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Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Whirling butterflies, Pretty Ladies, and more

Well, posting more often would keep me from having waaay too much to tell you, when I do post. 

Thank you for the nice comments on my last post. I apologize for not getting back to reply...it always amazes me that you actually come back. Thank you!

Want to see one of my very favorite perennials? Well, this is Gaura, or Whirling Butterflies...
It sways and dances in the breeze, and even when there is no breeze, the weight of tiny bees cause the flowers to bounce up and down. I love it. 

My daughter Lynn grew these in her old garden several years ago. She used to say to me, "Mom, don't ever buy just one perennial", so I went all out last year and bought three Whirling Butterflies. Walmart had them reduced. ..
I really want to buy more perennials and eventually, extend the flower garden the length of the path. Now there's a job! There is a pink Gaura too which has reddish stems and very pink flowers. 

By the way, can any of you tell me the name of this flower...
You know how I often mention my Aunt Berlie in my blog posts, well, these flowers grew in her yard many many years ago. Mama got cuttings from Aunt Berlie's yard; then another many many years later, mama gave me cuttings from her yard. Would love to know what it is. 

Again this year, I've added  a tiny oasis inside the hot garden...
just a place for lizards, frogs, and little snakes, to get a drink and cool off. Not very pretty, I know. I'll probably change it again, but already there is a frog living under that first saucer. 

and now, the best part...

Remember a few weeks ago, when I started a post about my online, West Coast friend's cute granddaughter...
and unbeknownst to me, someone hit the "publish" button and sent my unfinished post on it's way! How embarrassing that was!


Anyhow, hopefully, no harm was done, and my friend then ordered matching aprons, one for herself and one for her granddaughter...
Can't tell you how excited I was to get this picture of them wearing the aprons. Gosh, the two of them certainly make the aprons look pretty, don't they! Such beautiful ladies. Thank you so much!

Poppy and I have been threating for months now to pull up the pavers at the front steps and re-build the little patio. It had become moss covered, and sunken in places so the rain puddled at the bottom of the steps... 


It was a messy job for sure...


Kept me busy running back and forth to the shed for more tools, and hauling two wheelbarrow loads of dirt from across the path...then we spread ten bags of sand, leveled it all, and replaced the brick pavers...

Looking much better, isn't it? 
and today, we are still adding fine dry sand; brushing it into the cracks. This patio is far from perfect. Neither of us claim to know how to lay pavers and build a patio. :) At least, next time it rains, maybe we won't step down into a puddle.

Well, I'm still not done, but you probably are so I will wait until next time to share the hawk story, the pond, and the mushrooms. 

Thank you friends, and thank you to a new follower. Wow! 

Love,
Henny




49 comments:

  1. I love the new walkway!

    The aprons too, but I would be too scared to wear it and get something in it. 😂

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  2. The newly redone patio looks great. You and Poppy did a fantastic job.
    The aprons look pretty. I'm surprised you find time to sew with all the outdoor things that need doing this time of the year. You get a lot done.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Granny Marigold. It is so hot here now, most of what I do outside is in the morning.

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  3. The aprons are Adorbs!.. as for gardening,,, I always have such grand planes,, but never quite follow through,, but I will never starve for tomatoes and onions,, this years crop is crazy ginormous!,, but as for my grand visions of canning Gerkins and Beets,, well, I might be lucky if I get 2 jars each! lol!
    Enjoy your new walk way.. you and your hubby did a super job...
    Happy and safe 4th of July.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Katmom. Hope my tomatoes will do good. I usually have grand plans too that don't quite work out. :)

      Happy 4th to you too!

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  4. I have never heard of Whirling Butterflies flowers - they are lovely. I love the matching aprons for the grandmother and granddaughter duo, how sweet! I see the little girl also has one of your pretty dolls! The pavers you reworked look great. You two did a very good job and I bet you are enjoying it. It is nice to see Weetie by the pavers too! Take care Henny!xxx

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    1. Thank you Bonnie. Weetie is with us every step we take. At times we had to ask her to move out of the way. She gets her feelings hurt very easily. She is a sweetie pie.

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  5. Flowers are beautiful! Gma and Gdaughter in aprons are beautiful! Paved walk is beautiful! What can I say~ beautiful post :-)
    I have a free app called "Picture This" that is a plant identifying app. Snap a pix and it tells you what the plant is. I love it for those mystery flowers.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Lady Locust. Looks like I've got a name for the flower now, from two or three comments. Soapwort, for one. Think all of them are the same flower. Happy about that.

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  6. That looks like a fine job there with the pavers. It's the leveling that makes all the difference.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Vic. The path is still a tiny bit off, or un-level, but better than before. :)

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  7. Oh, I enjoyed another delightful visit to your charming blog. I think your pavers look wonderful, that was a big job! There is a satisfied feeling in doing things yourself, even if they are not done as a professional might do it. It saves money and I just think it's a good feeling when you do it yourself. Steve and I have always been DIYers.
    Those aprons are adorable, you do such nice work and I agree, two very pretty ladies :)
    God bless you sweet friend.
    Connie :)

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  8. Lots of work but the walkway looks great!!!
    Pretty aprons and so are the models.:)
    Whirling Butterflies - a perfect name for those flowers.

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  9. I don't have Guara but I have seen wonderful prairie style plantings with drifts of it.
    I don't know what your heirloom flower is.
    The aprons and their wearers are beautiful, and...
    Great job on resetting the pavers!

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  10. I've never heard of whirling butterflies but I love them! Your redone patio looks really nice.
    Cute aprons too!

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  11. I love the whirling butterflies! Will have to check those out! And your patio looks great!

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  12. What a wonderful homely post - butterfly flowers, pretty aprons, practical pavers, and a sweet little water spot for tiny wildlife. Thanks for sharing it all :) xx

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  13. I love all your news Henny....and I especially love those whirling butterflies. I've never seen or heard of those. Maybe they're something that only grows down south? They're so ethereal! Love em. Nice job on your pavers too! And aren't your aprons darling on those folks?

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  14. Hi Henny- Your Pavers look super after your good work- I've a whole Veranda in Pavers -being thirty years old several of the Pavers have sunk and are uneven - unlike you I've put the job on hold for years at a time. (LOL). Stay Well there. Cheers. KEV.

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  15. Ne güzel çiçekler. Önlüklere bayıldım:)

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  16. Listening to 'The Very Best of Oleta Adams' in
    the background to~day..CD came yesterday..Great!
    Very Soulful..!
    So..here we are..Wednesday morning, just gone eight,
    had breakfast...Now! What wonderful posts have l
    got to read..Ah! Yes! My very favourite..! :).

    Everything looks lovely and pink to~day Henny!
    Well..If it's not pink..it's not lovely..! HeHe!
    Love those aprons to..nice photo..!
    And..ALL the flowers look wonderful to..

    The new patio looks great, think l've said before,
    l like things looking rustic..gives things a bit
    of age, though not sure if Weetie approves..looks
    a bit unsure..HeHe! Bless him!x
    (no bodies under the old patio then)..! :o).

    No one seems to know the name of those flowers..
    I'll have to investigate..! :o).
    💛 🌱 🌸 🌱 💜 💛 🌱 🌸 🌱 💜 💛 🌱 🌸 🌱

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    Replies
    1. HeHe! I've had my world wide plant detectives
      on the move..And the plant above is...
      Agapanthas...Some species of Agapanthus are
      commonly known as lily of the Nile, or African
      lily in the UK...
      However, they are not lilies and all..!

      https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/popular/agapanthus/growing-guide

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    2. Thank you Willie. After all these years, we have a name for these flowers. I like old moss covered paths too. Hopefully, this new patio, or path, will age quickly.

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  17. Those aprons are a delight, they look so gorgeous. A brilliant job on the path.

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  18. Love what you did with the pavers and the matching aprons are so cute. I wished we could add flowers and other things to our yard, but we are planning on selling next year and want to keep the yard easy to take care of. I am making plans for the next house and keep a journal of what I want to plant.

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  19. Pretty flowers, beautiful aprons, and that sidewalk looks great! Have a great week.

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  20. Your posts are so fun :) I DO like your new patio, it's pretty, and it will be wonderful not to step into puddles! But I miss the moss, don't you? I love the way moss looks growing in the cracks around (and sometimes over) rocks and bricks. But it must be fixed! Puddles can become ice in winter, and that would be very bad.

    The aprons are just delightful!

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  21. Your mystery plant is called soapwort, or bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis). It can actually be used as a soapy scrub-wouldn't use it on skin though. Bear with me, I'm not trying to be a know it all-I have this plant. If you look up agapanthus in a good identification book, you'll see that the flowers are all on the top of the stem. Soapwort is very fragrant, and can become a pest-it's hard to keep it contained. My hummers love it though, so I have a patch growing just for them.

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  22. That was certainly some back breaking work on the pavers! I remember how we had done that years ago,
    and let me say, never again, water puddle or not! Kudos to you and hubby. I love seeing the flowers,
    and to think you may have a pet frog now. Perennials that survive from one year to the next do make for
    some lovely and easy care plants. Good idea to get a few at a time and try them out.

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  23. Yes Soapwort! Very pretty! Love the matching aprons! You look like paver layers to me, that is not an easy job:)

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  24. What a wonderful and inspiring post! Your new patio looks so good! I have a couple of walkways that are badly needing redone, so guess I'll be buying a few bags of sand! I love the picture of your coneflowers and the American flag with the cabin in the background...So perfect for the Fourth of July!

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  25. You all sure did a good job with those pavers. Wish you could come up to Kentucky and build a patio for us! After seeing your last post, I ordered some of those Arkansas cucumber seeds you mentioned and planted them in a portable garden planter on my deck. The seed packet said 60 days to harvest so I should have plenty of time. Molly continues to get better everyday. We may have spoiled her a little through all of this but thats ok. Hope you and Dan have a happy 4th!

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  26. Diane, thank you! I was thinking about you and Molly this morning while in Walmart. I stood looking at the dog toys, trying to decide on a little gift for Molly...then got distracted and walked away when Dan called. I'll be back in there soon, I'm sure. :) Glad Molly is getting better. How could you not spoil her; she is so sweet. I've picked two cucumbers so far. I love the vine and the small leaves, and the cucumbers are good too. Hope you like them. Happy 4th to you all too!

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  27. Hello Friend,
    Oh, I always love reading your posts. I think your little oasis is cute.
    My dad brought me tadpoles for my little pond. I love watching them.

    I love the photo of your cabin and the American flag.
    Happy 4th my friend,
    Carla

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  28. I love your little oasis and I bet you have lots of visitors there when you’re not looking. Your pavers look great. We need to do that but it’s too hot for it to happen anymore this summer. Maybe next winter!

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  29. Oh, I had never heard of Whirling butterflies...the name alone makes me want one or two or three. Love the paver job you guys did. It looks wonderful. There is great satisfaction in doing something yourself. The aprons are pretty...and the Gma and Gdaugher are beautiful...they have a gentle look in their eyes.

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  30. Oh friend I love your flowers that bring the butterflies. I used to grow cone flowers but for some reason they died out. Your walkway turned out so well...glad you had help. As for those pink aprons...how beautiful and sweet. So glad you shared this photo. Take care and have a good weekend. Hugs!

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  31. Your garden blooms are so delightful, I have never seen either the whirly flowers or the pretty pink flower you showed. They are gorgeous though! You both did a fabulous job with the pavers, looks wonderful! I like leaving little bowls of water around the yard for different critters too! I hope you have a fabulous 4th of July :)

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  32. Hi Henny delightful posting as always. I updated my post about the cheescake with a link to the recipe, and don't forget to stop and visit with Kate. Blessings!

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  33. Love your flowers. don't know the name of the pink one. Have never seen it before. Sorry! The aprons are so cute together. The pavers look so much better! You guys did good! Thanks for coming by. I am the same, don't get to publish much, but always have good intentions.... haha Happy 4th of July!

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  34. The little patio looks much better! Love your flowers and those matching aprons you made are beautiful! What a nice thing for her to share with her granddaughter!

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  35. Hi Melba! I have a lot of catching up to do, it's been so busy. I love the little white flowers! I really truly adore white blossoms and hope for my own White Garden someday. This Gaura/Whirling Butterflies is so well named but new to me, so I'm glad for the discovery. The apron models look fantastic! And I bet working on the pavers must've felt very satisfying once it was done. So glad all seems well in your world-- glad, too that you found the leek seeds! Can't wait for the hawk story (it's probably going to be gory, isn't it? Oh, but I find them such beautiful creatures). All the best to you : )

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  36. Love your new look, but kind of loved the mossy old one too. I'm reading and catching up so if you get comments on your old posts...it's just me!

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  37. Just love the whirling butterfly flowers! All of your flowers are so lovely! Removing and cleaning the pavers looked to be hard work...........but rewarding! Your watering station is perfect for all of the thirsty creatures!

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  38. The little girl and her grandmother look so sweet! How pretty are all of your flowers! Love your water bowl for the thirsty creatures!

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  39. I love your beautiful flowers. The little girl and her grandmother are so sweet wearing their aprons. What a lovely posting.

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