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

The Garden, then the best part, Madison

Hey friends,

I've simply got to get a post finished today, that's all there is to it! So, I'm off to the garden to take a picture or two and I will be back.

Got a giant sunflower plant to show you, one that, as mama used to say, "volunteered and came up".

Well, I'm back...

and here's the top of that sunflower.

doesn't look quite as pretty here. The garden fence is eight feet high. Thought I had better gently tie it to the fence for support.

so here's the garden gate...

and growing just inside...

half runner green beans and tomato plants. Looks like, next time, I need to build the wattle fence a little higher.

and the biggest surprise...

is the kale! Kale is a cool weather crop. So many times I started to pull up these kale plants, but didn't...

it has really come out. We had kale with supper one night last week. Bun Bun and the rabbits say it's delicious, eaten right from the garden. :)

and we have squash this year, in fact, we had stewed squash for supper last night...along with a pot of pinto beans, new potatoes boiled and covered in butter, and a pan of cornbread. Oh, and a blackberry cobbler, made from blackberries picked right here in the yard. 

I dug up a little patch and set out three blackberry plants in early spring of 2018. I've had zero luck growing any kind of fruit here so picking these big juicy blackberries made me feel mighty proud.  

The bee balm in the tub is starting to bloom, but before next summer, I need to re-pot them. These are way too crowded and not as pretty and healthy looking as last year.

Oh, almost forgot the Arkansas little leaf cucumber... 

that's it in the tub. It has lots of baby cucumbers growing. Not a great picture, but this is one of my favorite plants.

Well, it's 11:45. Think I'll go find something for lunch. Looks like there is a line forming already to the food bowl in the laundry room...

Isn't it sweet how big Eli lets Weetie eat first. Smokey may just be waiting for a chance to get through...his bowl is on the freezer.

Well, here it is bedtime and this post still not published. Just don't know what's wrong with me lately. Why, I did a post on Father's Day about Daddy and never published it.

I've also done a post about our granddaughter Madison and never published it. But wait, why don't I add Madison's post here...

Our sweet and beautiful Madison graduated May 17th from West Virginia University with a Bachelor's in Forensic Science.

Of course, because of the Corona virus, graduation was cancelled. We were so looking forward to that trip to West Virginia. Madison will be going back for two more years, so we will look forward to seeing her graduate in two years with a Master's in Forensic Science and Investigation.  

Guess that's about it. I do plan to be back, and soon too! Hope you will come back.

Love,
Henny

Several little things...

Nowadays, I don't even think about the cabin being red...

except for the other day walking back from the garden and noticing how the setting sun reflected on the red logs...

Funny thing too,  I had been singing to myself that old hymn, "Life's evening sun is sinking low, a few more days and I must go...to meet the deeds that I have done, where there will be no setting sun."   You know how you get a song stuck in your head.

Anyhow, a bit of news here...

Leek seeds! Found these missing seeds this morning in a lunch bag tucked inside a granite ware pot on the pantry shelf. Yep, put where I would be sure to remember. Wonder if it's too late to plant a few?

and another thing...

ever since we added the new table, rug, and those thrift store curtains, I have not been able to find the perfect tablecloth...until now. 

Know what had been missing...the word "rustic"! Went online, entered "rustic log cabin type tablecloths" and immediately I knew this was the one! "Burlap! A soft Burlap that hangs pretty. 

Still doing a little re-decorating, Poppy and I got the hall painted in that Legionaire Tan color like the bathroom.

Had to take all the old framed pictures off the walls...

Cat's can get comfortable anywhere! Today, I plan to put a few of these pictures back on the hall wall.

and a bit of gardening news, I didn't know...
Dill will inhibit the growth of Eggplant and Bell Peppers. Who knew!

Dill was growing all in the teeny tiny garden. I mean there were big pretty dill plants growing next to the Eggplants and the some of the bell pepper plants. The Eggplants especially, were struggling to survive.  Oh, they were pitiful looking. 

So, I Googled, "which plants are compatible with Dill"? Well, I discovered quite a list of plants that do terrible planted near Dill.

That's when I pulled out the dehydrator and plugged it in...

The dill almost dried away to nothing, but after crumbling it into a paper bag, made quite a bit for a spice jar. I did leave two healthy dill plants growing in the garden, near the tomatoes. :)

Well, I did say there were several little things. Thank you for putting up with my blogging. 

and since my last thank you, a couple more followers; thank you! I appreciate your friendship.

Love,
Henny

something about that setting sun

The Garden, such as it is

My goodness! Thank you friends for the nice comments, and so many of them, on the little horse stall/bathroom...

I replied to all your comments but then while away, got a bunch more. Thank you! 

Oh, and "thank you" to the new followers. What a surprise! I appreciate you very much!

The teeny tiny garden is beginning to look, well, kinda like a garden...

but why is it so hard to get good pictures of a garden? Looking pretty skimpy in the pictures...

this first row, as usual, is all flowers, (and grass)! There's sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, and oh shoot, what's the flower that looks a lot like red clover??? 

this is my try at a wattle fence and planted in front are half-runner green beans.

some of the tomato plants.

and at this little wattle fence are yard long green beans.

and look, every year the darned squash bugs ruin the squash and zuchinni, so I'm trying these two in large pots on a metal table against the garden fence. After taking the pictures, I added rich compost and watered them. We'll see. 

The garden has a lot of growing and filling in to do, so I won't bore you with too many pictures. Making the garden pretty is the fun part, oh and gathering a few vegetables might be fun too. :)

Do you remember Wilder, the wild rabbit? 

it's been two years since our neighbor Ann brought me the baby bunny. I raised him and then turned him loose. 

Wilder still comes back to visit. When we see him in the driveway, we carry him corn and rabbit pellets. It's simply amazing, but it is Wilder. He comes right up to my feed bucket.

Red, it was you who told me he would come back. 

Hey, I just remembered the name of the other flower seeds planted in the garden...Gomphrena. Yep, that's it!

This tri-color spirea is so pretty this year. Much prettier than the picture shows...

here's a close-up...

There's white blooms, and the almost red blooms fade to pink. 

Better get busy. Hope to be back here real soon. Hope you will come back too.

Love,
Henny