More Garden Sights...

 After I was done tilling up the soil in the garden this morning, I decided to walk around to the front of the house. 

Hello!  Look at my hydrangeas!  I honestly thought they were about ready for the mulch pile when I planted them.  I've had these two hydrangeas for 2 & 3 years and I was lucky if I got leaves on them.  Moral of the story....if it doesn't grow in one place, move it to another. 

Aren't the flowers beautiful? I can't believe how many blossoms there are.

It just doesn't get much prettier....but wait, there's more.

Wait until you see the color of this one.

Two things I've learned this year.  Move it, if it doesn't grow where it's planted and don't cut it down after the blooming season is over.

As I walked by my bunny garden at the corner of the house, there was my other gardenia bush. 

It is just beginning to bloom but will have lots more in a week.

Sometime soon, I'm going to take you on a visit to my friend Christy's house and show you what a Southern garden is all about.  (Christy, if you are reading this, I'll be calling for a photography tour.  After, I'll buy lunch.)  Her home has a fountain, two secret gardens, a flagstone walkway
surrounded by herbs, an arbor and too much more to even mention here.  

Happy digging,

Gretchen 

  

How Does Your Garden Grow...

 This is the entrance to my garden and although my Confederate Jasmine isn't blooming now, it does look nice on the arbor.

 This is one of the two Gardenia bushes I have.  If I had known I could grow my favorite flower at home, I would have moved to South Carolina sooner. 

 This is one of the blossoms.  Aren't they gorgeous and the smell is better than any perfume.

 I wish I could let you have a sniff test.

My Zinnia bed is really filling in.

One of the Zinnia's is almost ready to pop open.

My granddaughter Chloe picked out this cardinal for me for Mother's Day.  It's wings flap in the wind and I think it is prettier than a Scarecrow.

These are my cucumbers that I planted 2 weeks ago.  Or was it 3 weeks ago?  Anyway, they are really looking good.

We've already got tomatoes on this plant.

I didn't get a picture of the entire garden.  On the right are the zucchini and yellow squash plants.  Those, I planted from seeds when I planted the cucumbers.

This is my Lavender that I planted last week.

These day lilies will bloom all summer long.  Just a hint for you young girls out there.....always have a bench near your garden to rest between working in it.

How does your garden grow?

Gretchen 

A Few Vignettes...

I decided to change my table centerpiece to something more "Summery".  I don't like a lot of clutter on the table because this is where we eat everyday.

I tried to fill this wooden bowl with shells but didn't have quite enough.  Lucky for me, I'm headed to the Atlantic Coast of Florida for a vacation in July and I can resupply.

I created this little vignette for my hutch.  

Most of these shells came from a trip to Florida a couple of years ago with our oldest grandson, Nicholas.

I love mixing antique Tea Leaf Ironstone, Depression Glass and more modern elements.  Along with the topiaries I also added shells to give it that Summer feel.

Gretchen 

Tree Falling Down...

This is my window on the world from my desk and laptop position.  Yesterday, I was sitting here typing away and heard a chainsaw outside my window. 

This was the dead tree we've been watching for the last couple of years and worrying that it would fall.  Everytime we got a storm branches would drop on the road.

The young man who owns the house across from us probably hasn't had the money to get rid of it before, but I couldn't have been happier when I heard that chainsaw.

This is what the tree looked liked before.  Not much greenery going on there.

One guy climbed the tree and cut off the limb that was closest to our house.  They had a guy in our yard blowing debris into the street and they had a small bulldozer with a claw to grab the pieces after it was cut apart.  They then cut the trunk of the tree and the rest fell in the woods. 

Mr. Bird Nest asked me last night why I didn't take pictures when all that stuff was on the road and I told him I was in my PJ's and couldn't.  I didn't mention that it was 11:00 a.m.

This is what it looks like now and we have a much prettier view.

Now, if he would only get this dead tree cut down that has the potential to fall on our Magnolias.

Gretchen

What are you reading Tuesday...

I grew up voracious reader!  I just couldn't read enough books.  First it was kid books, then Nancy Drew, then anything I was interested in.  I read a lot of horse books because I loved horses and riding.  I read a lot of books about Abe Lincoln.  When I was in my twenties, I read a lot of self help books trying to make my marriage work.  Now, I read mostly mysteries or decorating books. 

 This is a part of my library.  You can see books by John Grisham, Steve Martini, James Patterson, Harlen Coben, Lisa Scottoline, Michael Palmer and many more.

I collect books by Frances Parkinson Keyes.  She was an author in the 1930's and 1940's.

I have some of my mother's collection of Detective Book Club books.  She had hundreds of them and when she passed away, I kept some of hers and my favorites. 

 I have decorating books by the hundreds.  I gave a lot away a few years ago to the Literary Guild in our area for their annual book sale.

 You can see I love cottage style books.

 I love, love English decorating so I've got lots of those books.

 I've always wanted a dream kitchen so I have lot of those books.  I may need them in the not too distant future but that's our little secret.

I have about 250 books on my Kindle, but there is nothing like the touch or feel of a real book.

 I love decorating my garden too. 

Starting next Tuesday (if I can figure it all out) I'm going to begin a weekly link-up of books you and I are reading.  It can be romance, mystery, sci-fi, parenting, just whatever you like.  And you can review it from your perspective.

I read about anything.  It could be the cereal box.  Or a milk carton.

I'm so excited that my grandson Carson loves, loves to read too.  His Dad went to Barnes & Noble twice last week to get him more books.  He's in 2nd grade.  In first grade he read all the Harry Potter books.  Yeah, I know.  He didn't get any of those smarts from me.

Anyway.....next week you will be able to link up to my blog (fingers crossed) with the book you are currently reading.

See you then.

Gretchen

Ta Da...My New Toy

A few weeks ago, Mr. Bird Nest told me he was going to get me a new laptop for our 22nd wedding anniversary, which is on June 16.

Now, I don't think when they made up the list of gifts for certain anniversaries, computers were on it, but I'm more than happy with his gift (at least it's not an appliance).

He is a very savvy computer guy so I just left that task to him, until this past Saturday, when he found some good deals with the extras he thought I needed.

He is the IS or IT guy for our entire family, so I trusted him to bring me the latest and greatest.

Previously, I had a Toshiba that I loved, so I was thinking I wanted another of those.

By the way, my son Rick gave me those beautiful pink roses for Mother's Day.   

Anyway......Mr. Bird Nest found a big sale at Staples and we looked over everything they had online.  I loved this Toshiba and Saturday was the last day it was on sale.  We raced over to Staples at about 4:00, bought it, and got a $100 gift card too.  Sweet!  We brought it home and Mr. Bird Nest loaded everything.  It was lightening fast.  The only thing that didn't transfer were my pictures from 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.  I of course panicked and thought they were lost forever, but not Mr. Bird Nest.  Mr. Calm and Collected went back and forth from his desk top to my lap top a few times and there they were.  Whew!  I was back in business and that business is blogging.

I'm having to adjust to the keyboard since this one has a number pad and my old one didn't.  I'm guessing Mr. Bird Nest thought it would help me balance my checkbook.  Hah.  I'm not sure anything can help with that.  Oh, and I even have Skype!

All in all a wonderful weekend and Mother's Day, spending time with my two great sons and a hubby that I might joke about, but he is certainly a keeper.

Gretchen