Happy Wednesday

Happy Gorgeous Wednesday

My Glads are blooming in a drainage pipe I use for a planter

several tomatoes coming up in cells on deck.  I will see how these do for later tomatoes. 

I have volunteer petunias coming up in pots.

The pink ones are volunteers.  They seem to be a little more blush color than the mother plant from last year. 

I like the way this hydrangea bloom dried flat on my dryer top.  I may do several and frame them.  Will share when I do. 

I finished stripping my second bowl of lavender buds from their stalk.  I love doing this.  It's scents me and the whole porch.  Smells so fresh and clean.   I just need to sift them now to take out the dust. 

My rooted lavender cuttings sitting under my tomato plants.  

Now to decorate my front porch for the forth.  I seem to be the last to do so.  So many have and I waited too long to get decorations as the pickings are slim now at the stores.  I did manage to get a few from Hobby Lobby.  They had really nice ones.

Husband purchased this busy bee that flaps his wings with the wind

Need some flowers to finish this little area off in my front yard.  Maybe put some flagstone here also. 

One decoration I did get a picture of in the town.  These light up at night.  Will try to get more pics another day. 

I am now off to pull together ingredients for Lavender ice-cream. 

Will share a picture of that when I finish making it. 

The most invasive plant (in my yard)

 Oxalis 

Pretty flowers but I have been pulling this stuff forever.  Hard to control.

Am thinking to just let it take over as ground cover around my shrubs, maybe. 

I am thinking of getting a trellis for mid section of house for a rose or some trailing plant to grow on. Not sure.  

91 degrees f.  today.  Think I will wash floors instead

Few pics

 My seedlings of tomatoes and beans are up.  this picture from a few days ago.

I purchased this shelving and the lights that came with it from Amazon.  The trays hold water so the plants can soak from the bottom, and it makes them stronger. I still have them in my seedling trays.  I will be transferring them to their own little pot in a few days. 

I have them on my jalousie porch for now. 

I brush my hand across the seedlings often to make them stronger and it helps prepare them for the outside. 

A day trip to Colonial Beach Virginia on Sunday

Beautiful sunny day

This is Rosemary growing along our beach walk.  Look how pretty that bloom is. 

Lunch at Willys barbeque at the beach.

Mine was barbeque stuffed potato skins and cheese on top with a dollop of sour cream

Steve had the very good hamburger with a side of lima beans and hush puppies

Redecorated Riverview Inn

we have stayed here before and it's nice.

down the street a way

 I love this little gazebo on the patio 

On our way home we took in the most beautiful sunset. 

My husband still stands behind this ↓

bye for now 

betsy

Home, garden and a few other things

Hello on this hot, hot, hot Thursday.   Before long we will have a foot of snow. Probably not but just hoping.

A few stragglers from my small garden area like these cow peas as they are called on the seed packet I planted from.  I call them black eyes and I like them better green with tomatoes and sometimes corn cooked together.  I eat them dried also but never can find the green ones in the stores like I used to, so I grow a few vines myself.

I keep watering, all the while saying I won't do it anymore, just too hot to keep up with.

So, what do I do?  I keep watering.  Can't help myself.

I will miss the flowers and veggies when the season is over, so I enjoy as much of it while I can.

Few seashells sitting on my patio wall.  I will be back to the ocean in the fall..  

A day last week, Opa took Genevieve by Lewis Ginter Botanical gardens and in one area there are these cut logs and tree limbs.   Genevieve made a display of them.  I like how she creates. 

Back to my garden area, it's a jungle.  I think next year I will put up an arch of some kind, nothing fancy for the vines to run over.  The okra went crazy growing in the concrete block crevices.  I do believe the shading by nearby vegetables like tomatoes, helped keep them growing and sheltered from this horrible heat this summer.  Well, it's summer and supposed to be hot.  I remember some hot days growing up so it's nothing new.   I do see a hawk in the evening fly over keeping tabs on things. 

 It helps I do believe by keeping the squirrels and other animals away from the garden area. 

 Steve surely did a wonderful job in putting up the fence and walk around.  He made the door with hinges and did a great job!

A few zinnias and a dahlia picked for a vase. 

Genevieve picked out this tuber from Home Depot for me to put in a pot.  It has done so very well and many more blooms to go.  Genevieve and Adalyn both love flowers.

Now I am just sitting around thinking about what I need to do next, or should I say first. I have so much to do outside here. 

💖😎🎕⚘

Betsy

Hello and more rain

 Rainy off and on and I think we have enough now.  It gets chilly and then some hot days off and on. 

Crazy spring for sure. 

I bet the summer will be dry as a bone. 

My spring flowers are gone.  Iris, azaleas, and tulips were very early this year along with the daffodils. 

I do see some blooms on my hydrangeas. .  Slow growing.

I got more strawberries this year and will freeze a few for winter desserts.

Huge bloom on this Iris.  I have several kinds and this one smelled so fragrant.  

Not sure what this one is.  I got some tubers from family and put them in the ground.  Some years they bloom and some not. 

Peonies and azaleas in vase

The red roses in vase with peony will be no more.  I have to dig up the rose bush.

It must have gotten something in it as all leaves curled up and dried.  Flowers bloomed pink after the ones bloomed in picture.   It's not rosette disease.  I know we had so much rain and maybe I should have sprayed it earlier.  I will get another one. 

This arrangement is at bottom of steps to our lounge area downstairs

Genevieve loves to play with my flowers.

She forced open two peony buds. 

Kinda pretty like this.

Fringe tree and sun shining through

I miss all the blooms a few weeks ago now. 

Finished a puzzle.  This didn't take as long as I thought it would.  Husband and I worked on it off and on when we felt like it.  

Well that's about it for what is going on for right now.  Husband is digging out a garden spot for me and  is putting fencing around it now.  Will have to post it when he finishes it in a few days.  Getting things planted late this year but that's o.k.   I don't mind late.  

Chive blossoms I picked drying

til next time

betsy