AUTUMNS BEAUTY

Here's a beautiful collection of fall photos that my husband took.  They are too irresistible to not share!

Hope you enjoyed these as much as I did...Thanks hubby!

STOCKING UP FOR WINTER

So as we put the gardens to sleep for the winter and do the last bit of clean up, I wonder to myself if I will survive the long winter.  I guess I wonder that every year as this time approaches!

 

I was laid up with a bad leg most of the summer so I feel shafted out of a season plus it was so dry here the gardens just withered away......But.......

I HAVE BIG PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR!

 

I'm stocking up....yup, getting ready so to speak, with great new Ideas.  I'm going to be busy  busy, researching new plants and Ideas.

 

This is what gets me threw the harshness of winter.  Yes they are only books but to a gardener they are more then that, these chase my winter blues away! Every gardener knows what im talking about.

 



These are my new gardening encyclopedias....I'm not into clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc....I'm a book junkie!

 

These Garden Gate Magazine's are the best ever!

 

And of course we get Birds and Blooms AND Birds and Blooms extra which my hubby loves to read so I told him I ordered them for him (hehehe)

I'm feeling pretty good about the up coming dread of winter...I think I'm going to be just fine....Oh and Ill be cooking from my new veggie cookbook too!

Isn't she a beauty!

 

 



THE HOUSE DWELLING TREE FROG

Every year when I put out my bird house, it does get occupied, BUT...it has never been occupied by a bird.

 

Yes folks you are seeing correctly...it is a tree frog.  Not sure if its the same one each year, but it or they seem to prefer a house to a tree.



SUMMER UPDATES

Hi everyone, hope your summer has been awesome.  My summer was going along so good until I got a stress fracture in my tibia and ended up wearing this boot up to my knee until now.  My gardening kinda came to a halt since it was hard to do anything...except sit and rest my aching leg and having my husband preach at me about it!

My boot is finally off for small stretches during the day and I am able to check out a few more things going on in the gardens.  It was so hot and humid here this year which is not the usual weather by Lake Michigan and my pond did not fair well with the constant algae bloom going on....it never did seem to balance itself out this year.  We tryed everything natural that we could and nothing worked....Never had this problem.

frog on a lily pad

The pond didn't fair out so well

Peas and beans growing nicely, until the hot spell came

There are still a few flowers left in the garden but most everything else has came and went...it was a very fast growing season.

As September fast approaches and my leg gets better each day, I do look forward to my favorite fall season and being hopefully in tiptop shape next year!





PARIDISE ON EARTH!

Need I say More?

THE POND IS COMING ALIVE.

Alot of new things have been happening around the pond.  One new thing is we ordered some bullfrog tadpoles and trapdoor snails that will be here today.  We dont like using chemicals in the pond and this will be a great natural way to keep the pond clean.  The bullfrogs will just be a great thing to watch for our grandchildren, and us of course!

Our potmen have finally made it to the pond and are happy as can be with there new hair!  They make a great addition and focal point for any visiter to our pond area.

My little pond guy relaxing at the edge

This is my new bigger guy with his spiked hair

We also put up a new solid fence in the back to make it more secluded.  I love to be up by my pond and relax by myself away from the nosey neighbors and kids who try to throw things into the pond!

The monarch butterflys are early in our area this year, probally from the unpredictable weather we had all winter.  We didnt see any until July last year.   The milkweed is just big enough to lay thre eggs on.

Monarch butterfly eggs on milkweed

Butterfly/hummingbird garden

I will update as soon as my snails and bullfrog tadpoles are in the pond and moving around...Its very exciting here, around the pond!

MAY GARDEN HAPPENINGS

Mays weather has been unpredictable to say the least.  Its still a bit chilly most days to keep plants out even though I have managed to keep my cool weather veggies growing and my over wintered geranium happy to be outside again.

The pond has the overwintered spikes planted around it now and the cattails in the back are getting big.  The honeysuckle vine next to the green house is ready to bloom.  The dog under the vine is checking out the little birds nest built there.

A few pond lily pads have finally reached the top of the pond

My container cabbage and broccoli are growing great

 

And my radishes are finally ready to eat

I also put in a small potato patch and they are growing great in the cool weather too.

We cant forget the geranium....

I find myself really busy now with the extra gardening and yard work so I don't blog as often but to me that's a good thing.  Hope every ones gardening is going great too!

Enjoy the spring!

CAPTURING NATURES BEAUTY UNDER GLASS

     My husband and I have dabbled in numerous different things since all the kids have left the nest.  We took on six dogs, started a few blogs( emptynestersfamilydaily and healthy comfort ) and decided to try our hand at lampworking.

     Since being an avid gardener, I embraced lampworking as a way to be in touch with nature threw glass.  Beads were created with birds, butterflies, flowers, ladybugs, etc.....whatever we were able to put in the glass. I am proud to say that people all over the world wear these little glass marvels on there wrist.  This has turned into a wonderful hobby and a business venture for us on ebay.

A blue swallowtail butterfly

a cardinal

A monarch butterfly among yellow daisy's

 A large monarch butterfly

a robin under glass

These are just some of the beads that we create on a weekly basis to share with other nature loving people.  What a good feeling to wear a part of your garden on your wrist in the off season.