Hey "U" There!

Since moving in back in 2000, I've transformed the landscape and yard. Most of the trees, scrubs, flowers and plants in my yard, are ones I've planted over the years - a labor of love!

This tree pictured below, a Bradford Pear, I bought at the Home Depot in Norwood. I bought two at that time, the other is in line and behind the one pictured.  The trees themselves were no bigger around than your wrist, however, the root balls were BIG and HEAVY!  Home Depot loaded them in the back of my pickup with their fork lift, so no problem there.  The challenge was at home and getting them from point a, the driveway, to point b, the complete opposite side of the yard, UGH!

I was able to wrestle each, one at a time, and slid them off the tailgate and into a wheelbarrow! Fortunately, the wheelbarrow had two wheels, so balancing wasn't an issue, rather the weight was AND pushing it was, OMG!

Fast forward some 20 odd years and the trees are both doing great!  They've grown into mighty trees and look awesome when flowering in the spring. Although, flowering Bradford Pear trees release of sulfurous compounds odor, which is very unpleasant. Guess you gotta take the good with the bad.

This ended up being an awful long posting to point out the cool and unusual "U" shaped branch that grew.  I've been tempted over the years to cut that limb off, as more often than "knot", I'd run into it when mowing the lawn but glad I fought the urge. Even thought it's at just the right height to take you out when on the ride mower, it's unique.

Anyway, that's all, a long tangent post.

Milkweed Scatters Promise.

I came upon the above milkweed factoid on one of my social media apps yesterday - good to know right.

The ironic thing about this factoid is that only a couple hours earlier I took the below pictures of the milkweed I have had growing in my pool area!

Although, I've cut EVERYTHING else back as a part of putting my yard and flower beds to sleep for the winter, I didn't touch the milkweeds.  Their seed pods were all nice and plump but still green and not ready to open.  Fast forward a month or so and this is the rewards of my patients -

It's a cool sight to see these seeds floating away, like falling snow, as the wind carries them off.  Hoping that some find a safe place to take root come spring.

After all, Milkweed seeds are crucial for the Monarch butterfly's lifecycle.

Their seeds are tiny lanterns, each one drifts away carrying the hope of a monarch’s tomorrow.

Late Bloomers But Oh So Welcome!

My Montauk (Nippon) Daisy's have had a tough go of it this year.  The plants are not as full as in years past, they've grown "leggy" and not nearly as many buds. Oh, and let's not forget that for some reason, the wild rabbits did a number on them this year too AND are still at it, GRRR.

All that being said, the buds that are there are starting to burst with BIG beautiful flowers -

The honey bees, bumble bees and many other insects are making the transition from the sedum to these beauties -

What a beautiful fall flower to have adorning my yard!

#Blessed

My Sad Sedum

Is it just me and my Sedum plants or are others experiencing the same?!

Seems this year each of my sedum plants are thin, lanky and ununiform, see examples below - 

If my memory serves me correctly, in past years, they've typically been a fuller plants and much more symmetrical and with bigger flower heads.

It's been a weird summer around these parts weather wise, hot and humid and not much rain. I'm sure this has something to do with it.  I'm noticing it elsewhere too, smaller blooms, smaller perennials in general and blooms that just don't last too long or as long as I remember.  Perhaps, this is contributing to the lack of honey bees and other visiting insects and critters this year.

Suppose time will tell if things bounce back.

She's A Peach Hun!

Along with my grapes, my peaches are a plenty too!

My peach tree never ceases to amaze me with the number of peaches it has and continues to produce.  This is especially true because it has some sort or peach disease\blight, as well as a large hole near the base of it's trunk - both issues having been there since I bought the house some 25 years ago.

Early on with my homeownership I used to spray it with some peach tree elixir but no longer.  However, I continue to care for it and prune back it's dead limbs and branches at the end of the season, of which there's typically many, and it seems happy with that and comes back with beautiful pink blossoms each spring!

Many of the ripe fruit fall to the ground where rabbits, woodchucks and deer eagerly devour them, leaving behind peach pits galore beneath the tree.

They're not quite ripe yet but I'm monitoring. 

Concord Grapes Galore

I have oodles and oodles of grapes this year and all from a single plant!

This plant was given to me years and years ago by my farmer friend Tim.  Not having a grape plan, I planted it in really the only spot available at the time, which honestly isn't idle but it's thrived.

Outside of eating them, when outside working in the yard or feeding them to the chickens I've had in the past, sadly they've gone to waste.  I really should try my hand at preserving them.

They're also a time measurement, when at this stage, that the growing season in general and summer is coming to end.

Today Was A Berry Berry Good Day!

I took today off of work, as I had an appointment this morning, and it turned out to be a productive day all in all.  I was able to take care of things that have been in waiting, as I've been working almost every day for a couple weeks now.  Completed a handful of errands, made several overdue phone calls and finished the day out in the yard - my happy place!

Although it's been very hot this month and we've not had any significant rain in the same time, the lawn still needed to be mowed, so I cut it this afternoon for the 13th time this season - yes, I've been keeping track.  This darn OCD...

I also did some weeding, pruning and hand watered all my annuals and veggies, PHEW!

I finished the outside chores by picking a half gallon of DELICIOUS and JUICY blackberries!  OMG, they are to die for, so so so tasty.

AND there's oodles more to come!

If you're in the neighborhood stop in for some blackberries and don't forget to bring a quart of French vanilla ice cream!

#Blessed

Let The Show Begin!

Here are some of the recent planting I've done around my yard -

This clump of Cannas are one of two that I over-wintered in my basement this past year.  I chose to plant it in the same spot I had it in last spring\summer, as it did very well there -

Added some Marigolds to add some color along my driveway -

These two flower pots, with "Main Street Abbey Road" Coleus and "Daybreak" Gazania will adorn my front stairs -

These Cosmos came from my farmer friend and have oodles of blossoms coming -

A current pic of how well all (33) of my fall planted garlic is doing -

Now, if only the sun would come out and stay, all my plants would surely take off!

SO Many Colors!

My flowering trees are in full bloom, as are SO many others in the area, and they all look terrific!

Peach tree -

Bartlett pears -

Weeping cherry -

Although, not a tree rather a shrub, my Azalea -

My pink Dogwood -

Everything is coming alive with the warmer weather we've been having! Perennials are popping through the soil, trees are budding and things are greening up.

Think Spring!

These flower pics were what I still had blooming in my yard a couple weeks ago!  With our first frost in the books and now that I've cut everything back for the winter, I thought I'd post these pics of what to look forward to next year...

Gerber Daisey, aka African daisy -

Butterfly Bush, aka Buddleja -

Rose of Sharon -

Rose of Sharon -

Honeysuckle - 

Cosmos -

Purple Cone Flower, aka Echinacea -

Cosmos -

Balloon Flower, aka Chinese Bellflower -

Balloon Flower, aka Chinese Bellflower - 

Oxalis -

Begonia -

Cleome, aka Spider Flower -

#Blessed