I almost forgot about this today…
I’ve only been thinking about it all week but somehow, yesterday and today, it got lost in my brain amongst the lists of “to do’s” for Father’s Day, my parents anniversary, my teeth bleaching (don’t ask)… =0)
But I remembered! Just in the nick of time. I’m sorry if some the plants look a bit bedraggled in these pictures. I had to run out and take them in the heat of today (in the 90’s) instead of the morning or evening when it would have been kinder to them. But here they are, my spots of beauty in my very low maintenance, child friendly (meaning I don’t put anything out there for them to destroy) yard.
First up are personal favorites: The Hydrangeas
I just l.o.v.e. these flowers. There actually three of them but the middle plant doesn’t have any flowers yet so I left it out of the pics. I planted them last year so they are still small but I gave them plenty of room to grow. They are doing really well this year so I’m hoping this time next year they will be significantly bigger. Or just alive. Yeah, I’ll settle for alive. I love them… have I mentioned that? I don’t know whether to cut some of the flowers or just leave them be. I’m so torn. But I think I’ll wait for a couple more of the blue ones to bloom and then maybe snip a couple off to bless the inside of the house with.
Next on my list of favorites: My Mother-in-Law’s Christmas Cactus
I know they aren’t much to look at this time of year but every winter they are a mass of color. And besides that, they are off the scale in sentimentality. My mother-in-law (who died almost 7 years ago of a brain aneurysm, Poppett was only 4 months old) grew these babies. The entrance to the front door at her home was filled with these cactus. And I think of her every time I look at them. I loved them when she was the one taking care of them and I love them still, even with her gone. They are in some much needed re-potting. I’ve put it off for about as long as I can. I’m terrified I’ll ruin them and that’s why I’ve held off so long. But even some of the pots are breaking now so this fall, when the weather cools off, I’m biting the bullet and moving them to new pots. Oh, I almost forgot, see that smaller one? The one whose pot is broken (knocked over by some little backyard urchin)? That was one Poppett and I “grew” from a clipping off of one of my MIL’s. It’s an orange colored flower, my favorite of them all. And it’s done wonderfully. Once the re-potting happens, I’ll be growing some more clippings.
Another sentimental garden spot, but a recent addition, is McKee’s Memorial:
The flowers still need to fill but it’s going to be beautiful. We were going to put her name on the stone but I think it looks, oh, I don’t know the word… more subtle? More striking? I don’t know. I just like it this way. That’s all I know.
And the most recent additions. Our barrel planter:
We used to have bamboo in this barrel but it died last year and i finally got around to putting something else in it. Once again, it has quite a bit of filling in to do but by the end of the summer, if I can keep it alive through the heat, it should be looking mighty fine. A nice mass of color to brighten up our backyard. The pot to the left has basil and oregano (looking bedraggled in the mid-day heat) that I L.O.V.E. to cook with. I put off planting herbs for so long, not sure how to “use” them since I’ve always used dried herbs. But it’s been easy and delicious. I now have rosemary, cilantro and chives that I’ll be adding to the garden area in the next couple days.
I had left over plants from the barrel planting so I decided to dress up the edge of the patio:
***Wordpress isn’t loading my picture… Sorry…I’ll try again later***
I would include pictures of our veggie garden but since I just posted about it a few days ago, I’ll hold off. But if you’d like to check back in two weeks, I’m planning on posting updates. I’m working on an expansion currently so there’ll be more to see.
That’s it for my garden tour. Hope you enjoyed it. Be sure and visit The Preacher’s Wife to see some BE-YOOtiful yards. Really… I’m quite awed, jealous and humbled by them. Go take a gander…I’m hoping that the green from my envy will soak into my thumb and then my yards will benefit from it. That’s what I’m hoping…
9 comments
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June 13, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Jamie
Gotta love hydrangeas! Thanks for sharing your garden!
Blessings,
Jamie
http://jamiescottage.blogspot.com
June 13, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Jen
Pretty flowers. I also love hydrangeas–wish they stayed small, though. I’ve been meaning to do a herb garden but never seemed to get around to it. I should go over to the Preacher’s Wife to check out the other gardens but I feel like it will depress me. My yard is so pitiful. 😦
June 14, 2008 at 8:18 am
Kerry @ Colored With Memories
Great tour. My mom is awesome at the Christmas Cactus thing too. What a precious story to go along with yours. I always forget to put mine in the dark at the right time!
Kerry
http://justusgibsons.blogspot.com
June 14, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Amy @ By His Grace
I love the rock w/ the flowers around it and the whiskey barrel pot is great as well! Thanks for the tour!
June 14, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Heather
I am gaining a Christmas cactus “entourage” from my MIL as well. (She’s still with us, thankfully.) I absolutely love them! And I love McKee’s memorial. It was right around that time that I started reading your blog.
Thanks so much for sharing! I need to get started on growing my own herbs too.
June 14, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife
I’m a sentimental gardener too so I absolutely loved your post.
Thanks so much for sharing your home with us!
June 15, 2008 at 9:57 am
runningamuck
Thanks for humoring me gals… but ya’lls’ gardens are in WAAAYYYYY better shape than mine! But keeping it coming. I need all the encouragement I can get. lol!
June 16, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Jerri
I didn’t know you liked hydrangeas! LOL! I love them! I had two HUGE ones at the old house and I couldn’t figure out how to get clippings to sprout to take with me. I have some smaller ones that had been “house” plant variety that I keep trying to make it outdoors and I bought one pretty good size blue Niko last fall. They are only just starting to bloom, with the long lasting winter and very late spring we have had. I’d take pics, but so little has even started to bloom yet, what would the point be? The only thing that is blooming well are the pansies, which really naturalized over the winter, so they are coming up EVERYWHERE. Right now that is okay, since there isn’t any other color to be had.
June 17, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Jenny
Thanks for the garden tour, I enjoyed it. I love hydrangeas too and hopefully someday can add a pink or blue one to my garden.