Wisconsin's Orchestra in Nature Has Swung Into Full Accord

June Has Arrived, The Harmony Has Stepped Up 

Columbine is a true example that our Great Creator Has Outdone Himself!

 The day, releases it's light and accepts the evening dusk, humans rest.   But God does not!  Come morning there are so many changes of blossoms popping open.  Seems that the big picture out there as I go down to the barn has grown 12 inches while I was dormant in my nice warm soft bed, well that might be a little exaggeration, but you know what I mean.

 Many of these daises were blown over but within days their lovely heads were again pointed upward soaking up the sun.  Here the blue Siberian Iris are starting to bloom to show contrast.  

     The orange tile on the birdbath almost hidden will again show after I pull many of the daises out when they are done blooming.  They seed themselves, so will never loose them.  I leave a few of the dasies perennial plants continue to grow after they are cut back to about eight inches, getting ready for next years Spring.

I cannot walk past the Blue Forget-me-nots  without a smile and pause to
soak up the beauty of the scene.  Blue pottery mushrooms
add a little whimsy in the Fairy Garden.  

 Highbush Cranberry now blooms, so intricately.  In Fall this bush will hold striking clusters of bright red berries.  The Waxwing birds come in large clusters devouring the berries, that have softened from the many freezing temperatures during the winter.

A large red Peonie that demands one's attention!  Look at Me, Look at me it cries.
It was a wonder it opened from a bud  into this glorious flower all in one day
and night.  Intricate center.  Only God would know how he wanted this marvelous
flower to come out of that little bud.

Another Peonie which is also my cover picture the day before 

this one was taken.  Amazing how beautiful in two days from

a bud it looked like cover photo.  Second day it looks like above.

The beauty of this Iris's color a cream yellow and orange-tan lower petal,
 accenting with a  bright orange fall.
Makes me feel like dancing to its harmony. 

 The pale blue Siberian Iris demanded its own attention by unfurling to look
like a bird  in full wing flying to its fellow flower next to it.  All done
overnight while I was dormant in a deep slumber.

This fabulous bearded Iris was full of its glory.  Smiling as I bent over this lovely creation I could see the golden throat, and the large pistils  cradled into this gorgeous ruffled circle of beauty.  Notice the fluff is a golden color and fuzzy.  The day before it it looked like the flower below: Isn't it breath taking?

                                        You can tell I LOVE IRISES !  The more the better. 

This lovely bluish purple is sedate, well formed and has lovely  fuzzy fall on the lower petal.
A fall is the fuzzy looking image similar to a caterpillar crawling over a slope.

The Two Tone Blue Iris doesn't take as much space as the bearded Iris.
But it can't be outdone in beauty and color.  This picture shows the bud pushing
up through the two already blooming Siberian Iris.  Again I am stunned to see
this miraculous happening right here in my very own garden!  

This is a Siberian Iris, which grows different.  Groups of lively wine colored
flowers seemingly regular beard Iris but more slender.  Like in an Orchestra
semitone:  one of the smaller intervals of the modern musical scale; half tone; half step.

Using the Siberian Iris it gives my garden that half step. 

The tulip and Daffodil season earlier in May has its own presence making my whole being smile, but June is my ah time

here in my many gardens.  Each day I explore the two acres searching for the next high note of God's Creation. 

     So what does the chicken have to do with all this talk about notes and color harmony.  Plenty....

I have my nose down centering my eyes on only the lovely flowers in front of me.  I hear the lovely calls of the many birds flying around my area, and my dear common farm chicken the Production Reds, follow me as if they are part of my shadow.  Clucking softly each seems to have its own tone.  This little Red, as I call them, is quite bossy.  Becoming more urgent in tone and harmony.  The pitch is up and I better take heed or now I know what she will do.  Passing a cluster of Iris, (the pointed leaf in picture)  next to the chicken, she really let out a cluck sounding more like a threat and pecked me in the leg.  Stunned I got her attention and proclaimed she will be thrust into another part of the garden if that happened again.  I took her picture while she looked at me cocking her head to make sure I got her good side.  It seemed to  satisfy her, she turned the other way and walked off scooping up a few bugs in her path.  Oh my, to be sure, my minds eye will take note of her from now on.

     As I entered the Fairy Garden another Red caught my eye.  

Another Red,taking a drink in a setting of three blue flower pot

 saucers resting on old tree trunks.  I use them for mini birdbaths. 

 Purple lupines are in the background of this picture.

ten Red chickens in all,  small as they are still lay a huge brown 

egg every day.  All the chickens have free run of the gardens eating

many bugs, worms, and grubs making their eggs full of nurishments

 frying up nice and perky and have a deep orange yolk. 

Pink Lupines in the same garden find prominence in

the same area.  The small potting shed

was moved from the vegetable garden area

because we no longer grow vegetables.

Its easier to go to the local farmer's

market held in town on Wed. and Sat.

Thanks for coming to share 

the 

latest melody

in 

our lives...

Kate

Bits of Heaven Showing Up In Wisconsin Again

Nature, Add Sunshine, & Warm Spring Rains

Equals A Bit Of Heaven

Winter is only a faint memory, has taken leave, Spring has sprung.  Trees are in leaf,
Flowers take front growing attraction.

Each day brings a new surprise, a new bloom, a new look.

Chickens free to wonder during the day and return to their coop at night.

Here they line the path down to the horse barn.  The chicken coop runs along back of them in the pictures.

     Chickens now are in free range which means they are free of the large outside pen that held them captive all winter.  Easy to find refuge from hawks flying over,  having  full occupation of the many garden's bushes and trees which they scurry under for protection.  

   The eggs they lay each day are deep gold now from all the greens, bugs, and anything else a chicken     would eat.                                                          
  

The Crab-apple trees have many colors.

Light pink in front of a dark purple line the path to the potting shed.

Here in Wisconsin we have late frosts up until the end of May.   If they are bad enough to freeze the blossom the fruit will not develop.

Leaving the trees empty during the winter months for the hungry birds.

We go from mid 80's in the daytime to low 20's at night.  

The trees do not bloom all at the same time, giving us long range gorgeous color throughout May. 

The rock garden we have was ablaze with color.  The daffodils shown on the picture are now done, just a few tulips still hold the only color.

     Hostas have pushed their way up and taken over the show.  All sizes and colors are usually a duller cream yellow or white either showing as variegation or on the edges of the leaves during the hot days of summer.  Greens, soft yellows and whites bring a coolness to the garden.  Two fountains sounds, bring a gentle relaxing serene atmosphere.  At this moment the looks are alive, pronounced, drawing me to the area after a days work in the yard or barn.

  

Another view of the rockgarden, see the Hostas pushing their way up and taking the main attention.  The Daffodils pointy leaves remain and will eventually dry up and disappear, giving the garden a peaceful restful look.  The back of the girl statue, shows her standing next to the pond.  Further up in the picture is a girl statue holding a vase which fountains water back down to the pond.

The Daffodils are nearing finish blooming and the Hosta is already pushing its way up through them.

I had no idea the daffodils were in this place when I planted the Hosta there.  The Daffodils were in their dormancy below ground, but they blend so prettily together as the Daffodils recede and dry up while the Hosta will keep increasing in size to full growth.

Another Hosta pushes its way through the remaining Daffodils leaves and also between old tulip leave that never blossom anymore.

This Hosta is almost yellow and called St. Elmo's Fire.

It is small so far.  I just purchased it last year.

This Hosta holds its subtle look with lots of color.  The green not only lining the edge but streaking the middle of the leaf also.

This area was not weeded yet.  With 2 acres of perennial gardens it is so hard to have them all in shape at one time.  Good thing we are so isolated way back here in the country, no one sees them but me and Dick most times.  Friends and family do not mind weeds, but are like me over looking them and seeing the beautiful plants instead.

The Orioles are back from their winter grounds which are
further South from here.  The male holds a deep
golden color accented with an intense black, making
it a stunning sight.   

     We use to see this bird only flying way up on the tips of the trees branches, where they often have a swing nest for their young ones.

     Now we put out a feeder of Grape Jelly containers.  The male along with his female mate whose color is very dull but similar markings of her partner, are coming to our feeder often during the day.  They are very flighty birds so make their trip fast and off they go again to the tips of the many trees we have around here.

The oriole nest swinging in the breeze.  This picture is from a couple years
ago.  The nest hung there even into the winter, of course empty by then, 

Tulips come in so many colors and shapes.  The yellow cream of this tulip
is accented with the green stripe.  Blending perfectly by its Creator our
Great God.

   

Perot  Tulip is very large and tall.  It is just starting to open.
It usually shows me that spring's grand display of
spring bulbs is coming to a close.  Peonies, Daises
and numerous others will follow the Spring show of bulbs
which were planted last October - November months. 

   

This medium size Iris is called Peppy Long-stockings.  I love the name
and love the flower even more.  The Iris are just starting to bloom.

 
Below in picture Luke joins me in the blessed warm weather we now are having in Wisconsin.  This is the path that goes in between 6 lovely blooming Crab-apple trees, up the hill to the potting shed.  He is on a 20 foot thin lead line so he can explore but not roam out of my sight.  He loves the chance to sniff all the wild areas we keep that way to give the wild life an ideal living area.  The metal gate and trellis on both sides Dick made for me.  It opens into the Birdhouse garden in the lower garden.

Luke our Airedale 

So happy you all stopped by, now you know why 

us Wisconsinites bear the terrible cold, and snow

of our long winters, we know

what is under that frozen earth

Spring comes!  

Hope Unravels into reality!

This land was nothing but a 6 acre farm field, 

bare of any Nature consisting of trees and plants

A Dream I had 30 years ago became reality my 

Nature Within

I Cherish The Moment !

Keep Dreaming,  He who is our Creator

is listening, will help your Dream 

Become Reality Too!

Love and Blessings to you all

Kate

Lily of the Valley

                             

Wisconsin Turns Her Face To The Sun - Letting In Spring

Renewal - Spring

Living Under The Frozen Tundra
Increasing - Unheard -
Our Creators Delight
Renewal
Flowers
Earth
Again
Unearthed
To Warm The Soil
Delighting
Our Eyes

Time to get that camera out and step into the warm Spring days of wonder and beauty.

     Checking out each and every spot for flowers, the perfect picture, shadows, perfect light usually comes around 9:00 a. m. for about an hour, and again later in the day at 3:30-4:00 p.m. The Canon camera begins clicking left and right, sometimes hundreds of pictures at one setting.

Then bringing in the camera, loading it into the computer and then the fun begins.  Picking out the good pictures and deleting many of the others.

Up and down the many paths searching for just the right view, adjusting
the lens, holding my breath, and click.  Checking the picture to see if it
turned out the way I thought.  Could shoot many more pictures at different
settings, height, or even ground level if it is a tiny flower.

See the shadows, its later in the day.  Sun is coming from the West.  Can get behind the flowers and have the sun on the opposite side.  Showing a glow almost through the flower.  Or using the shadows like in this picture a lovely design on the velvet fresh Spring foliage and grass.  My own shadow is behind me so won't be a deterrent to the picture I am taking.

Climbing the steps that bring me from down below.  Gardens, Woods, Chicken Coop and Horse Barn.  Will cross our driveway, to the Garden Rooms on higher level.  First is the Rock Garden.

Rock garden is ablaze with color, performed by the lovely Daffodils.    

 Daffodils with Sun behind them.

 Tulips are beginning to open.  Minny Dwarf Iris are the first of Iris family to pop
through what was once frozen soil.  Bleeding hearts are a joy to discover next
to the large rock.  Every day brings surprises in the garden.

     Along with the beauty of Spring finely coming to Wisconsin, also comes lots of clean-up too.

Here Dick is working trying to clean out all the rubbish that has fallen into the pond since fall.  

Soggy leaves, dead water plants, and maybe a dead frog.

     A new time, a new era has arrived.  All past happenings are behind us.   Is it the earth knows how very long and patient we have been waiting for this moment that it comes to us in a great Miracle of God given new season only He can do.  Colors busting with his majestic fingerprints on them.

Lovely shades of pastels, sharp bright flash of reds, soft pinks, and again green, green, green.  I can't get enough of Green! 

Creamy white petals with cold center

Crimson red out shines all else in the area it is in.

Double White daffodils with ruffled center.

White Daffodils with pink ruffled single center 

Daffodils that make you smile with their extra long pistils

Tulips that do not mind sharing the lime light with a Ninebark bush.

The pond is cleaned, filled with water and the two fountains are working,  One is the hands which has the Scripture saying, "The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want".  and the other is an old one I got as a gift when we first built our home here, the girl is pouring water from her vase.  She does not look real pleased about filling this pond up.  :)  

The girl is pouring water out from her vase into the small area.  It then
trickles down into the pond over stones making the loveliest soft sound,
attracting birds, chipmunks, and deer.

Deer travel through the gardens on their way to the out back of our land.  They munch on tulips often as they explore the area they are going through.  This group has five in it.  Looks like the smaller ones were yearlings.  As I snapped pictures from the window of our home a stray cat that also hangs out around here came out from one of the gardens and the yearlings followed it all the way down the path to the drive.  The older deer hung back in the brush almost hard to see.  Then one of the older ones came out and went to the younger one as if to say you are out of your bounds young man now get back to the heard.  All three young ones trotted to safety back up the hill and then the heard trotted up and out of sight to the top.

Mature deer hiding behind the brush.

Work for the day is done,
time to have a little fun.

All work and no play
makes a crabby day.

So Give thanks to our Creator
and give blessings for more.

Enjoy, each minute as it unwinds
its good to see, and keeps us kind. 

Blessings and Hope
Spring!
I Believe in Spring
I Believe in My Great God!

Kate