Scattered storms: a thunderhead, moving in over the neighborhood this evening …
Tag Archives: nature
The Next Big Chore
I managed to get our roses bushes pruned a few weeks ago, which was a little early for pruning, but I wanted to get the yard spruced up for a wedding. Now the next big chore is pruning the rest of our shrubs: hydrangeas*, crape myrtles, several varieties of spirea, viburnums, sand cherries, beauty berries, boxwoods, mugo pines, cedars and junipers. No wonder that it seems like a lot to do!
This is a hydrangea grandiflora paniculata which blooms best with severe blooming in the spring. It is definitely worth the work!
* Note, spring-blooming hydrangeas should be pruned after blooming. Those that bloom in summer and autumn should be pruned in spring.
Cloudy Sunrise
The clouds at sunrise this morning resembled mountains in the distance.
Have a lovely day!
Time for More Basil
Back in early October, we had unseasonably cold weather. So I snipped about a dozen branches from the basil plants in my garden and put them into water, hoping to extend their usable life by a few weeks. To my surprise they rooted and thrived in my kitchen. (I was surprised because I have never had luck keeping potted basil plants inside.) To my even greater surprise, I was able to keep them going for six months … well at least one of them. Because I used their leaves all winter, I am down to the last stem on my last branch. They were incredibly easy to keep going. I just changed the water and washed out the jars about once a week. What a wonderful, unexpected run of fresh basil. It is still too early to put new plants into the ground, as basil is not very cold hardy. However, I can start a few pots and just bring them in when the temperatures are about to dip too low. Yay! No need to be without this wonderful herb!
Have a lovely weekend!
The First Garden Flowers of Spring
Oh, joy! Two little Pickwick Crocuses popped their heads up today – the first flowers of the season to come up in my garden. Though they are just wee little things, it is a wonderful sign because once blooms start appearing more will soon follow!
Have a lovely day!
A Hard Winter’s Effect
Despite keeping it covered for the winter, our beautiful fountain is showing damage from the extreme weather this year. I am trying to convince myself to consider it “added charm,” yet I hate to see some of our lions heads crumbling. Oh, what to do? I guess, just wait for spring. Once the fountain is running and splendor has returned to the garden, the old beasts will seem more at ease.
Sunrise On High
It was a beautiful sunrise this morning. So during breakfast, I took a minute to dash to the top of our fire escape to grab a few photos. This was one of my favorites. I hope that you are having a lovely day!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Perspective
While in Florida recently, I stepped outside one evening and was surprised to see a brilliant post-storm vista unfold. Fortunately, I had my cell phone with me and was able to catch a few photos as the sun yielded the horizon to nightfall.
This week’s challenge invites the photographer to use perspective to make the subject of the photo look like something other than what it is. The scene that I photographed was the view as I accompanied my mother to her mailbox. I used perspective to hide the street and cars and to compose the image, capturing only the elements I wanted to remember. For more on this week’s Photo Challenge …
Dried Marilyn
With a day so gorgeous, I decided it was worth a second post. This picture is of a Marilyn Monroe rose dried on the bush. I leave the flowers on my rose bushes at the end of the gardening season as a reminder that once winter passes, they shall bloom lushly once again.
I hope that you, too, are getting to enjoy the weekend!
Siberian Iris Seedpods
Today is just one of those winter days to be treasured. The sky is an intense cyan blue; and with temperatures in the mid-50’s F, it feels almost balmy. I had to take the opportunity to go out into my garden and take some photos. This was my favorite of the afternoon.
Have a beautiful day!
A Taste of Morning 