In need of intervention

In need of intervention, a photo by Jaime Haney on Flickr.

Seriously. More plants, really? I remember walking into the nursery and then it fades. I think my body was possessed. It was an out of body experience. Really.

Spring Stroll 2012

Are you ready to stroll? Join me as I show you the fruits of my labor, the source of my pain... and one of my most uncontrollable passions. Gardening.

How appropriate is this? Thunder and Zoey on a stroll

Remember the Huechera I was telling you about? Here she is in all her glory... Georgia Peach!

White columbine... so pretty. But wait, there's more... much more.

couldn't you just eat these?! 

Pansies with their pretty little faces. Good thing I covered up the cat shit with the mulch, you're welcome ;o)

Geum... the beautiful Mrs. Bradshaw

Joseph's Coat, I believe

Wine and Roses Weigela (in the wind)

Oh! If you could only smell these fragrant white flags (iris)

Sedums, one of my favorite plant species

An enormous Silver Maple in our front yard. See the metal rod holding the twins together? Hopefully, it stays intact or it will smash our living room :/  I cannot bring myself to cut down any trees... they speak to my soul.

My sweet girl, Zoey

Clematis, the exquisite Miss Bateman


Now for some proof pictures of said hard work that is breaking my back... My husband saw me weeding the edges just like I do every year and him having a slight case of ocd mentioned that I might like having some edging. I was against the idea whole heartedly at first. I'm not an in the borders kinda girl. I like it wild. I'm a terrible housekeeper and I know it. The same kinda goes for my garden beds, they tend to get out of control but I like it. No fences, no borders to keep me in. If I wanna break out and make the garden go this way or that, I grab my shovel and do it. 


Well this all kinda makes him cringe. Since I have some body aches that are tending to get worse, I gave it some thought and began to think that maybe with the edges it might look a little more complete and perhaps easier to maintain and my mulch wouldn't get mowed away. It only took the words well maybe... and we were off to the big box store to buy edging. 2 skids of it in 2 days. He saw his chance and ran with it. Before I knew it, I was unloading tons of this shit. He didn't complain any, but wow it really wears you out. I have bursitis in my hips and they've been screaming ever since.


When we got the first section done, he had a look of such satisfaction on his face. I on the other hand wasn't as happy. I thought it looked like Disney World. Too perfect and neat. I'm not a neat and tidy girl, like I said I like it wild. Thunder the cat loves it, he thinks it's his own personal balance beam. But... it has grown on me and I did gain about 2 feet out on all my beds to plant more flowers! So here are some before and after pictures of Disney World:

Before being caged in...

and after

Before, wild and free!

after... ok I kinda like it. this bed needs a little work, it's kinda wonky

Side view before

side view after

kitchen window chaos, ok it is a little crazy but I hadn't weeded yet

all neat and tidy, even the sunshine likes it... meh.

shade bed before

shade bed after

one of my favorite little areas before

yeah yeah... I know

Ok, after seeing these before and after shots like this I'm starting to see it really wasn't that great before. At least not as much as I thought it had been in my super star gardening head. Score one for the hubby. It has grown on me. I only wish we could have used a natural stone, but it was too costly. Oh well, I'll soon have the plants flowing over :) I'm going plant shopping Wednesday... yippee! I'll share those pictures soon ;)


Still lots of work to do and boy do I have some new ideas brewing that are awesome and if they happen, I can't wait to share them with you. BIG ideas.



p.s. see my greenhouse goings on here

Let's Stroll

Isn't inspiration and beauty everywhere? As I take these pictures of the beautiful flowers around my house I always have plans of painting or drawing them. I'm building quite a reference file. Ironically, keeping all these beauties going is time consuming thus taking away from some creative time.... Ah well, I need to have these around me. Literally, my soul needs to have green growing things around me that require my attention, touch and love.

I came by it naturally, maybe even genetically. The nut didn't fall too far from the tree. My mom was a gardener and I have the fondest memories of her digging in the dirt. Even when the dirt came by the way of just being pots on our apartment balcony. She always had gobs of plants inside and out and had the greenest thumb of anyone I've ever known. That woman could put a stick in the ground and it would grow. I miss talking plants with her as I walk my paths that I always walk, looking at my summertime beauties. When I would visit her she would always take my arm and we'd stroll through her garden together even though we had just done the same thing a couple days before. There is always something new and exciting popping up somewhere, you just have to slow down and look. Whenever I'd ask her "where did you get that?" She'd reply "A little bird brought it to me". I'm fairly certain she stole that line from my grandpa, her dad, cause I remember him saying that too. Her nut didn't fall far from his tree either, he was a great gardener and had the most beautiful and bountiful sweet peas. They still remind me of him.

Well I have no idea where I'm getting the energy for this. I did corn all day today then it was trash day, plus I cleaned out the freezers (had to cause there was no room for more corn!). While doing that, I didn't have room to put a pie crust back in without assaulting it, so I made an apple pie! Last night I didn't go to bed until 3:30 and now here it is 2:20 and I'm still awake. Granted, I'm sitting in my most comfy chair and not doing much but letting my mind wander and fingers do the walking. I should be upstairs in my art studio creating something in my journals for the Sitsterhood and PPF but that would require the stairs and I'm far too lazy for that. In fact, I think I'll go to sleep now.

Oh, but first take my arm and stroll around my gardens with me.... won't you?

be still my beating heart ~ a glorious Zinnia

The boys follow me as I give you the tour for this year but I think we're getting the cold shoulder at the moment

Sunflowers make me happy

my greenhouse

inside plant getting a summer vacation outside

huba huba ~ doesn't this Mandevilla look like the sexpot of the flower world?

I love to have color all around even if there aren't many flowers and these coleus are tried and true

Ditch lilies ~ love 'em

see my little toad house in the background? Vacancy...

sweet little guy ~ look at his little antennas, precious!

Coral Bells

never mind the Johnson grass...

look at me! the bouganvilla screams

Alright tour's over... good night!

I'm a busy bee!

I have been MIA for a while now. I'm sorry I haven't really given any kind of explanation. I show up for Paint Party Friday and that's nearly it.

Life has been a whirlwind. A gardening whirlwind! I've been trying to sell my heirloom tomato plants and get my veggie garden planted along with picking out gorgeous new plants for my flower gardens. I always go overboard on the flowers. It's my weakness and I can hardly say no. So I thought I'd share some of my garden with you.

part of my veggie garden - just starting out

other part of veggie garden - corn and beans just peeking their heads out of the soil to the left

Now these pics aren't from the new flowers I've bought, I'll post pictures for those as soon as I finish planting. I take my time, carefully deciding where each little beauty will take its place in my beloved gardens. I set the plant in pot in gardens and step back to see if I like the color and texture combinations. It takes me forever, but I so enjoy it.

The Swing Garden

The above picture is my Swing Garden. I love the roses on here. My favorite being the climber on the left. It was a start from my mother. The only one I've been able to keep alive of all the rose starts she gave me. She could put a stick in the ground and I swear it would grow. She always called this Seven Sisters.

Siberian Iris

just a pretty red rose - I don't recall the name

a vigorous phox - I keep spreading it around cause it just keeps spreading!

peony

I have big plans for the Farmer's Markets around here but I am dreadfully behind on everything. I want to get back to painting my painted pots that I like to do and wanted to sell them with herbs and plants in them this year.

Oh, I wanted to show you also my finished graduation card that I made. Some may know it didn't quite get the warm reception from the recipient that I hoped for, but hey she's 18 and it didn't have any cash in it... haha   But it does make me feel good that as soon as I listed it on my Etsy shop, it sold! woohoo!

I have a mystery plant that I would love for anyone to help me identify. I went to pick them out and thought better of it. It just looks like it should be a flower. But I have no idea what it would be. I don't have anything that looks like this that I have found. It may be a bunch of weeds, who knows.

? Do you know what this is?

 Thanks for taking the garden walk with me :)  Oh, also my son had his last day of Pre-School! More pics are on my Facebook.

Asher and his little crush ~ her name is Piper... how cute are they?!

Speaking of Facebook, I finally made myself a page for my heirloom tomato plants. If you want, look me up... it's called Jaime's Heirloom Tomato Plants. Till next time...