My Quiet Space

I think all of us have a personal place where we can relax and unwind. Now that I am retired, there is not much stress, but still, I like a place to relax and reflect on the day. My front-yard swing is just such a place for me, in the mornings and evenings. It is my little garden of color, fun, and enjoyment of nature.

These were taken this morning as I enjoyed my hot cider and listened to the birds waking up, the neighbors starting their yard work, and the occasional bark from Daisy as someone dared walk down HER sidewalk – her self-imposed guard duty.

I invite fellow flower enthusiasts to come along and enjoy my morning stroll through the colors in my yard. Below are the flowers you can’t see well because of the sunflowers’ takeover.

Below are the random shots I took of this morning’s color. I hope you enjoy.

The flowers above are meant to attract hummingbirds. I think they prefer the feeder more.

Here, the sunflowers are taking second stage, as the bees are enjoying them, and then hiding under one sunflower is a determined daisy pushing through.

Calibrachoa are a favorite for their delicate blooms and wide variety of colors.

Another summer favorite from childhood is lantana. It grew wild on my grandparents’ farm.

I normally don’t buy a pot already filled with various plants, but the colors of this one caught my eye. It is filled with various colors of pink, but a red-tinted leafy plant. Don’t have a name for it, sorry, but it’s interesting.

Always remember, the beauty of nature is something God wants to share with us. Think of the walks He had with Adam and Eve through the Garden of Eden. He still wants to share that beauty with us. So, enjoy. And remember to be kind. Kindness can open doors long thought locked.

Spring…Finally

I saw today that some of the upper passes in Colorado had snow. I think we are finally done with winter here in the Midwest, even though it is going down in the low 50s for Easter morning.

So I am going to share some of the early color in my yard…for now. I am just getting started. I can’t help but smile when I start seeing trees bud and the early bulbs pop through to share their beauty. Even though my allergies take a hit, I love spring.

My yellow daffodil varieties are usually the first to show their pretty faces. Then the doubled white daffodils come in with the tulips. Most of my tulips have not opened yet, so I still get that smile to come.

I put in some early perennials that I hope return each year.

I have become interested in English daisies since we saw them already blooming when we went to England in February.

This next group I have heard of but never have planted them. The nemesia is a pot of mixed colors.

These last two are from my church. When we did some major cleaning of overgrown shrubs around the courtyard, we found a small azalea trying its best to survive. And now it looks great. Then last summer, a storm took down one of our large oak trees, so we made a planter out of it.

We planted some perennials in the rotting trunk, hoping they will grow and cascade over the sides.

I hope you are enjoying your spring. Let the smiling faces of the flowers help you smile, and as always, remember to be kind. Kindness creates smiles inside as well as outside.

CFFC Single Flower

I am also looking forward to doing more challenges. Summer has kept me busy so now that it is slowing down, I can find ways to play. thanks Cee for restarting CFFC for fun foto challenges.

Now that fall is around the corner, the oranges and yellows of fall are beginning to show their pretty little faces. I think this is one of several varieties of coreopsis.

While this is thought of as a single flower, if you look close, there are tiny flowers in the center. Nature is so cool. As you enjoy nature, carry that smile and share it with others. That smile may be just that thing someone needs.

And always be kind.

Yard Color

I have not posted very many of my flowers this summer and summer is almost gone. We have had lots of rain this year which helps in some areas and hinders in others. But nature is still my favorite way to relax.

A favorite hardy flower is Portulaca, most commonly know as Moss Roses, as they do look like a small rose. While the blooms are small, their colors are amazing – multiple colors from the same plant.

A new plant for me this year is an Ice Plant. Quite interesting as it totally closes up at night and reopens the next morning. I guess he understands the power of a good night’s sleep.

This last flower for today I don’t know the name of but it is an interesting tiny flower on a mound of greenery. It has three larger petals and two smaller ones giving it a unique shape. The only purple left in my yard.

As summer begins to wind down, let us not forget the beauty we enjoyed and welcome in the fall colors of yellow and orange. Have a great week and always remember the simple beauty of kindness.

The Storms of Summer

I think everywhere in the world understand the storms of summer can be rough but here in the US summer storms bring severe thunderstorms, derecho winds, tornadoes and of course downpours.

While the rain is being enjoyed by our community garden, the wind has not been our friend. Early morning storms today played havoc for a decades old oak tree by our church.

You can see the top portion of this beautiful tree was broken off like a match stick.

The clouds, since daybreak, have been ominous as they pounded us with water.

But the flowers still prove that they can survive, maybe even thrive as long as the winds stay clear of their tender stems.

And as the clouds begin to dissipate, George, the neighborhood Red Tail Hawk, calls out to remind us that all is well and to always trust in the creator of all things to create beauty after a storm, regardless of where the storm that may be happening.

I close with a reminder to be kind especially in the midst of a storm. It will make the storm more bearable.

Playing in the Dirt

Now that I am of a ‘certain age’ the idea of a large yard is highly overrated. Who wants to cut all that grass. While I am not fond of the noisy teenagers in close proximity, I do enjoy being to pant lots of flowers in all of my yard. Last year I planted some perennials along my fence which makes less work along the fence line.

I am especially fond of the golden yarrow. I know that it can take over, but right now, I see no issue with that. Less work for beautiful flowers.

I thought I would send out to other flower enthusiast, the colors in my yard.

Petunia are always fun with so many different color options plus they can handle warmer weather. Perineal flowers are always a fun option to see if they can survive the interesting winters here in Iowa. I got a new one this year, an Ice Plant. We will see it I can keep it alive.

Other long standing perennials that are still surviving are Coreopsis, Balloon Flower and Bee Balm.

A little later in the summer, I will start putting out the mums. I love the colors of mums in the fall. That is pretty much the gist of my small yard, hope you enjoyed. Have a great summer and always remember to be kind.

Enjoyment in the Swing

Recently I had a friend put up a yard swing for me. A little gift for me from my tax return. Yesterday and today were gorgeous days so I got a lot done in my yard, for tomorrow we are expecting rain. Thought I would share my views from my swing.

You can’t really see the flowers much from these pics, so I will include a few.

My lilacs are in full bloom and the yard smells amazing. The bees and butterflies are hanging close to them but would not be still enough for pictures. Guess they are a bit camera shy.

This is a new flower for me – Lavender Stream Lobularia. A small light-scented cluster flower with 4 tiny petals on each tiny flower.

I have always been fond of Verbena and this rich purple is really nice. Evidently the squirrels like it too. I had to move it to a place where they could not climb in to it to nap. The cool colors of spring are still the favorite. Once summer gets here, we will change to bright yellows and reds.

The downy woodpeckers have been fun to watch, hanging precariously before learning how to stand on the thin wire stand.

The beauty and enjoyment of spring I can now enjoy as I slowly swing and relax. Have a wonderful week and remember to always be kind.

FOTD, Purple

We had a decent day today and when I got home from work I was able to spend some time in my swing. As I surveyed my spring flowers, I noticed I sure do have lots of purple. No that that is a bad thing, it just shows I like purple. So I thought I would share some of my pictures with you. Its getting that time of year where my phone is more of a camera than a phone. 😊

I did not realize that all the tulips were purple. I could have sworn they were a mixed bag of bulbs, guess the purple won out. But they are varieties of flowers – some are single with green stripes and some are doubled that look more like a rose than a tulip.

One section near the house is now filled in with periwinkle that dropped from a potted plant over 5 years ago.

A new plant for me this year is Nemesia, they come in pink, white, and purple. Of course, I bought all three.

The Wind Flowers has always been a favorite but I had not see this color before.

Well, I guess that is all the Flowers of the Day for today. Cee, I hope the pollen lets up soon for you. It would be a shame to miss Spring’s beauty. I found that the face mask helps with the pollen as well.

Enjoy the colors of spring or fall wherever you may be and try to always be kind.

Fun at the Feeder

Our spring here in Iowa is taking another nap allowing winter to re-dip his cold fingers back into our season. With an expected hard freeze, I took the liberty to move what plants I could into the sunroom. This room is not heated but it will not be as cold as outside or allow the chance for frost. The remaining plants I have covered with towels or sheets. While this will not protect them much from the cold, it will protect them from potential frost.

So I restocked the feeders and let the birds entertain me. We saw the familiar family of mourning doves with their feathers fluffed up against the old.

Another frequent visitor, especially with fresh peanuts available, is the Blue Jay.

The Red Breasted Woodpecker is always a fun bird to watch but they stay more to the feeder with the nuts already in pieces.

Other birds were available like Wrens, House Finches, and Sparrows but I was not quick enough with my little camera that is on my phone to capture their fun.

Hopefully by Wednesday, we will revert back to normal springtime temperatures. I hope it settles soon as its time to start thinking “All Things Garden”. In the mean time, let us think warm thoughts and be kind to all things.

FOTD, 3/12 Spring Rebirth

Cee’s Flower of the Day is always a wonderful reminder of the beauty of this earth. Spring is a time of rebirth of many bulbs, trees, and sometimes even us humans. Last fall I moved stuff around in yard and covered up one of my daffodil bulbs without realizing it. This morning as I was moving things again, I moved that block and was sad that I had coved a bulb and shocked at its determination to survive.

Without the sun, no chlorophyl was made but still the plant pushed through. By this afternoon, it was beginning to stand tall reaching for the sun, broken but alive. Other bulbs coming up in my tard are the crocus as well as other daffodils.

And my lilac bushes are budding. Can’t wait for their fragrance to fill the air with their beautiful and delicate blooms.

Other Daffodils and crocus flowers…

While pollen and I are not friends…I still love the beauty of spring. May you all have a wonderful and colorful spring. And remember the beauty of kindness and may you share it often.