  They have miraculously taken over the boxes and shoots have started to come out with little lily like buds. 

If they are looking this good now, what does autumn hold in store for these autumnal plants?

Never As Busy

"A bee is never as busy as it seems; it's just that it can't buzz any slower." - Kin Hubbard

Herb Of Remembrance

As much as I don't like to admit it, I was not born with a green thumb.  It is kind of expected around here that if I bring a plant home, I will inevitably kill it.  I choose low maintenance plants like petunias, chives and orchids - all of which are hearty and can withstand a little neglect.

Yesterday I was inspired to buy a rosemary plant which I will replant somewhere in my yard.  It is known as the "herb of remembrance".  Perhaps because it is so fragrant, it is hard to forget.  I look forward to chopping a little of this up (along with the German thyme I purchased) and put it in some bread that I bake. Yeah, I look forward to that.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must go water the thyme now ... I'm fairly certain it is starting to wither.

Hello, Gorgeous!

Today I was treated to these beautiful blooms. It's the third time this orchid has blessed me with its sunny flowers. It gives me a sense of hope.

Sweet Bells

These might possibly be the most expensive bell peppers ever grown. When you factor in the window sill planter, Miracle-Gro soil, seed packets and seven months worth of watering, waiting, checking, anticipating and hoping - these babies are priceless!

Initially when they began to actually grow, I was worried that I would end up with green peppers and not the vibrant yellows, oranges and reds I had hoped for. So, when I first saw them begin to blush in the sunlight, I was overjoyed!

They are so pretty, I am almost afraid to pick them, but no way am I going to let them go to waste.

Mum's The Word

I couldn't stand it any longer! The hot pink petunias and periwinkle lobelias just didn't fit in with the whole Autumn thing anymore, so I ripped them out of my flower box to replace them with some more season friendly colors. Don't worry, they were dying out anyway. As I took out the massive amounts of lobelias, I discovered that my poor perennial grasses were over taken by the showy annuals. I think they enjoyed seeing the light of day again.

I am happy to say that I LOVE the new flowers, mainly mums, that are joyfully showing off right now. The combination of the greenish-purple leaves of the coral bells and the lilac and sunset hued mums is striking. And I can't wait to prop some miniature pumpkins on the window boxes to fill out the space. It's just what I wanted!

While I was busy yanking out the old flowers, I kept seeing something dark and moving out of the corner of my eye. Much to my delight, it was a little frog that had taken up shelter in the damp forest of foliage. He was so cute, I named him "Bernard". Then I saw a second frog, his wife I presume, in the same planter and I named her "Bertha", "Bertie" for short. I let them hang out in the box while I was busy planting the new flowers, but without the shelter of the old ones, they promptly jumped out.

Bertie (in front) and Bernard before they disappeared, probably in search of a cozy little hideaway.

This evening I plan to enjoy a cup of hot cider to celebrate my gardening accomplishments, and soak in every moment of this beautiful season.

They Like It Here

Today as I was heading down our street to meet my daughter at the bus stop, I grabbed my camera and started snapping away at our flower boxes. The lobilium is not very good at sharing and has taken over the space, allowing very little room for the petunias to peek out. I sort of think that perhaps I should cut it back a little to allow other things to shine, but I enjoy the lacy texture of the little blue flowers that spill over the sides - and it would seem, so do the bees:

I can't believe I got this shot! The large black bee would buzz the loudest as his face was buried in the sweet periwinkle bloom.

I was a little afraid to get too close to this guy; I'm pretty sure they are territorial.

I am tickled that I provide a sanctuary for these hard workers. And who wouldn't want to hang out in a place like this?

Try It On Before You Buy ... Or Build

Ever since we moved into our house three years ago, I have wanted to have colorful flower window boxes. There are two windows in the front of our house that are perfect candidate for a vibrant splash. And in my grand tradition of trying something on before buying (and because I am a control freak and like to know exactly what I am getting into), I digitally built flower boxes to see what color to paint the box, what flowers to get and what colors would look best.

Here I painted the box the same Warm Stone color as our house. I think it blends in too much and is a little boring.

This box is the same as our trim, Wool Skein. Not bad, but not enough color for me.

Sun-Dried Tomato is a good choice. It adds color, but my concern is that it would be too much with the same colored front door.

Black was my first thought to compliment the black light fixtures and house numbers. Looking at it now I think it is much too dark ... like a big black mustache in the front of the house!

And the winner is ...

Natural cedar stained boxes! I think this is the perfect choice to compliment the fence, and will allow the colors of the flowers to pop!

Today I want out and, with the help of my daughter, chose pink and red Petunias, waterfall azure mist Lobelia, and I hope to find some hearty sea grass to plant as well. My husband has already started to build the boxes and I can start planting right away.

Ah, I love it when a plan comes together!

Green Blades of Goodness

Last year I bought a pot of herbs and thought that was the last I would see of them. Much to my delight, the chives came back in great abundance! I find something so satisfying in heading out to my back yard with my kitchen shears in hand and snipping off a few blades. They taste great on potatoes, in cream cheese, I am much more inclined to eat eggs if there is a handful of chopped chives mixed in.

Hmmm, I wonder how some thyme would do in my backyard ...