Sunny-Rainy Garden

Posted on 05/25/2016 by Laurie

We have had quite a bit of rain this spring. In fact, for the first time in six years, Kansas is not in drought conditions.

At least one big storm passed through the area overnight and when I awoke this morning, the sky was full of ominous-looking clouds. So I wasn’t expecting to a few minutes of glorious sunshine for photographing the garden. By the time that I was done taking and uploading pictures onto my camera, rain clouds had moved back in. Our weather can change almost minute by minute.

Here are a few photos that I got in between bought of rain …

RoseCincoDeMayoRain

RoseMrLincolnRain

RoseLivinEasyRain

GardenLookingWest

As always, wishing you a lovely day whatever the weather might bring!

Passing By

Posted on 05/13/2016 by Laurie

Out running errands this afternoon, I saw this dramatic bit of sky as I looked to the north. To the south, bright blue skies with puffy white clouds … and the weather had been perfectly gorgeous this morning. This storm is just passing by from what I can tell, but bringing cooler temperatures along with it for the weekend. StormOverParkingLotCrop

Ah weather. It is always interesting.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Smoky Sunset

Posted on 03/23/2016 by Laurie

SmokySunset

Grassland fires are burning in Kansas and Oklahoma. I’m not sure whether those fires are the ones from which smoke is evident where we are located; but the smoke is making for an interesting sunset. Let’s hope that they get controlled quickly.

Over-View

Posted on 02/28/2016 by Laurie

Manhattan, Kansas on a warm winter day. ManhattanFromWaterTower

A Warm Winter Day on the Konza

Posted on 02/19/2016 by Laurie

We are experiencing unseasonably warm weather here in Manhattan, Kansas for this time of year – fabulous for walking on the Konza Prairie.

KonzaPrairieWalkers

KonzaPrairieWarmWinterDay

KonzaPrairieWarmWinterDay2

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Abbey’s Rose

Posted on 12/05/2015 by Laurie

Nature can be a crazy, beautiful thing. As amazing as it is, I still have one rose blooming in the garden – in December, a week after an ice storm.

This is a delicate miniature rose that a friend gave to us as a memorial to our Boston Terrier Abbey after “Abbs” passed away in the summer of 2014. I thought that I had lost it last spring when it didn’t come out of dormancy with our other roses; but I dug it up and put it in a pot, hoping that it would come back. Here “she” is, still blooming.

I am thinking that maybe I will bring the pot inside for the winter to see whether I can keep Abbey’s rose alive, since I have never successfully overwintered a potted rose outside. (I purchased roses in pots during winter months and transplanted them outside in the late spring, but have never gone in the other direction.)

In the meantime, on this December day, I am delighted to see Abbey’s rose and to think of our sweet girl.

Frozen Woods

Posted on 11/30/2015 by Laurie

A hilltop view of the frosty morning …

FrozenWoods

As always, wishing you a lovely day!

An Icy Day

Posted on 11/29/2015 by Laurie

With the freezing rain that we have had over the last 24 hours, it is a good day to stay inside, have a warm drink and read a book … or go outside and take pictures in the garden for a wee bit first if you are someone like me! These are quite a contrast from the photos that I took just 12 days ago. It is so dreary out today that I had to use a flash to get a few of the shots, something that I almost never do outside.

Wishing you a warm and lovely day … and safe travels to anyone out on the road in this area today!

Late Autumn Garden

Posted on 11/17/2015 by Laurie

So far this year, it has been a very mild autumn here in Manhattan, Kansas, allowing for an extended period of color in the garden. The weather, the last few days, has been grey and damp, with rain on and off. So the colors are really showing up in bright contrast to the skies. Here are a few pictures that I took this morning. I hope that you enjoy them!

JapaneseMapleNov2015-2

RoseMagentaNov2015

RoseMarilynMonroeNov2015

Pumpkin&Geranium

ChrysanthemumNov2015

DaisyNov2015

BeautyBerryNov2015

JapaneseMapleArtisticNov2015

Wishing you a beautiful day!

Getting Started

Posted on 04/29/2015 by Laurie

After a coolish and rainy April, the garden is full of buds are about ready to burst open with color. Here are a few photos from this morning of our early bloomers.