bulbs are sprouting

The bulbs I planted back in February have finally sprouted and are growing so well. I can't wait to see them bloom!

Stock flower

I have a friend who sells her antiques out in the country at her home. Her name is Bell and she is 91. A few years ago, I would pack up my young children and go out to visit her and help sort and clean her treasures. She loves flowers as much as antiques and she loves sharing her garden bounty with everyone. Bell, never allowed grass to grow in her yard, instead, she had beautiful wild flowers growing in clumps and spots, along with other flowers she planted. She gave me a start of these beautiful, fragrant flowers. They have a name that does not hold up to their beauty. They are called Stock flower. They are extremely hardy for the harsh enviornment of West Texas. They stay green all year round, drought resistant and start blooming, as you can see, this early in the year. One can smell their blossoms several feet away. They will be perfect for Easter since it is coming so early this year.

Onions and fried green tomatoes

The daffodil and tulips are waking up and showing off their beauty. Spring is almost here and I am looking forward to it. I spent this past week, tilling the garden spots for my vegetables I want to plant. I love the smell of fresh ground being broken up. All I have in the ground are sweet onion and garlic. They can take harsh winter elements... as we are supposed to get snow today. I bought tomato plants and will plant them when the weather gets warmer. There is nothing better to me than cornbread and beans with fried green tomatoes and fresh garden onions! I was raised on country cooking and my mom was and still is the best cook ever. I have been so blessed!

Spring is springing

One of our rituals that Sophie and I like to do (along with a few of our cats), is to walk the grounds in the early morning. For Sophie, it's to sniff out our latest visitor, for the cats, it's a chance to hide in the prairie grass and to jump out and surprise us, and for me, it's a chance to see what flower or plant has awoken from it's deep winter sleep. The Italian Jasmine is a very special plant here on the grounds. This is an heirloom plant that can no longer be obtained by our local nursery. I found this out a few years ago when I had tried to order it. The owner of the nursery told me the best way to obtain it was to find an abandoned house or lot and dig it up. This opportunity arose for me a few years back. I spotted this growing on a stone ledge on a vacant lot in the back of an alley. I dug and dug and took this treasure home. Only a few weeks later, the lot had been bull dozed down and turned into a parking lot for a pharmacy. I felt so lucky to have saved this old plant. Even though the weather is still cold, it has woke up and said hello in it's cheery color of yellow.

Happy Valentine's Day

To all of the dear friends I have come to meet through all of the blogs here on blogspot, Happy Valentine's day. I feel blessed to connect and visit with all of you. Blessings, Kathleen

Primrose

I adore primroses! They look like the florals painted on my vintage china that I like to collect. These beauties were calling out to me yesterday, so I just had to bring them home!

Caladiums and Freesias

I am getting busy today planting Caladium tubers and Freesia corms. Instead of planting them in the beds on the grounds this year, I am planting them in separate containers. If they sprout and do well, I hope to sell them at the farmer's market this coming summer. I may keep just a few. These are all mixed varieties so I can't wait to see how colorful they may be!