You know you don’t have enough to do, when you spend the morning
sneaking up on a frog.
He is skittish and savvy. I think he is smarter than I am.
See him looking my way? Cheeky!
FLOWER
Smart Frog
Author: Flower Roberts
Popping Poppies
Every year when the poppies pop, I walk through them in awe.
How could they be this red? …this beautiful? …this perfectly made?
I hope I never lose the feeling I get when looking into a poppy bloom.
They are marvelous. They are spectacular.
How can a tiny black speck grow into such magnificence?
Let me add the lesson the poppies have taught me.
I have planted them various places in my gardens over the years,
but they thrive in a place that I would prefer that they not grow.
They love the edge of our vegetable garden.
Mr. Flower has to plow around them. We have to plant around them.
We let them stay here because we love them so much.
My saying for me has been “Grow where you are planted”.
Now that I have young adult children, my saying for them is,
“Plant yourself where you can grow”.
The poppies taught me this.
They thrive and bloom best where they plant themselves,
NOT where Mama Flower sowed their seeds.
POP goes the FLOWER!
My Excuse to go out in the Rain
I decided that I needed to remake my plant markers for all my Hostas now that they are up.
First I went out to find each hosta on my list and record its location.
This involved pulling up the old markers made of plastic knives (or pieces of knives) with faded writing.
Sometimes I could only decipher a few letters. I compared this to my list and identified most of them.
Then I made the new markers using plastic chopsticks.
I wrote each Hosta’s names on a chopstick with a marker,
then carved the name in with a Dremel tool.
Then I rewrote the name again to make it easier to read.
I went back outside to place each new marker around the base of the designated Hosta.
Have you been counting trips outside? I have been soaking wet three times so far.
Some folks have the sense to come in out of the rain, some don’t.
At least I hung my laundry inside.
FLOWER
Bunny Secrets Revealed
You remember that I wondered whether the secrets whispered between these two were going to involve them digging a hole or hiding from me. They did both!
Charlotte is the main digger and bulldozer. It is amazing to watch her push dirt away from the hole.
Barley did some assisting.
Later, I checked on them. I could not find Charlotte anywhere. Only Barley. He kept peering down into the hole. I was almost frantic until I realized that, Charlotte was deep down inside the hole.
When she finally emerged. A shovel blade was used to cover the opening until the hole could be filled. Those tricky rabbits!
FLOWER
I Wish I was a Tomato Plant
Even as a little sprout, they know they should grow tomatoes.
There is no wondering and pondering.
Only the intent to grow, bloom and produce TOMATOES.
There is no questioning of flower color, shape or size.
They do not debate adding an eggplant for color, or an onion for flavor.
They only know to grow TOMATOES.
They don’t beseech the sky with no reply, “What should I be?”.
They do not doubt their tomato-ness.
There is no debate on their purpose in life.
They just do their thing, which is growing TOMATOES.
I envy their single-minded confidence.
FLOWER
Monday in Eleven Vases
My favorite thing about Mondays is the meme, Monday in a Vase, at the blog Rambling in the Garden.
Every week gets started with vases of beautiful flowers from all over the globe.
I have only contributed to this blog meme once, with a tiny vase pin.
Yes, I am a post parasite. Forgive me, Cathy.
To make up for it, I am sharing eleven vases of my flowers, done yesterday,
for my in-laws’ 60th Anniversary celebration.
I never arrange flowers, so this was a stretch for me.
Most of the vintage vases were found at “treasure shops” in the area.
The vases sat on guest tables in clouds of pink or peach tulle.
My sister-in-law, Dana, made everything perfect. If she goes pro, you better get on her waiting list.
Foxglove, asparagus stalk, fairy lily, Persian Berry iris buds, Epimedium leaves and White Astilbe
FLOWER
Bunny Secrets
Wonder what bunnies whisper to each other about.
Let’s dig a hole while mommy is not looking?
Let’s go hide and make her find us.
Could they be any cuter?
FLOWER
The Most Magical Plant of All
If there were an official plant of the fairies, I bet it would be the foxglove.
They are magical plants. They sow their own seeds. They change colors.
Even their flower shapes morph from year to year.
They seem to know where they belong and what form is needed.
Or is it the fairies that do it?
Every year I anticipate some surprises from my Digitalis purpurea.
This year there were several. Some pinks got pinker.
Some whites turned half pink.
Some flower tubes got longer and narrower.
Some seeds sneaked into the bunny yard to germinate and had to be moved. They are poisonous.
Foxgloves are so charming, they must be magic.
FLOWER
Double, Double Toil and Trouble
It’s peony(Paeonia) time here in North Carolina.
I love all types. Singles, semi-doubles and doubles.
The doubles are trouble though.
They have such heavy blooms that they have to be staked. Otherwise they dip down to the ground, especially after a rain.
I keep a supply of green stakes with open-ringed tops for this purpose.
Peonies like full sun and well-drained acidic soil. They do not like to be divided.
If you must, divide them in the fall. Plant shallow. Side dress with compost.
FLOWER
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