Some pretty eyecandy

The other day I was just sitting trying to come up with a new post. I am feeling like all I do is work these days and my home could use a bit of attention. Of course I water my plants and clean, shop and do laundry...but tweaking. I guess I need the time because it brings me pleasure. I was flipping through my pictures and found some of a home I sold several years back. It has been a personal favorite of mine for a long time, just like the people who lived there. After and during the business deal we became close and my friend Laura has become a very dear friend of mine. So let me share her very inspiring home. Her old home....the new one is just as wonderful, but I haven't taken any pictures there, yet.

                                Hope you all enjoyed the tour! I loved showing and selling this home.
I am thinking about stopping this blog due to lack of comments. I don't think I have what it takes to bring in the comments. I may come up with a couple more posts and then sign off.

I took a day off from work...

..and I had the best day. I got up and had my coffee while sitting on the deck looking out over the yard and at the gardens. Black eyed susans are in bloom along with double tiger lilies, turban lilies, gladiolas, zinnias, oriental lilies, purple cone flower and my beautiful day lilies. I had taken a trip to Tranquil Lake Nursery on Sunday and picked up 6 new day lilies. I have been going there for years. I should have taken pictures the fields in bloom are so beautiful and fragrant. So anyway I decide I am putting on my garden clothes, no makeup and just staying in the garden for the day.( for me this is a real treat with my job it is hard to take a day off) I have gardens that need to be reworked and slug plants that need to be removed.

Years ago I would take any plant that anyone was giving away....not always the best idea. Sometimes a wonderful idea. Anyways I have some great plants with some great memories of some wonderful people. Then I have some plants slugs that I really need to clean out and get rid of. So I started to dig up a area of the garden that I wanted to plant some of the new day lilies. They won't look like much this year, but ohhhh, next year will be beautiful.

 This is my favorite it is called "almost a miracle" I loved this right away!

 My next favorite is "Scarlet Prince" another favorite and I put these two together in the area I reworked along with "Henry Baker" which has no blooms, but was a creamy white. I can't wait to see them next year.

 This is "stoplight" very different and spidery looking

Then there was "Adela" a true melon colored beauty....

 This is "Baruch" a large sunny yellow long time bloomer.

This is "Christmas Wreath"

 These are some of my favorites in bloom right now and I have not always kept track of the names. I am working on this now, going back over notes and such. I need to keep better records. When my garden club friends come over they ask the names and I am tired of saying Oh, ah, I don't know.

 Cleaning out and potting some keepers up. I hand these off the friends, The summer phlox are stunning and smell so clove like sweet, but alas I have too many.

 This is my cleaned and finished corner.

Now I start here....maybe is a couple days because Aleve has become my new best friend.

I don't normally share....

but this was just too cute. My work is what I don't share, but when I took this listing the other day. I couldn't resist some non real estate pictures.

 Look at this face, she is skiddish and won't let you too close. I loved how she was peaking and looking to see what I would do next.

 There are several alpacas making this place home. Each face is different.

 As I was leaving this deer was just standing there.

 Pretty pond with lilies.

Now here is a little peek. How about this kitchen?

Just returning from

BERMUDA!

 Crystal Caves were amazing.

 Look at this tree.

I love that there were roosters and chickens roaming around everywhere we went.

I am so happy to be home! All in all there is no place like home.

Hypertufa how to

I have had lots of projects going on here. Planting gardens for spring and finishing up some projects. We had a graduation and some parties. Time is flying by so fast these days. One thing I got to do was to make some Hypertufa planters. My son and a friend came over and we got to it. Sorry I did not take a lot of pictures in progress.

 Here is a finished one all planted. They are lightweight and can stay out in our New England winters.

Supplies you will need are as follows:

Portland cement

Perlite

Peat moss

Fiberglass fibers

Latex or rubber gloves,(cement can be murder on the hands)

Wooden dowel marked at 1 1/2 in.( to make sure your depth is even all around)

Cooking spray or mold release

plastic

Water

Container to mix it all in. I used a basin I got at Lowes, but any large plastic container would work.

Molds, for example, plant pots, dishpans plastic bowls use you imagination.... of course leaves too. I have many more ideas now and want to do this again real soon.

So I have seen many versions of this, but this is how I did it.

2 parts cement

3 parts perlite

3 parts peat moss

a handful of fiberglass fibers

I had a watering can of water and mixed it until it just started to stick together.

Start packing it around or in your mold.

Measure depth to make even

wrap in plastic for 24 hours then remove mold.

planter should cure for 30 days before planting.

 Dishpan trough.

 A hosta leaf. I really like rhubarb better.

 This is the rhubarb leaf my son did and then his clean up skills really paid off. The first thing he did was make a wet pile of sand then place the leaf on top. He sprayed it with cooking spray (for easy removal) the patted on the hypertufa mix. Then wrapped it in plastic for 24 hrs. then he removed the plastic and the leaf. then while still workable he cleaned and shaped the edges.

 Here is his finished leaf. It is going to be used as a birdbath.

Just to end on a light note my Brugmansia or Angel Trumpet is looking so pretty at the back door and her sweet fragrance fills the air. I had 28 blooms at one time last year. Lets see what this year brings. The nasty earwigs got into and chopped away on the leaves.

My Garden in the Spring

It has been over a month since I posted and I just don't know where the time has gone. I have been in the garden alot, but have barely touched the vegetable patch. Many of my spring flowers are blooming and I thought I would make a cup of tea and sit down and share them with you.

My sunny south side has mt Miss kim lilac in bloom and it has the sweetest scent. I have my bedroom window open and can smell it upstairs.

I think the colombine look like fairy flowers. I have several different colors scattered around the yard.

The purple iris are in honor of my Nana and my Mom. I always think of them when I see them and I have planted several just for the two women I love so much.

                                                                     A pretty all white colombine.

An all white iris.

                                          The pink clematis loves this spot and has done so well.

Another clematis called Nellie Moser. I cut this one way back last fall so it is low to the ground this year.

My earliest blooming day lily in sunny yellow. I have divided this many times and there are lots of bright yellow spots along my garden path.

This was the tinest shrub when I planted it and now many years later, she is a beauty for sure.

Mother nature has her own ideas where things should grow. I love the lady slippers she put here.

Now for the promise of more to come. My peonies.....

and, darn I forgot the name of this.

So do share with me what is blooming in your garden now?