Waiting For Blooms

The bare, brown, dirt grounds, are starting to fill

with the vibrant green leaves of the pumpkin and decorative gourds.
The leaves are already as large as regular dinner plates. This is one of my favorite times of the spring/summer season.

The flower beds that surround the house are starting to bring forth the flowers that I have recently planted seed in . This rock bed is hosting a large amount of marigold and I look forward to seeing the rust and orange colors of the blooms that will last throughout fall.

The large zinnia flower garden is now planted and I am anticipating the flowers to start sprouting. This year, instead of planting long rows, I decided to plant large "blocks" of flowers with paths in between. I love a flower bed where flower seed has been scattered and where the flowers grow in carefree clusters. This is what I am hoping to achieve this year with the blocks. The paths will also help me in dragging the hose to water, without knocking plants over. In the top of this photo, you will see a large wooden crate. My husband brought this home from work.........well made for shipping heavy machine parts in .............and then thrown away.............it is perfect for where I have planted climbing roses, which are now blooming...........and which I hope will cascade over the edges of this crate later on.

In between the rose bushes, zinnia are already growing and showing off their colorful blooms.

Meanwhile........................

in my stitching basket.................a set of morning glories are waiting to be stitched and to bloom on a set of towels...........you can go over to my embroidery blog to read about my frustration in not having enough time it seems to stitch .................like I used to ...............

at Yesteryear Embroideries http://yesteryearembroideries.blogspot.com

How about you? What is sprouting and blooming in your garden spots or surroundings? I would love to hear!

Transplanted

A few years back, on a beautiful golden first day of fall..................we moved into our country home. Along with all of our belongings, I also brought rosebushes, and other flowering plants that had grown at our home in town.......................

and transplanted them out here in the country grounds. One was this trumpet vine, which at that time was a small twig.................and that is how it has remained for many of the years that it has lived out here. It just didn't seem to want to live the country life. It has stayed so small and not flowering, that I put a tomato cage around it for protection from the mower that runs by.However, I never gave up on it, always taking care of it.......................... this year, it has decided that change is good and it has taken off, growing inch by inch and now shows off it's lovely trumpet bloom.

To me, this vine and my sweet husband are so much alike...................they had the same idea about country living. It took me almost 20 years to convince my husband that country living was the only way to live. He would not listen....................so I made myself happy in the cement square we lived on in town. Making the best out of the small yard that surrounded our house and trying to be happy in my noisy, unsettling surroundings, and never giving up on him. Finally, .........................he started looking at houses out in the country with me.................and then we found......................... here................Pleasant Prairie............as I have named it. Now.........he thinks it is the only way to live!

I planted the trumpet vine at the base of this large iron horse fence that surrounds our home.............

I can just imagine it stretched out all across it in it's crimson orange trumpets.............can't you? (This plant always reminds me of the old botanical books with lovely pictures of plants in them.) Yet, I completely understand my dear husband's hesitation................if I had to leave this place and live in the city...........I don't think I could ever get to liking the idea...................

How about you? Have you been transplanted to something you were not sure about? How did you feel? I would love to hear!

Empty Nests

God speaks to me in the stir of a leaf,

In the glorious song of a bird;

And my pew is a log or a mountain crag-

Wherever His voice is heard.

G.C. Constable

The nests on the grounds are getting empty and almost everywhere I look, there is a little bird clinging to a wall or a branch, trying to learn to fly.............with it's parents close by it's side. Right now, this strikes a cord in my heart..........my last little bird is now officially a senior and it won't be long after next spring that I will have an empty nest and be just like those hoovering bird parents...........encouraging him to fly.............yet so worried when he actually flies away.

How about you? Has your nest gone empty..............or are you anxious as I and all of the bird parents around me about your young one getting his wings? I would love to hear!

There's a tree............

out in the backyard, an old mesquite tree. It was standing tall and proud............it's leaf filled branches opened wide.........saying "welcome to your new country home!"....

when we first moved in.

Through the years, it has allowed us to swing lazily underneath it...........in the late afternoons, while it held our hammock. How many times I have looked up at its leaves and rough bark.

It has been the nursery every year for a family of woodpeckers, who have carved their way deep into it's trunk. It has weathered severe hot west Texas winds and violent thunderstorms.
Finally one day last year, it gave in to life's unrelenting harshness and broke. I remember how sad I felt when I walked out and discovered half of it lying in the yard. But this past few weeks, I have noticed a couple of Mocking birds, swooping down upon any cat or creature that happens to walk anywhere near the tree. In my late afternoon ,outside work, I have watched the female flying in and out of the top of the tree, with an insect in her beak, while her mate sits close by, keeping guard.


This morning, I got out the ladder and quietly climbed up to the top of the tree and 3 little bright yellow beaks opened up to me!

Then they heard their mother's warning , quickly laid down, sticking close together. As I was trying to take a good photo, the male bird was whizzing past my head, making my hair fly up with each fly by...............such a brave little heart!

And this is the brave Mother...............inches close to me...............so close, I could have touched her......................giving me the scolding of a lifetime.............in a language that all mothers can understand...................no matter what species.

How about you? I am sure by now you are all surrounded with the chirps and whistles of the songs of many birds. What kind of birds do you have in your area? I would love to hear!

A Review

So much in my garden has grown since I have planted it..................all the way back in March.

Some things are still growing to maturity and some things have been harvested and have ended their cycle of life since the warm weather has moved in.
So I want to do a quick review of the wonderful things I have grown...........thanks to the folks at Hometown seeds.

Lincoln Peas

I planted these in mid March and have harvested wonderful, sweet peas starting in mid May . Now that the hot west Texas weather has arrived, there are only a few pea plants left.

Utah Yellow Sweet Spanish Onion

These did not do well.............so I will try again in the fall.

Radish

These did so well and produced so much. I planted these in mid March and harvesting them by mid April. Those I did not pull have bloomed and gone to seed. I will plant these again.........maybe in a couple of weeks and in the fall.

Spinach Bloomsdale Long Standing

I am still harvesting this wonderful delicious plant. I planted this in mid March and have been harvesting it since mid May.

Golden Acre Cabbage

shown in the photo above, this is turning out to be quite hardy. Planted in the green house the last of February and planted in the garden by mid March, this is such a beautiful plant. I should be able to harvest this sometime this week.

Swiss Chard

Another garden beauty. I have had this raw in salads and cooked up just like one does with Mustard greens. A wonderful tasting dish. Planted in mid March and still producing well.

Beet Detroit Dark Red

Planted in mid March and very pretty. I pulled a couple up, but they are only the size of radishes at this time. I will try again next week.

Carrot Scarlet Nantes

Planted in mid March but very late in showing itself. Now the tops are about 3 inches high. They should be ready to harvest in July.

Romaine Lettuce

Another beautiful plant in the garden. Planted in mid March it is supposed to be ready by mid June............however, I have already been picking it for my salads.

Kentucky Wonder Bean

These have grown well and are about to bloom. Planted in mid April.

Sweet Corn

Planted in mid April, this has already gotten about 2 ft high.

Cucumber

Planted in greenhouse mid April and planted out in garden mid May. They are looking hardy.

Zucchini Black Beauty

Planted in greenhouse in mid April and transplanted in garden in mid May. These are looking hardy.

Yolo Wonder Pepper

These were planted in the greenhouse in mid April and I plan to plant them in the garden this weekend.

Waltham Butternut Squash

Planted in greenhouse in mid April and out into the garden in mid May. Very pretty.

Tomato

Planted in greenhouse in mid April and I plan to plant in garden this weekend. One plant I have planted in a Topsy Turvey planter just to see how it will do.

I have enjoyed planting these vegetables, but I must confess to you my friends......................that I really only enjoy growing pumpkins and zinnias. I imagine myself at 102 and sitting out by the road, selling pumpkins and fresh cut zinnias. How about you? Do you imagine yourself at an extremely old age? If so, what would you like to be doing? I would love to hear!