Tag Archives: flowers

2015_Day 183: Where is 2015 going?

Zinnia, cosmos, daisy and marigold seeds are in these envelopes.

Zinnia, cosmos, daisy and marigold seeds are in these envelopes.

Can you believe that 2015 is officially half over? Seems like the year just started, right? I don’t know about you, but it’s been a pretty good first six months for me. The inside of my house is slowly coming together and is getting that lived-in feel. The outside, specifically the backyard, definitely has a lot more going for it than when we moved in and it was just a blank slate of green grass. A couple raised beds, a crape myrtle shrub/tree and several containers and hanging plants later, it feels a lot more like a backyard I would want. Continue reading

2015_Day 182: Dirt dries out quickly 

What a difference a day makes. Even after almost 5 inches of rain in the last 72 hours, a walk around the raised beds tonight showed dry dirt. I’m still getting used to how fast the Texas heat dries dirt out, even when the humidity is pretty high (70 percent today). Continue reading

2015_Day 181: Rain, the birds and pretty flowers 

Just two days after our area of central Texas got 3.2 inches of rain, we got dumped on again. This time it was only 1.5 inches, but the night is young and the skies are still threatening to open up. The raised beds and the flower pots continue to fill up.

While I was out between downpours checking the rain gauge, I was disappointed to see a mockingbird fly out from beneath the netting around my tomatoes. Darn birds! #%@&

Another blogger suggested I try a birdbath to keep then away from my tomatoes. I must admit I’ve read about that as a solution, too. That they’re just looking for water. Although given the bird had access to several natural birdbaths (refer to photo at top of this post) and still was found beneath the tomato netting, I have my doubts. Again, darn birds!

One thing I’ve neglected to write about the past few days is that my gazanias are finally starting to flower. And oh, how cute they are. I was surprised to find out though, that their flowers apparently close at night. Realized that this morning when I took a quick stroll around the yard before work and saw one of the buds curled up. By the time I got home from work today, it was open again. Being so pretty must take a lot out of them so they have to rest at night, yes? As long as they bloom during the day, I don’t really care! 

 

2015_Day 176: Blossoms and blooms

Despite leaf-footed bugs (and crows, I’m thinking now) getting at my big tomatoes, the blossoms just keep coming on my Super Sweet 100s. The cherry tomatoes haven’t produced as many red tomatoes yet as I hoped they would, but all the blossoms give me hope. Continue reading

2015_Day 172: Sleepy, soggy Sunday

Another soggy Sunday in central Texas, and it’s really making me lazy. And sleepy. I think I’ll stare at some zinnias and see if that can bring me out of my funk.

  
 

2015_Day 170: Friday flowers

The newest additions to my flower planter collection includes this cute metal planter I found at a flea market in Burnet, Texas. I bought two 8-inch pots similar to the one in the top tier with the intention that the matching set would be perfect. Continue reading

2015_Day 165: A few of my favorite things

On this wet Sunday morning in central Texas, the song “A Few of My Favorite Things” came to mind while looking at my flowers. I love how the rain makes flower petals shine! Continue reading

2015_Day 162: Still hoping for poppy, gazania flowers

While the zinnias and cosmos in my three-tiered flower bed have been awesome this summer, I’m still waiting on the California poppies and gazanias in the top tier to flower. Continue reading

2015_Day 161: Garden survived week without me

As much as I enjoy vacations, it sure feels good to get home, sleep in your own bed and just enjoy your own surroundings. The heat (90s during the day) didn’t hurt the garden as much as I thought it might. In fact, the marigolds seemed to love it. Continue reading

2015_Day 158: Breathing new life into old treasures

My mom makes the most of old household items. She turned both an old toilet bowl and the high chair that was used by me and most of my siblings into planters. Continue reading