Some barns and lavender

A short ride to areas around Warsaw County the other day.  Beautiful farmland and some great looking old barns.    Not too far down the way is a beach area with camping. I used to go there when kids were young, and they would play in the water and there were swing sets too.  We had a Coleman pop up camper and had a very good time cooking out and sleeping in it. 

I hope these fields stay fields of corn.   I have seen enough of solar panels ruining landscape in some areas of Va.   Virginia has some gorgeous countryside and I find it so relaxing to take a drive out and see some of it. 

Finished cutting the last of the little bit of lavender growing around my dogwood tree.  

I wish I knew the botanical name for this lavender.  I purchased it years ago and have been rooting cuttings ever since.  It was sold as Richmond Lavender.  It does grow very well in extreme cold and heat here in Virginia.  I would like to know the type though.  I am thinking something like a Provence Lavender, not sure

It's scraggly here.  

Some hard pruning done on Lavender today.  I made sure I did not prune into the woody stem as that would kill the plant. I pruned about 2 inches above the woody part.  There has to be some greenery left above the woody part. About two inches is what I left. 

A picture of what the individual stems look like.  Maybe I can take one to a greenhouse that sells lavender and they can tell me what type. 

While outside, I picked some Larkspur for drying.  

                                           

I will leave it in the bud base with the rose that husband purchased for me.  It's a real rose that is dried

I purchased a while back 4 Dahlia plants.  This one is a peach color.

The one below is kind of a plum color.  

I think I will over winter them in these pots in garage at end of season

I will take some seed heads and see if I can root some.

I have read that if the seed from the Dahlia is taken and rooted

that it will be a whole new plant.  Nothing like the one the seeds

were taken from.  Only division and eye of the tubers separated

will be just like the original plant.  Seeds will give a different color.

That is what I heard on a you tube video by a professional gardener about Dahlias, so I want to try it. 

I broke off some portulaca or Moss Rose as I call them and placed them around hydrangea.

Some have already rooted and the others will too. 

Will fill out around the pot nicely in a few weeks.  These plants grow fast. 

My patio tomato.  I hope I get it before the squirrels do.  I won't let them. 

bye for now

Getting hot and hotter

Still trucking along outside when I can.  Feeling better after surgery May 4, which threw me for a loop.  Gall bladder and large hernia.  Next appt. next Thurs. for I hope to hear all is fine and if I can lift more than four pounds. I need to get back to TKR exercises for that surgery I had in January.   I had no idea I had a hernia or gall bladder problems with ulcers until I couldn't swallow out of the blue and rushed to emergency.  Choked on chicken and I don't ever want another chicken in the foreseeable future.  Caused me to have pneumonia so I was put on some heavy antibiotic for that too. 

Back to outside and working in-between high 80-degree temp.  Muggy too.

I purchased some plants I said I wasn't going to do but did anyway.  I love coleus and petunias.  Can't go wrong in summer with them.  I did throw out zinnia seeds and they are coming up. 

I love coleus they grow way past fall for me

planted from seed two years ago

I decided the flowers in the pedestal pot were too small, so I switched to a larger pot.

I will move the smaller one somewhere else

My veggies on patio are doing very well.  I am so ready for a squirrel. 

They will pick the tomatoes off, take a bite and then drop them.  They are not my friend, and I won't tolerate them in my veggie planter. 

Lavender ready for harvesting around my dogwood tree and in some pots

I took some and made a wand, not with ribbon although I may do that too.

I will take the ones that I didn't ribbon wrap and just tie some mesh around it, then place in my closet or drawers. 

My porch is scented heavily with lavender. I will make some lavender ice cream

Looking out to the Lavender Cottage

Now to figure out what to put in these pots

Happy Week end

Memorial Day rain

It rained all day.  

        I guess my flowers will love it. 

The last Monday in May. Memorial Day. A solemn day of remembrance.

 

Whats growing

Mostly just photos of what is growing in yard.  Spring flowers sure go out fast.  Azalea didn't seem to have a long blooming season like in seasons past.  Blooms just didn't last long.

My peonies now are mostly full bloom.

for my table 

I will be moving these this season as it's too hard to keep the holly leaves out.  No fun weeding and getting poked by those leaves.

Tried to get out this queen Annes lace but not successful.  I would never plant them in a regular flower garden.  They act like weeds

Volunteer dogwoods coming up in flower beds. Will cut this one out. 

                            I left this red hydrangea in pot.  Supposed to have continuous bloom. 

                                                            Mock orange starting to bloom

The field at the end of our road

I hope it stays a farm.  

Lunch at the Hanover Tavern and afterwards on way to our car, a quick look at the front courtyard.

Simple but lush plantings of plants I should be growing to fill in areas, so I won't have to weed as much. 

Got some seeds planted

I am growing patio tomatoes in pots on my patio

Two books I purchased for my sister to read

I I think I will have to purchase one for me.  Especially the Haunted Richmond

I am looking at some places I have still got to visit myself I found in this book

That's it for now

betsy