A Gardener at Heart

I love puttering and piddling and playing with plants and flowers, but I have to confess that I'm not much of a gardener.  I truly love plants and flowers and enjoy digging in the dirt and planting them, but I don't have the patience it takes to fertilize, or re-pot, or prune, or spray for insects and diseases, and all the other things that separate the dedicated gardeners from people like me.  I guess my little "Grow dammit" sign pretty much sums up my philosophy of gardening.

I just want my flowers to grow and be happy and make pretty blooms and not lose their leaves or turn yellow or brown or wilt.  Is that too much to ask?

  

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a pretty pink Knockout Rose, and it bloomed beautifully ... for about a week. 

When I noticed it wasn't blooming as profusely, I moved it out into the courtyard where it would get more sun.  But it has been steadily going down hill, and looks as if it has been literally "knocked out" and is down for the count.

I'll give it a couple of weeks and if it doesn't perk up, I'm afraid it's going to end up on "death row," which is where I put the plants that don't survive my "tender loving care."

On a brighter note ... I'm pleased to say that I actually have quite a few survivors. Like this ivy plant ...

It sits on a table on our porch and makes me smile every time I see it and its little bird friend.  

This primitive little wooden birdhouse planter was the container for a Mother's Day bouquet from my sweet husband ...

I added a clump of ferns in a clay pot and, I ask you ...

does it get any cuter (or simpler) than that!

Fortunately, considering my lack of gardening skills and gardener virtues, I've discovered that you don't have to spend a lot of money on exotic plants to add interest to your landscaping.  

This "grocery store" palm plant is nestled amongst a couple of stone birds on a table beside our porch door, and seems to be quite content with just a drink of water every now and then ...

My daughter gave me the pretty copper and aqua planter shown below for Mother's Day, and I love the way the coleus plants perfectly complement the colors of the planter ...

So far, so good ... 

Red Impatiens make a pretty contrast with the verdigris armillary on this little garden cart.  I have to water them every day or they will wilt (not a good prognosis of things to come?).

Lantana is a great cascading plant for large urns and is practically maintenance-free.

I am "into" lime green this spring, for some reason, and spray painted an old urn that had red Sunpatiens planted in it (I kindly covered the flowers with a plastic bag, in case you're wondering).  I like the combination of lime and red ... 

I also added Sunpatiens to this planter beside the path leading from the courtyard to our backyard ...

I can see the planter from our bedroom window, and I love opening the blinds in the morning and being greeted by those pretty red blooms.   I just hope they survive the long, hot summer that's fast approaching.

Simple ornamental grass plants in urns or pots are easy to take care of and can fill a space where you need a little something extra.  Variegated liriope looks elegant in this footed urn with a small iron trellis.

This urn is beside our pond and  holds a variegated Asiatic Jasmine plant, which has "weathered" several winters and faithfully comes back in the Spring (my kind of plant!).  

I'm terrible about throwing away the tags that come on plants (something a true gardener would never do!), and I don't know what kind of plant this is ... I know it's some kind of lily grass, but can't remember the name.

I bought it last winter and was so pleased that it survived.  Another one that just needs water to be happy. 

I hope I haven't given the impression that I don't love gardening ... because I do enjoy it, very much.  I am in my glory when I'm digging in the dirt and "tending" my flowers ... it's like therapy and one of my most favorite things to do when I'm not out taking pictures.  In fact, I've tried to instill a love of gardening in our granddaughter Avery Grace, since she was old enough to know what a flower is.  Here she is helping her great-granddaddy plant tomatoes when she was four ...

And planting Morning Glory seeds when she was five ... 

I have a very special gardening project that I'm looking forward to doing with Avery this coming weekend. So, perhaps, I am a gardener, after all ...  at heart, if not in the most literal sense.  And isn't that even better?

  

The Colors of Spring

{ Post No. 1050 }

I spent a very pleasant afternoon one day last week strolling the grounds and gardens of one of my most favorite places in Vicksburg -- the Old Court House Museum.

The above picture was taken when the dogwoods were blooming last Spring, but it's a little early for them to be blooming now.  However, the colors and signs of Spring were scattered everywhere, in spite of the recent heavy rains and cold winds we've been having in Vicksburg.   

Forsythia, Quince, and Narcissus were blooming ...

And, although the mauve irises looked rather downtrodden after a rain shower the night before ...

I managed to find a lovely bloom that withstood the wind and rain, as if it was just waiting for me to come along and capture it in all its glory before it, too, faded ...

And glorious, it was!

 Not to be outdone, the color purple was royally represented by this beautiful purple iris ...

Do you remember when Crayola had a crayon called "Spring Green?"  That's what came to mind when I spotted this bicycle leaning against the building ...

It's still a little early for the roses in the rose garden to bloom, but I came across a couple of lovely "early bloomers" ...

This forlorn-looking little hydrangea bush was tucked amongst the Camellias, its faded blooms patiently waiting to be replaced with this season's bright pink or blue blossoms.  If you look closely, by clicking on the picture, you can see tiny leaf buds popping out.  I'd love to go back in June to find out if it is a "boy or girl" hydrangea.

I loved rambling around the grounds of the Court House, and look forward to going back in a couple of weeks to capture the Azaleas and Dogwoods in bloom.  

In the meantime, I hope you will join me next time as I take you through the Crape Myrtle arch shown in the picture below,  and down the brick path to explore a very special memorial resting underneath the branches of that old oak tree in the distance.  

Butterflies, Birds, and Blooms

Just sharing some pictures today — from my birds, butterflies, and flowers albums [you can click on the pictures, if you'd like to get a closer look]. Cardinal on Ice Japanese Magnolia Blossom Gulf Fritillary on Chaste Tree Blossom Little Robin Red Breast Silhouette This one reminds me of Batman Red-Bellied Woodpecker Wistful Wisteria Hummer with his tongue out ... Queen Anne's Lace Pascagoula Pals Dewberry I hope these brightened your day. It is a dreary, stormy day here in Vicksburg, and they helped to brighten mine.