Hosta Hangouts. .

So I mentioned last week that we had been in the middle of wheat harvest. .

We don't help with harvest. .but Jeremy's people grow and harvest wheat for a living. .as well as my family. .and all my boys have grown up working and loving harvest! This year Devin got to shine on the combine. .it's his 3rd year to drive it-but the 1st that was completely on his own. Because it is also his first year to be able to drive anywhere by himself. .I have been provoked to wait up on him each night until he gets home.

The other night I chose to look around on Pinterest for a bit after my studying was done. .I saw this amazing hosta plant. HOSTA's I have always been able to grow without problems. .and this year, several are finally mature and are making my flower bed look GREAT! They really make a great addition to my north flower bed.

north garden. .the end that needs more plants!
Wish I had thought to take a photo of the end that has great hosta activity and flowers!

So I found myself looking this hosta up. .and ended up browsing through hostasdirect.com

They had so many different varieties. .at great prices.

Which, led me to some late night shopping!

(They also had plants other than hostas. .but hostas were what I was in the market for.)

I ordered 4 new ones. .and received them a few days after I ordered. The root systems were great. .and they have transplanted well, despite the fact that it is June in Kansas!! I wanted to document for myself, which variety is where. .so that is the reason for my post today!

Here is the section of the garden near my bedroom window. .

Prairie Moon is the lime green hosta to the east or left hand side of this photo. I have mostly dark green or bluish hostas. .so I am excited about this pop of color.

Apparently, the starts they send are what they sell to wholesalers who then pot them up and grow them for a bit before selling! I thought they were really nice starts! They already have new little leaves appearing. It will be 16 inches tall by 31 inches wide at maturity.

THIS is the hosta that had caught my eye in the photo depicting it's mature form.

It's called Bridal Falls. .and it has a great wavy leaf with green on green colors. I bought a bigger starter plant vs the small starters that I ordered the others in. .and I can't wait to see how it matures!!

It will be 28 inches tall by 48 inches wide at maturity.

I have always wanted to do little or mini hostas--since they have become their own "thing" in the world of gardening. But I have always been afraid that they would get dwarfed and wouldn't look right or thrive. I bit the bullet anyway and ordered one to see. I have always loved this variety-called "Praying hands." It has such a unique shape of leaf. .

It was the 2011 "hosta of the year" and will get about 18 inches tall and 16 inches wide.

 I also chose another hosta variety called Victory. .I like the green leaf with yellow.

It was the hosta of the year in 2015 and will get to be 33 inches tall by 48 inches wide. .Classified as a giant variety.

I thought and thought about a container I could stick them in for the summer, while deciding whether to put them in the ground. .(some people overwinter hostas in pots. .I haven't tried it yet. .but I am considering it!)

I came up with this self watering planter that Cami planted with a leftover-repotted Foxtail fern and a couple of petunias. You see that they fit absolutely perfectly in there. .and they just happen to be fairly well shaded on this covered deck.

Victory will likely outgrow my pot by the end of the summer.  .but you can see, the leaves were pretty tiny yet. .so I will take the chance.

That planter is stationed behind this picnic table. .

But I couldn't resist adding this photo of the cool succulents that I found a few weeks ago. .These will overwinter in the greenhouse or my north sunny sitting room. .I hope to do some cuttings this winter. Due to the intense hot Kansas sun on the west side of my house-even under the covered deck. .not many plants do well without twice a day water. .something I am not able or willing to do!! But THESE. .make fabulous planters full of interesting texture and color. .for only a couple waterings per week!! I'm so glad that succulents have been the recent craze! It means a lot of interesting choices!

 

That's it for today!! I hope to be back soon with more happenings and the current goings-on around the yard!! We also have an incredible experience coming soon that will involve our whole family. .

Stay tuned!!

Projects and Flowers. .

Happy Tuesday!!

We have survived graduations. .and 4-H camp. .and almost wheat harvest. .it will be over in a few days. .though it hasn't affected me as much as Devin!

The summer has been rocking right along!

We have been blessed with a TON of rain and beautiful weather this spring. .

And the gardens are spectacular!! Thought I would give a quick tour.

This rose is one that we dug from Jeremy's granddad's house a while after he moved to the nursing home.  He LOVED roses. .and had a ton of rose bushes in his backyard. It only has a light fragrance when it is in a vase. .and the flowers haven't impressed me on the bush until this year!

 

And so, after 3 years of the bush looking crappy in MY yard. .it finally looked good enough to make me cocky about growing more!!  I recently ordered some on sale from Brecks that will smell up my yard I hope!! They have settled in. .and the new bareroot twigs are covered in foliage and two of the 3 new plants have buds!! I will keep you. .and my "records" here posted!!

Here is the memory garden. .the blue atlas cedar is still too sad to take a good close up of. .but, surprisingly, it seems to be making a comeback from the bad winter burn it sustained. .There is yellow Echinacea paradoxa in the back, several types of grasses, Jupitars beard (the pink in the front) and Cardonna purple salvia on the left, with a tiny peek of the Nepeta catnip in the very bottom left. This place is LIT UP with winged creatures all the time!! It's one of my favorite places!! The new daylilies also have buds coming on. .so I will be excited for those to start showing off!

Here's a look from the other side. .in the far back is where the raised bed veggie planters are at! And it is all visible from my favorite rocking chair!

Gallardia are on fire near the pond!

I don't know for sure what this is. .but my Aunt Jane sent seeds from Oregon that I sprinkled out last fall. It is a poppy. .but not like one that I saw in her yard when we were there. .

I neglected to get a picture when this one was in full bloom. .but it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! It looked just like the light pink. .except it was flaming magenta!! They are really fragile. .so one day-two tops on the blooms. .the wind just takes their breath away!! I am really hopeful that they will reseed where they are!! I initially thought that she had accidentally sent me lettuce seed. .as it looked just like a fancy head of leaf lettuce!! So the gorgeous flowers were a great surprise!!

Memorial weekend 2010

I love Memorial weekend. .it's always a good time for us to get some projects done. .I remembered one of my favorite projects from 2010 when we moved this slipper slide over. .

Here it is 7 years later. .This thing smells so wonderful!! I love the thick scent in the air when I walk early in the morning! I can often smell it 1/2 way down the long driveway!! It is so cool to be able to see the progress of the garden in pictures. .As I was looking for this photo, I enjoyed looking at some of my other blog photos shared all those years back. .just like baby pictures. .it was fun to see how things developed and changed!

Speaking of projects. .This year, I put Devin to work on a dream feature that I had seen on Pinterest. .

I love the bottle tree that Jeremy made for me several years ago. .
(The larkspur was stunning as usual too!)

The tiny one in the front was our first attempt. .

And then I found a photo of one similar to the bigger tree. .which he sweetly crafted for me!

And since then. .I came across an arc full of bottles that I just loved!! I like Moscato. .and have been saving up my cool blue bottles for ever!! Since I took this photo. .I have been dumpster diving at the recycle center and found a few more to add on!

Jeremy figured out that he has a little grinder in his shop that takes the labels right off without scratching the glass. .and then a little dab of break cleaner gets rid of the tacky glue. .and

VOILA!

Happy, happy, happy!!

I thank you for stopping by. .

I have a few more pictures uploaded for later. .so maybe it won't be long until you hear from me again! Enjoy your summer!

April showers DO produce May flowers!

Happy spring!!

The last time I posted. .It was early in the spring. .but there was already a lot going on in the gardens!

There is still a lot going on there. I wanted to give a little tour!

I have some fun family pictures uploaded. .so hopefully it won't be much longer till I can post those too. .some exciting things have been happening around here!!

On Mother's Day. .later in the evening, after the whole crew left for a short excursion. .

I enjoyed sitting right here. .

listening to the pond and birds. .

I just can't believe how beautiful the flowers are. .

The honeysuckle's intoxicating scent filled the heavy air of evening. .

What a relaxing and perfect ending to the day!

I was amazed at God's detail in our world.

It is always good to be reminded of how amazing He is. .

And how much He has blessed us by giving us so much beauty to enjoy in the midst of the cares of this world!

And the chance to just BE STILL and allow myself to be impressed with my surroundings was JUST what this curly headed chica needed!

I was in the mood for sassy this year. .

So red and purples went into the self watering deck planters.

Cami made the stepping stone a few weeks ago. .It's a butterfly, if you were having trouble identifying that!

I don't typically do Gerbera daisies well. .

But they've been in the pots 3 weeks. .and they are still blooming and look happy!!

If I can remember to get some fertilizer to them, they may last for another few!!

For years I wondered if this pond would ever looked like it belonged in the yard. .And after much trial and error, it seems to be coming along. The yellow water irises were part of my aunt and uncles pond before they moved to Oregon. They were quite showy!! I also figured out that these salvia bushes can take the heat. .AND multiply!! They are already twice as big as they were last year! There is a little bit of gallardia hiding in the middle too, it has just started to bloom in the last day or two. The green clump in the middle will be Mexican hats it looks like. .they self seeded. .I haven't seen one bloom for a couple years now, so apparently the seeds are hardy!

Last week I saw a hummer on the penstemon. .I was pretty excited to see him there. .I haven't seen him for about 5 days now, so I figure he went on to town where there is more going on. He fed on a number of the plants around here. .but never the feeder that I witnessed. .Maybe one day, I will have a habitat that will keep them around for the whole summer!

A look up toward the deck where the planters are.

I have this pink peony and one that is more of a crimson. .This one doesn't smell much. .but the blooms are crazy amazing!! I have been looking for a white fragrant one with a pink center this year. .but no avail yet!

The orange honeysuckle that has never thrived seems to be coming out of it's 10 year shell!! It has climbed up onto the metal bedframe clear to the roof line. .

It doesn't smell, but it sure is pretty!!

The hummer sure did enjoy it too!

The other plants near it are ones that I got from high country garden last year, hoping to find something that will do the intense west afternoon sunshine!! So far, so good!

I discovered two of these little dudes growing. .Oriental poppies that I started from seed last summer. .I popped them in the ground right before the first frost last year. .and forgot about them. .Because seriously, they were about 3 inches tall with about 6 leaves on them! I was so excited to see them coming up. This one now has a big fat bud on it. .I can hardly wait to see what color it turns out to be!!

GonSS. .

These little puppies are from your garden!! I always forget the name. .

But I sure do like them. And last week, I even saw them for sale in a nursery in Topeka!! They get very little attention, and lots of the intense sun. .But they have survived and are doing well! THANKS for sharing them!!

Here is my answer to west afternoon sun, a deck that needs summer flowers, and an inability to water them enough to keep them alive!!

SUCCULENTS!!

I have kept these pots alive for a couple years now. .and move them into the greenhouse for the winter. Due to an oversight on our part, we let it get too cold in the greenhouse one night. .and several of them froze. .but, many of them were preserved, and I have just taken other cuttings to add into the pots!! I can now have some added interest. .and only  have to water them a few times per week! The potted purple fountain grass is a new experiment. .I will see if they can flourish in a pot with very little water too.

This little clematis has existed for years. .but never got more than 2 feet tall. Last spring I had to move it to another location, and it ended up on the north side of the house. .It is going to town. It is now as tall as the 6 foot trellis and has a number of blooms on it. YAY!

Here is the bed on the north side of the house. The hostas are getting big. .and I am hoping to get some blooms this summer as well-so far it has just really been foliage. Cami and I had the day at home by ourselves on Saturday, so I moved the pitcher pump water feature (you can see it way at the back in front of the post). .I just moved it about 3 feet over. .but it radically changed the view from the back. .and the appeal of the feature! I will have to get pictures and post them soon!

This is the memory garden. The Blue atlas cedar looks pathetic. .but it has new growth on nearly all of it. .so I want to give it some more time to see if it recovers from the winter burn or not. I hate to see it go! All the daylilies I planted in there are living. .so the colors should dramatically improve in a year or two. The tulips there looked great. .and really, there has been a little color ever since that. .so it is changing like it was designed to. Cami and I put some seeds in there. .and some of them are sprouting. .it's hard to see them, because the weeds sprout at the same rate!!

Big clump of iris from a friend. We enjoyed several bouquets of those!

The pampas grass is already taking off. I will be excited when they occlude the view of the dead car lot! And the asparagus patch is looking good for it's first year. I was sure that most of those roots in the big-box store package were dead. .but they just remained dormant from last June until now. .Looks like we will have about 12 plants as they continue to grow. Enough to eat AND share. And maybe pickle. .if you haven't purchased pickled asparagus to eat. .you are missing out!

Some blue flax that reseeds itself into the little corner garden!

And the Red Texas Yucca has four stems starting! The other three plants have some as well. .These blooms will last throughout much of the summer. .I found some miniature ones last week. .and planted them by the walkway up to the house near the pond where it is hot and dry! I think they will do well!

I was so enthralled with my aunt's Dutch iris last year, that I ordered some bulbs for my yard. .I don't know why I never knew about these before!! They were beautiful!! I'll be excited for them to multiply and treat us to many more blooms in the summers to come!

I'm so glad to live in a location with amazing blue skies. .

And changing seasons!

Be back soon with some pictures of my other passion. .

My family!!

The Great Outdoors

Hey!

Hope this note finds everyone well!!

It is spring in Kansas!!

I love the few days that we have here when it is deliciously warm with only a very slight breeze!

That doesn't happen very often!

So when it does, I am eager to get out and see what is popping up!

It seems that we are at a place now where new things are happening in the garden every day!

You can see my little herd of goldfish and koi. We have had a lot of trouble with our pumps getting clogged due to the roots of the water lilies. .and as some of the pumps have failed, not enough aeration has gotten a few of the biggest fish! You can see a small clump of the lilies in the lower left. .Those lilies had green leaves ALL. WINTER. LONG!! Crazy! Hoping for flowers early!

On the south side of the pond, I planted two of these little ornamental cherry bushes last spring. I babied them along all summer. .and they are leafing now and full of bloom! The butterflies have already noticed them! They will be very showy as they get bigger.

Here are a couple of honeysuckle bushes. They are producing a nice little bit of privacy for the yard. .

They don't smell good. And that bothered me at first. .

But they are lit up with these tiny red blooms all over. .and they will form little red berries that the birds seem to eat. They were described as good plants for nature. .And it seems they are. I am hoping that they might catch the attention of any stray hummingbirds heading north!

Tulips are starting their show.

I love that they do their thing in stages! It seems that always a new one is blooming as the old ones finish!

These are all in the memory garden. The Blue Atlas Cedar tree that anchors that garden got a good case of winter burn a few months ago when the temperature hit negative digits. I am not sure that it will recover, but we are watering and waiting. It will be a big loss if it dies!

At the back of the memory garden I put in 12 new roots of asparagus last spring from Walmart. One bag of them never did a thing all summer, so I was convinced that the bag was bad. There are 3 roots of them that have spears. .and the other bag has several roots starting too. I am super excited about them. .as grilled or roasted asparagus has become one of my favorite spring time foods!

The lilacs will be blooming early too! This little bush is loaded.

Last month when the weather was getting warm, Jeremy let our outdoor wood stove go out. This is how we heat the house and the greenhouse. With the exception. .that the house. .is also on propane if the wood heater isn't going! One night it got COLD. .and because we hadn't thought about turning the heater back on,  it froze every tomato plant in the place. .got the majority of both huge ferns. .and some of the succulents didn't make it out alive either!

GRR! Live and learn right!?

And the redbud tree. .which became a bush when the main stem died! They are one of my favorite spring blooms!

We were very fortunate a few weeks ago to miss the fires! It was probably 15 miles from us. On my way to work, I drove past a couple of homes that had been burned down in Oklahoma. It has been raining today--with expected rains to continue for a few days, leaving us with significant amounts of liquid gold. We are thankful for that!

The older boys were both home for parts of their spring break last week. We enjoyed their company! Cami and I went with some girlfriends to a barn quilt painting class on Saturday.

We had a BLAST!

Well, after the lady in charge helped Cami and I get our patterns drawn on that is!

My mind has NEVER computed geometry. .

And due to the portion of my personality that ALWAYS has to pick out the hardest route. .

The designs we chose weren't simple blocks and triangles!

So 15 minutes into the project, my blood pressure was BOILING and I was wondering what kind of crazy dumb thing I had gotten us into!!

Cami and Cashton worked with the help of the lady in charge.

They enjoyed the experience and had a fun day!

And despite how the morning started. .they really did turn out phenomenally well!!

Here we are with our finished boards! Cami's was a 1x1 and mine was a 2 foot square. They are still propped up in the living room. .with the hope of being hung this week!

She and I are going to have a lot of fun doing girl things together!

I just know it!

Now, if I can just get her interested in pulling weeds!

Thanks for stopping by!

Will try and keep the garden pictures coming!

And maybe a family update!