Mother's Day Weekend
We had an absolutely beautiful weekend...the weather could have not been more perfect. So you know what that means...from sun up to sun down we are in the yard doing something. We finally finished planting all the annuals to give the yard that little extra bit of color. While I was wandering around the yard looking for "dead" spots, I ran across these pumpkin vines.
These are seeds that we saved from when the McGilvary's and Hucker's were here for Halloween. I didn't think they were going to make it. So, Yvonne, next time you come you have to take a two vines home for you all. I sent some seeds to KS...wonder if they grow pumpkins in CO?
Our shed... AKA... the barn, is starting to look pretty good. My Dad got the bell fixed, yet again. This bell has traveled with us from house to house starting with the "big house on the big hill" in WV...then to OH, on to WI and back to OH. We planted a Mandevilla(that pink vining plant) in honor of my Dad because he loves that flower...he his one on his bell in his front yard...and because every move the bell gets broken and he gets it fixed. Thanks Dad! 
This old wringer washer was a find on the side of the road in WI. I was so excited when Mark called to say he had found a real treasure! It really worked. We always fill it with lots of plants with lots of color. I am just hoping that they will get enough of sun. 
I love old blue granetware pots. Papaw keeps his eyes open for them and Mark drills the drainage holes. I think we all make a pretty good team.
I've been having a little trouble with the birds or squirrels turning over the buckets. Two mornings in a row I have found one certain buckets turned over and all messed up. I keep looking for something that they have hidden but nothing yet.
We love using different things for planters. My favorite has to be galvanized old rusty buckets. We filled about 6 of them with annuals and sat them in the beds for interest and color. Sweet potato vines like this green one are my favorites...but you have to baby them...they don't like the heat much and they love the water. 
I am so thrilled that we are back down close to God's Country so I can grow rhododendron. This is the first bloom that we have on the two really scrawny bushes that we have. I keep telling it that it has to grow and bloom to all its glory to show everyone how beautiful it can be...it must be pretty bad when you are encouraging your plants!
Lambs ear is one of the softest plants that we have in the yard. It actually feels like a lambs ear. It also get a tall purple pink flower mid summer.
A close up of one of the dark pink blooms on the Mandeville. There are light pink ones also. I can't wait to see how far up the bell post it grows by then end of summer. Then I will have to dig it up and bring it in. My Dad says that is what he does with his every year.
I love the deep color of these Siberian iris. They are so small compared to the other iris we have. They almost look like little orchids. There are several clumps of these around the yard...one clump that is near and dear to my heart...Yvonne and I went into the marsh and dug them up before we were told that digging up wild flowers is against the law...we honestly didn't have any idea. I thinks that might be the same day that Yvonne tried to catch a turtle...
Here is a close up...see I told you they were really pretty. 
When we moved here, there was a fish pond inside railroad ties. We got rid of the pond and kept the ties. We made a "Nursery bed" for all the plants that we have transplanted from WV, OH and WI...a place where they get just a little bit more TLC in hopes they will live. The ties are old and have cracks in them. Last fall I went around the yard and looked for lone plants and planted them in the cracks...and this is what I found this spring. I love it! I call these the railroad sedum.
I was able in WI to find this Soloman's seal growing in the wild. This came from Betsy's yard. When the flowers bloom they hang underneath the under spine of the leaf. They are so delicate.
Michael, Luke and I were using the water for a variety of activities and we found this tree frog. He hung around for a long time but finally had had enough of us toughing him and taking his picture.
Bryce made the mistake of calling to say that for Mother's Day he would come over and do yard work. Man was I ready! I wish I had picture to show you what this area of the yard looked like when we moved it...maybe picture the Amazon Rain forest..all grown up...weeds past your waist. We have been weeding, cutting, burning, tilling...anything to get rid of it all. Bryce and I finally got all the overgrown bushes and a million stumps out. Now all we have to do is get the brush all mulched up to use for a path through the flowerbed. 
As if that wasn't enough work...we started work on the newest bed...the hosta bed under the big pines. We worked all afternoon while Emmy and Sarah prepared dinner. Bryce ended up with blisters all over his hands but no sunburn this time.
Mark has been wanting some kind of trellis to fill in the back open spaces. We finally found one and added a scarlet trumpet vine. We are hoping that the hummingbirds find them when they bloom.
And last but not least...Mother's Day ferns for the front porch. Bryce says all that I need now is a little bird to build a nest...just like we used to have...a trip down memory lane.
Happy Mother's Day.
These are seeds that we saved from when the McGilvary's and Hucker's were here for Halloween. I didn't think they were going to make it. So, Yvonne, next time you come you have to take a two vines home for you all. I sent some seeds to KS...wonder if they grow pumpkins in CO?
Our shed... AKA... the barn, is starting to look pretty good. My Dad got the bell fixed, yet again. This bell has traveled with us from house to house starting with the "big house on the big hill" in WV...then to OH, on to WI and back to OH. We planted a Mandevilla(that pink vining plant) in honor of my Dad because he loves that flower...he his one on his bell in his front yard...and because every move the bell gets broken and he gets it fixed. Thanks Dad! 
This old wringer washer was a find on the side of the road in WI. I was so excited when Mark called to say he had found a real treasure! It really worked. We always fill it with lots of plants with lots of color. I am just hoping that they will get enough of sun. 
I love old blue granetware pots. Papaw keeps his eyes open for them and Mark drills the drainage holes. I think we all make a pretty good team.
I've been having a little trouble with the birds or squirrels turning over the buckets. Two mornings in a row I have found one certain buckets turned over and all messed up. I keep looking for something that they have hidden but nothing yet.
We love using different things for planters. My favorite has to be galvanized old rusty buckets. We filled about 6 of them with annuals and sat them in the beds for interest and color. Sweet potato vines like this green one are my favorites...but you have to baby them...they don't like the heat much and they love the water. 
I am so thrilled that we are back down close to God's Country so I can grow rhododendron. This is the first bloom that we have on the two really scrawny bushes that we have. I keep telling it that it has to grow and bloom to all its glory to show everyone how beautiful it can be...it must be pretty bad when you are encouraging your plants!Lambs ear is one of the softest plants that we have in the yard. It actually feels like a lambs ear. It also get a tall purple pink flower mid summer.
A close up of one of the dark pink blooms on the Mandeville. There are light pink ones also. I can't wait to see how far up the bell post it grows by then end of summer. Then I will have to dig it up and bring it in. My Dad says that is what he does with his every year.
I love the deep color of these Siberian iris. They are so small compared to the other iris we have. They almost look like little orchids. There are several clumps of these around the yard...one clump that is near and dear to my heart...Yvonne and I went into the marsh and dug them up before we were told that digging up wild flowers is against the law...we honestly didn't have any idea. I thinks that might be the same day that Yvonne tried to catch a turtle...
Here is a close up...see I told you they were really pretty. 
When we moved here, there was a fish pond inside railroad ties. We got rid of the pond and kept the ties. We made a "Nursery bed" for all the plants that we have transplanted from WV, OH and WI...a place where they get just a little bit more TLC in hopes they will live. The ties are old and have cracks in them. Last fall I went around the yard and looked for lone plants and planted them in the cracks...and this is what I found this spring. I love it! I call these the railroad sedum. I was able in WI to find this Soloman's seal growing in the wild. This came from Betsy's yard. When the flowers bloom they hang underneath the under spine of the leaf. They are so delicate.
Michael, Luke and I were using the water for a variety of activities and we found this tree frog. He hung around for a long time but finally had had enough of us toughing him and taking his picture.
Bryce made the mistake of calling to say that for Mother's Day he would come over and do yard work. Man was I ready! I wish I had picture to show you what this area of the yard looked like when we moved it...maybe picture the Amazon Rain forest..all grown up...weeds past your waist. We have been weeding, cutting, burning, tilling...anything to get rid of it all. Bryce and I finally got all the overgrown bushes and a million stumps out. Now all we have to do is get the brush all mulched up to use for a path through the flowerbed. 
As if that wasn't enough work...we started work on the newest bed...the hosta bed under the big pines. We worked all afternoon while Emmy and Sarah prepared dinner. Bryce ended up with blisters all over his hands but no sunburn this time.
Mark has been wanting some kind of trellis to fill in the back open spaces. We finally found one and added a scarlet trumpet vine. We are hoping that the hummingbirds find them when they bloom. And last but not least...Mother's Day ferns for the front porch. Bryce says all that I need now is a little bird to build a nest...just like we used to have...a trip down memory lane.Happy Mother's Day.
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