Thursday, April 29, 2021

PART II of "Spring Is Here"

 

This little chickadee really confused me this week.  First he came out of one birdhouse
where I can hear babies and then he went
into another birdhouse where there
are babies.  Very confusing.


We have projects going on
 everywhere. My husband is
 moving the old wooden arbor to a new location (after he gets it painted). Right now though he is working on putting a store bought metal pergola together to go over the deck.
 
I have always loved
this saying:



  What a beautiful time of the
year now!  




This is my replacement birdbath:



Wednesday, April 28, 2021

SPRING IS HERE AND THE GARDEN IS NO LONGER LOCKED DOWN

 With overcast skies it was a perfect
time to catch some photos of my garden
today and share springtime:


I am sure you are like me and ready for
a consistent springtime.  We had two
nights a week ago that we had a freeze
and that was not nice for us garden lovers.


This year is my 5th garden year but
it will be our 6th summer in Missouri.


I am learning that once a garden
is established, there are always
things to share with others or
else it gets overrun.  I can't imagine
a selfish person having a garden as
it would become a jungle for sure.

Yesterday I started potting things for
our Daughter in Law.  She just
received her Doctorate and they
are moving here in town so she will be needing 
flowers for a new garden.  I am
very happy that she was hired at the
University of Missouri so they
won't be moving away. 


With overcast skies it was a
perfect photo day so I did some
collages because I had so many
photos:



The birdhouses have sparrows.
The bluebirds checked some of
our birdhouses out but wouldn't
take them.  All my Beatrix Potter
statuary has faired well this winter
since my husband and I covered 
them this time.  I have my replacement
 bird bath too for the one that cracked 
from not being covered 2 winters ago.


On the side of the house:


I hope your spring is lovely 
and I have exciting news.
I just had my very first
hummingbird for the season!


Monday, April 26, 2021

STRAWBERRY HILL FARMS IS OPEN

 Don't you love it when your local
growers open up for business:



Yesterday our spring weather
finally came back so I returned
to a favorite place to see what they
might of added from a few weeks ago.


So this family business is south of town where they have upwards of 50 greenhouses 
where they grow.  You have probably seen how they cover a frame with heavy plastic and create a greenhouse. In other words,
 they aren't just reselling someone else's product but growing it
themselves.


This place closes from labor day
to April but I imagine they are
busy planting in the greenhouses
starting in late January or February.



Many of the back row of 
greenhouses had seedings
coming along:


They  have such a wide variety of
things....many I have never heard of: 




Of course I love the topiaries but
have no way to bring them in at
wintertime so I already made that
mistake.

You might enjoy "googling" who
grows plants in your area.

Friday, April 23, 2021

BIRDIES YOU NEVER KNEW YOU HAD

 Yesterday it was fun to go to a friend's
charming home with some other lady
 friends who I hadn't seen in a long time
 and Karen served a delicious tea time. 
Karen has quite a gift of hospitality
and shares her lovely home with many.

 I should have taken my
camera.  

  Later on in the evening I heard
 chirping on my
little front porch.


I had no idea that there were baby birds
in that green birdhouse.  Apparently
they had all decided it was time to get
 out of there and go but none could fly
 and there they were jumping around 
on the sidewalk.  They were those cute
 Carolina Wrens that are rust colored
 and short and fat.  They leave our area in 
the cold of winter but have recently returned.

 I love those little birds
 but out into the garden they hopped
 and I feared  for them all night as it
 was cold and
rained. 

I hope their Mother finds them
and feeds them for a few days! 

I am also sharing this
YOU TUBE VIDEO:
Jane Austen Road trip :

Sunday, April 18, 2021

FRONT YARD TULIPS

 Just sharing our front yard
while the tulips are still
blooming:


Would you believe I dug up all the
orange ones and relocated them
to the back side.


Last year and this spring
I worked on this area trying
to conceal a utility box. 


The pussy willow in the front

was here when we came 5 years

ago and requires a lot of pruning:




And lastly over by the driveway:



So this is springtime in Missouri
with cool temperatures but
perfect for springtime flowers.

Saturday, April 17, 2021

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

FIRST "TEA IN THE GARDEN" for 2021

 Hello dear friends and welcome to

my first "Tea In The Garden for

the 2021 season:


As you can see - we have lots of

pretty tulips and still some daffodils

to brighten up the garden.



I am also sharing our new arbor
which we purchased a while back
in St. Louis.  We got it from an
antique mall that has a booth that
sells those metal garden items.




I hope you would love some tea
as I have some lovely black tea today.
Please pour yourself a cup and
also enjoy an apple puff.  (recipe
here)  I have set our little table with some
spring type English tea wares.
I do adore my Royal Winton
tea set which was like the ones
Victoria Magazine sold year
ago!






I have been working in the garden
quite a bit and actually removed
quite a lot of coneflowers which
were coming up in too many places.
People take anything I put out for
free on the driveaway.  As I was
on my daily walk last night I looked
at yards and wondered who might
have planted something from our yard.




My husband painted the arbor green
first but then decided it didn't show
up well so he changed it to white. 
Next, he is repairing and moving the old
blue wooden one to go in front of the gate.


We have had lovely violets blooming
around front and now the forget me
nots.  Our weather is still cool with a
few warmer days.  It is wonderful to
once again enjoy a green lawn.



The next thing to bloom will be the alliums
and the irises and the lilac bushes.  In
the meantime - cooler weather is coming
our way again.  Some of you will be
getting snow and for us it will be some
rain again.