Out of the Garden

I have been out of the garden so much this spring. I have a few photos I wanted to share with you. This first one is a Henslow's Sparrow. I know to most of you it will be just a LBJ (little brown job) but it is a sparrow that is very rare in our area. They have taken up residence in a newly formed Tern Bar Slough Wildlife Refuge near where we live. So we are excited about this development. Of course the ever present Dickcissle serenades us as we drive through this area.

This poor box turtle illustrates why we stay in our vehicle most of the time. UGH... I felt so sorry for it while the mosquitoes were trying to suck the poor critter dry. Obviously they don't mind if an animal is cold or warm blooded. The mosquitoes will take any blood.

On our way home today we were able to make a rescue. This poor Eastern Kingbird was obviously in distress. It was sitting gasping in the middle of a lane of traffic. We stopped and my Dearly Beloved picked it up and set it into a shrubby tree beside the road. We are hopeful that it wasn't critically injured and would recover after a few minutes of R&R.

Back in Vincennes this week I made a run to the Post Office. This was the first time I looked on the opposite side of the building where the TINY TREASURE of a garden is located. What a sight awaited me. This side of the house is as beautiful and small as the other side. Once again I saw no one tending this little treasure. I just wanted to share the rest of the garden with you.

I hope everyone is out having a great time this Memorial Holiday. If you want to see more details of any of these photos I beleive you should be able to click on them to enlarge. Cheers...

Iris Friends

Upon my return home from vacation and touring Kylee's Little Acre I couldn't wait to see what was going on in my garden. I have found when you go away in spring the garden changes dramatically while you are away. What I found was that the Irises were abloom. I was so excited because I just love the iris. Most of my iris are pass alongs too. Maybe that is why I like them so. They remind me of the people that have given them to me. This white iris is one of the named varieties that I have. I bought it while visiting a friend. This one is called Sea Gull but I think of it as Kay because she was with me when I bought it. This friend is Dan.

Here is Susan.

This huge white iris is difficult to photograph. It reminds me of two people. One is my Daughter Carrie. We were visitng her friend Angie one Mother's Day. Angie dug up several of these and gave them to me.

This pale yellow one is Barbara.

This one is also a Barbara.

This one has been in the garden so long and moved so many times that I don't have a name for it. It's pale presence is always appreciated though.

This dark yellow iris is Pat.

The last two blue and white iris are a couple I actually bought. However I don't have any idea about what their names might be. The color showing of this one in the picture doesn't do it justice. It is one of my favorites because the bud while unfolding is as beautiful as the iris itself.

And last but not least another blue and white iris. Maybe some day I can give this one to someone and then have a friends name for it.

I hope you all have a wonderful week. Enjoy this gorgeous spring weather while we can.

Garden Tour Meeting

I think some of you have noticed that I have been away for awhile. My Dearly Beloved and I went to visit family in Michigan. On the way home I got to meet Kylee of Our Little Acre at her Little Acre. I have been reading Kylee's blog for some time and figured that her little acre was located close to our traveling route. She graciously agreed to have DB and I visit Sunday afternoon. It was a delightful visit. Kylee's garden is full of whimsy and ...

WOW factors. I must say we were blessed with a beautiful day to tour. I thought it would be maybe a one hour stop but who would know that we could chat for 3 hours and still I missed a spot or two of her garden that I have read about in the past.

It seemed like we were close gardening friends. I knew of some of the features she had but was surprised that not all has been revealed, at least not while I have been reading her blog these past two years.

We talked so much that I didn't take many photos. This is a curse I have while traveling. I am so interested in what I am seeing that I forget to take photos. Oh well, maybe next time I will have a better presence of mind and take photos to share.

I want to thank Kylee and Romie for being such good Hosts. Those cookies tasted almost as good as your garden looked. I will be looking forward to seeing you at Spring Fling. We will have a blast. Please tell Mom that her generosity is now planted in my garden. All is ever more appreciated.

Tiny Treasure

For those of us that lament not having enough property to garden on I just had to show you this tiny jewel of a garden. This house sits at the end of the parking lot of our post office. This is what you see as you pull out of the parking lot. It is the tiniest little garden that you can imagine. As you can see the asphalt goes right up to the sidewalk that the occupant enters their apartment. The hell strip, if you will, has been turned into the most inviting, amazing garden. I have enjoyed it for the past couple of years always thinking I would take photos to share and hopefully meet the gardener. Well, I finally gave up on meeting the gardener and took a few photos today. The clematis is about to climb the little trellis and is blooming. All is filling out.

Even the stairs and small landing has much to offer.

I would love to meet the creative mind that has taken such a small space and created such an intriguing garden. Now if you fail to find a spot for your latest purchase just think of this poor gardener that has certainly made a pleasing garden from very little space. You simply can't feel sorry for yourself. I'm talking to myself here I guess.

If I have merely wetted your appetite for a garden tour you can pop over to Creating Our Eden to get some "Dirt Therapy". I can promise you won't be disappointed.

Dabbling with Daffodils

I was visiting Christopher over at Outside Clyde the other day and he mentioned that he thinks he has the ugliest daffodil. Now I agree that Christopher has the most daffodils I have seen displayed but the ugliest?? Naw... I think I have the ugliest daffodil. What do you all think about this one below? It is an ugly bugger but in the throes of early spring that bright yellow is so welcome I can't bear to tear it out. Do you have an ugly daffodil? Now so I don't scar anyone for life I want to present my pretty (to me) daffodils. I want to remember them so I have posted all I have. This way next fall I can look back and see what I have and not purchase the same variety to add to the garden.

Last fall I fell for the fancy centered varieties. Like the one below is 'Rosy Cloud'.

This one I've lost the tag that has its name. So we will just call it pretty.

Ooooo another pretty daffodil.

This one is a double flowering type called 'Calgary'.

This with the buttery yellow center doesn't have a name I can find. It is so pretty we will call it a narcissus. Now doesn't that sound prettier than Daffodil??

I guess you could say my record keeping has a lot to be desired for those that want to know the names of flowers but I mainly just enjoy what I see. I hope you all do too. What are you dabbling in lately?