The 90 Degree Heat And Humidity Is On, Lilies Bursting In Beauty

Trumpet Lilies are my favorite lily.  The sent is outstanding.
The colors on the inside and outside are exquisite. 

Orange Trumpet Lilies are Giants compared to the yellow Trumpet Lily in background.  Their beauty almost shouts its heavenly message Rejoice and Be Glad !

The Yellow Trumpet Lily sings its own song July is for Joy, Joy in all creation. 

The Lily is the King of the gardens.  It stops me in my tracks, visitors oh and ah over them as they discover their beauty when touring the gardens.  I want to keep them blooming all seasons, but of course they have their time and place as we all do.  This yellow one is so pretty on the outside with the stripes.

The pink lily has outdone itself this year.  With a little fertilizer that has the high number in the middle for flowers I put on the gardens this spring, the heat and plenty of thunder storms with a bountiful supply of rain.  It has held it bloom almost the whole month of July.  The deep magenta color of the phlox partners up nicely with the lily.  Instead of demanding attention it compliments many of the other flowers of the garden.  You can see the yellow day-lily in the back also adds to the a-ha to the setting.  

The lovely yellow day-lily with the soft yellow white stripe and ruffled petals
 has a little darker throat.
            All so sure of itself it doesn't have to shout out it's song, merely  hums it.
A compliment to the center Asiatic lily creamy peach  with edges having a touch darker shade.

     There are many different kinds of day lilies.  This one is a Spider day lily with a deep throat of yellow reaching up towards the top of the rosy petals.

     There are some day lilies with a thick petal adding a white stripe and very ruffled like the peach colored day lily with a greenish accent to the yellow throat in the below picture.

These giant golden orange have multiple shades of color and contrasting with the
Rudbeckia daises you can see how huge they are.  I  always have to stake them
because the large clusters are very heavy.

Above day-lilies have a fun combination of yellow and Orange-red petals with the
yellow stripe and every other petal all yellow.  It has a fun name too but no longer know it.

This day-lily is stunning even being smaller with the deep wine color and pink stripe.  

The throat looks almost like someone 

turned on a light!  Love the gorgeous  shading of color on its petals and pink stripe. 

The deep wine, reds, and red-oranges really stand out in the garden and I
usually put a lot of light colors around it to accent it's grandeur.

Asiatic Hybrid Lily  hang down making it  hard to get its picture

Novelty  Lily  star shaped.

Small White day-lily with the red wine color accenting the green throat

       Again a White Day-Lily with halo of lite purple outlining the yellow green throat. 

Red cluster of Day-lilies certainly catch your eye in the gardens.

The Day-lilies' flowers only last one day but cluster with many buds on plants to continue their display.

The Asiatic Lilies come from bulbs, the daylily comes from a plant.  Most times the 

Asiatic Lily is planted in fall, but I often see a balb in spring and plant it then.  The

daylily can be planted anytime but spring and fall is easier on them because of 

the heat in mid summer.  

           

The yellow and white daylily with yellow stripe is a double with thinner petals.  You may 

see the old fashioned orange daylily double too, but most times the day-lily is in single form. 

 

My gardens are planted very close together.  That is  just the way I do things.  Others might have eight inches of soil  showing around each plant.  I do not follow anyone's rules about what to do, just do my thing.  It is only wrong in

someone else opinion.  I have had my gardens in Garden Walks which are about 5-6 different owned gardens open for a fee for charity.  I have had my own tours open on Saturdays.  At this time I am open to anyone going through if they call before, or friends come anytime and we stroll through the gardens while we talk and catch up on news.  Gardens are to be enjoyed in any way you want.  I use to be in Master Gardner's for 26 years and followed rules.  Then in retiring I decided some rules are made to be broken and do as you please.  :)  Just enjoy life, use your gardens in any way you want. 

 Just Enjoying Life

Thanking My Great Creator

For All The Beauty

That Surrounds Me

I Thank My Creator.

Tomorrow Brings Us August

One Month Left.

Enjoy!

Kate

Wisconsin Bursts With God's Blessings, Renewing Earth's Life

Turning the pages of my calendar

from one day to another brings me a new beginning.  Yesterday is past and tomorrow has not arrived.  Many surprises greet me when I walk out the door to check what nature has been doing in my gardens.  Spring flowers are almost non existent as summer pushes in.  A few late tall tulips hold out not to be outdone by the next season Summer flowers.

I know when I see the end of the tulip's show of color and divine design it is time to open another door of surprises bringing in Iris, first the mini and then the medium size until the grand aha time of the tall Bearded Iris.  

My very favorite mini Iris is called Peppy Long Stockings.  It is a delight to
discover its lovely blossom when I take my morning walk through the gardens.

 This light yellow Iris with the Blue falls is very soothing to set my eyes on.
The name of this little lady has been long gone and so is my memory of it.
But with all my flowers I love it just the same because looking at it I feel a warm
 smile budding on my face and heart.

 The plain Jane of purple gathers along with its sisters to
surround the small statues of the Crane, completing the setting nicely.

The peach Iris was the first to show up after its long sleep under the piles of snow and ice.  Her ruffled edged petals and the soft yellow throat blend so nicely.

Besides the Iris there are many other Spring blooming flowers.  I need to include them because they add so much color and form into the gardens as a whole picture.  

    


 Below is one of the Bleeding Heart plants .  

It is a stunning example of God's amazing creations for us humans to enjoy. A reminder of His Great Love for us 

Lilacs hold their own with stunning blossoms that nearly cover the bush they grow on.  They are happy to grow anywhere you plant them as long as they get some good earth and plenty of sunshine.  If it is part shade there won't be as many blooms but still pretty as can be.

Columbine are open and showing off their own fun form.  Each flower
brings me a new surprise of color and design.

The perennial Bachelor Button grows in abundance.  Almost like a weed would flourish.  It's neat flower is well worth the space it takes.  Just cut off the dead blossoms as they finish and it will continue to bloom for a long time.  By doing this you will also prevent it from spreading rapidly into areas that you do not want it.  I let it do its thing and just pull out the extras it produces.  

I miss my two greenhouses which we closed down years back when the energy crisis hit the United States.  It was just too expensive to buy the fuel to heat it at that time.

But I do have a potting shed where I store all my do dads I put into the garden as decorations, like statues, etc.  It is not heated but does have very large windows on the East and South exposures.
     In the beginning of Spring I was puttering around in there and found several containers of seeds I had saved them about five years ago from another garden.  I decided to plant the one that had the seeds of "Love In A Puff"  The seeds are round hard balls with two white hearts on them.  I had planted them in a garden called Free Spirit Therapy gardens.
      I developed the very large garden to be part of the large horse therapy called the same name Free Spirit horse Therapy.  The director wanted to have garden therapy added to the complex. She called to see if I would develop one.  It was a very intricate project and I had put in the five senses  areas plus a bird sanctuary on one end and the other held a butterfly garden.  One of the senses was for the touch area.  Love In A Puff developed a puff ball which held the seeds developing the heart image in it.  It was unique and the kids loved to pop the pod and pull out the heart seed inside it.
     Select Seed sells the seeds in it's catalog you can find on the internet.  It is the neatest catalog with all kinds of fun things to plant.
 I was so surprised the seeds developed for me in my potting shed after such a long time of sitting in the plastic container.  The only warmth they had was on sunny days shining into the large windows.
Just shows if you want seed to grow, just about anything will do.  Its the afterwards of taking care of the seedlings growing, that can get touchy.  These two windows face south and east.  Gets too hot in there from the sun shinning inside, I can open the double doors for ventilation remembering to close it all up if their is a frost warning.  :)

When Dick saw what I had done with the seeds on the shelf, he decided to add some long shelves for me to put some of the pots that I had transplanted the Love In A Puff seedlings.  To the left of the picture is an old table with my soil work place.

Dick also brought in a couple pails for me to water my new plants I had started in the  growing area.   In my greenhouses I no longer use I had running water piped in from the house.
     In the potting shed it has a wood floor so would be too wet if I watered like I did in the green house.  Puting the seedlings in trays without holes prevents that.  It makes me extremely  happy to be able to plant a few things again.  Maybe next year I can talk him into a heater so I can plant in January like I use to do in the greenhouses.

The potting shed holds an assortment of vases for bouquets, lots of clay pots I had found at a rummage sale, and other things needed for gardening.
     Never say never in life.  What I thought was a total loss when I had to give up my greenhouses, was only a temporary pause in life.  Where there is a will there is a way I always say.  Meanwhile I am enjoying the gardens now that it has warmed up outside.  Planted Zinnia seeds, and Cosmos seeds in the ground.  It's Memorial weekend, the last frost date passing.  Each day brings me new and beautiful flowers from the two acres of perennial gardens here.

First Tree Peonies To Blossom

Up Close View Of Peonies

The Clematis is now open.  This one I bought last year to replace one that had died and it is so lovely with the violet edge on it.

 Wild Sweet Rocket grows in the old horse pasture we no longer use. The two little horses, one a pony and the other a mini horse need only a small pasture.  We no longer have the big horses.  Over the years past, they have died, most dying of old age.  The field behind the view, we let a local farmer use and he has it all cultivated and planted with corn which is up.

Tall bearded Iris right after it rained out.

Columbine 

These white Columbine are doubles of a new kind I planted a few years ago.  So delicate and almost transparent.  Surprising how they can survive the heavy spring rains.

We often think we are too delicate to survive life's storms but somehow get through them.  We might pause a moment in life, regroup with the grace of God's never ending grace.  Just have to open to Jesus and His hand is already holding us.  Never ever give up.  You have enough of Him and His courage, to do this Hard Thing.

Love you all 

Kate

Let me know how you are doing

 I would love to hear from you .

Spring Transforming Wisconsin New Life, New Hope, New Times

April Brings In  Early Spring

Hope A Rising

Daffodils Love The Cool Days Of Springtime

The trees are rampant with buds bursting into leaves, lime green, new life, new season, new sights after the long snowy winter!  Living in Wisconsin we have the four seasons.  I do not know why but each season is a surprise of wonderment and joy.  I awake and first thing draw curtains and gaze out at the miracle happening right in front of me

Wood Hyacinths flourish and run vamp-int, (an old thing to make it look new), in any area it can settle!  Oh so lovely the color.  Here they cuddle below an old Maple tree next to our horse barn spreading out further and further into the lawn. 

I just let them do their thing.  Can't get enough of them.

Heliotrope is a shy flower.  Keeping her pretty head down.

I pick it up in my hand, looking at its marvelous center.  It 

has the neatest pistils, in the middle of the waxy violet pedals.

Garden Hyacinths are more formal and multiply a lot slower

I wish they would produce like the wild Wood Hyacinths.

Another Garden Hyacinths ever so delicate and pretty!

Miniature Daffodils I keep in the Rock Garden so I can feast 

my eyes on them as I take my daily walk about.  They are 

smaller both in flower and plant.

The chickens have been given their freedom to wonder our property.  It is called free ranging and they sure do move about eating numerous bugs, worms and anything else they can find that is appetizing.  I wait until the leaves are starting to bud out so that they have a little cover to duck under if the big hawk comes zooming in looking for his next meal.  I think the chickens are large enough to not be carried away, but could be injured if cornered I am sure.  During the winter months we only got one or none eggs each day.  Since they have been Free Ranging the property we get at least five to nine.  The yokes are a brilliant orange gold and so firm when they are dropped into the frying pan each morning as Dick and I prepare for our breakfast! Adding raisin toast and orange

juice I find myself full of energy again.

Along with the joy of Spring there is numerous jobs added to our relaxing schedule.  Outside fix up, Taking out the stored garden items like the sink Dick is holding.  We store the many items in my potting shed for the winter.  They would crack from the frigged temperatures otherwise. This goes into the old antique wood barrel to be used as a birdbath.

Lady's Mantle, leaves hold the dew in the morning like diamonds sparkling.
Petals are soft as a kitten's paw.  A ruffled edge oh so pretty.  Her flower
is a little mousy looking doesn't show up compared to other plants.

The large frog is back in the pond not caring that it has not been

cleaned out yet.  "Waiting for a nice warm day with lots of sun."

Dick says. " And then the gold fish that have been living in an 

aquarium down in the heated tack room all winter will be able 

to be put into the pond at the same time."  The pond is in the large 

rock garden on the hill next to our home.  The rock garden is greening up really 

nice.  Daffodils all in flower brighten the area. It use to be covered in snow 

just a month ago. 

Rock garden with many Daffodils blooming.

Dick with Luke our Airedale dog waiting for me to quit taking pictures
so we can continue our walk in our woods.

Behind Kathy are Daffodils just budding out that line a path to where she stands.

The Blood root are open in the woodland.  First the flower and then the leaves hugging the flower tight will unfurl.  The variegated leaves showing are the garden nettle I put in as a ground cover but it has spread way too fast.  It is a mistake to plant foreign vegetation into a woods because of this very thing.  It over comes the natural ground plants that nature provides for the birds and other wild life.  I learnt this too late so will have to spray it to confine it from spreading to other places.  Luckily the creek runs along this area and will hold it in its place.  I hate using chemicals on our land. 

Dutchman's Britches is another unique woodland plant.  It got its name
because of the way the flowers are in the form of britches hanging on a line.

As we walked through the woods this old dead tree that had fallen in a storm many years ago caught my eye.  The fungal growing on it looks just like flowers.  So intricate each layer grew like the petals of a rose or peonies flower.  I simply love these surprises nature puts in my path.  When I am out on a walk, I never know what I will find.  

  

"April Showers Bring May Flowers "

Lower part of Rock Garden on hill.  Sun dial on big rock up front.  Steps made
with 4 x 4 wood to keep eroding from the rain.  This area was nothing but a
large farmer's field on the hill when we purchased this land 30 years ago.  We
 had an excavator place the large rocks from a stone fence on our property,
using a big digger of sorts.  Dick and I hauled the smaller rocks from the
 same fence using a home made wagon attached to our riding lawnmower.

Top part of Rock garden.  Chickens do not mind the rain.  Here one of them
is taking a drink from the birdbath that sits on the stump of a large Ash tree.
It was infected and dying from the nasty Ash Burrow Beetle, we had a man
 cut it down last winter.   

Here the chicken is done and off to find a nice fat worm.

Rainy day most of yesterday and today.   Storms are predicted today.
  Spent the day inside taking pictures through my many windows.  This
 garden is in front of our home.  I got a little weeding done here,
 mulched it with my two year old leaf mulch.  I get truck loads
 from the city in fall,  let it sit for two years and it is the most
 beautiful fiber I could have for my gardens.

Sun peaking out in between rain drops.  Looking out my computer window to see this lovely Wren singing his heart out for his lady friend.  She did show up and explored the bird house close by.  Flitting in and out trying to decide if this fellow and his birdhouse he picked out was what she wanted.  The male Wren gets ready many birdhouses in the area and will take his lady friend to all of them hoping she will decide on one of them.  It was fun to watch the goings on right outside my computer room window and try and catch a photo of the pair.  They move so fast it is hard to get my camera focused and shoot it fast enough.  I haven't seen any activity for the past half hour so maybe she refused this house and wants to see the next one on his list.

Another male bird is the Peacock who daily fluffs out his feathers trying to impress his lady Peacock.

He ruffles them making a  very noticeable noise drawing her attention.  Most times she ignores him.  But eventually after constant days of his antics she takes notice.  He is much too handsome a fella to 

disregard for a very long time.

     We no longer have a rooster in the large chicken pen.  The poor hens were loosing feathers and we had to deal with the roosters antics of chasing us when he is busy with his lady friends.  Now their is great peace in the coop and outside large pen.  We do have a couple little roosters in the barn with the silkies.  They are no threat to us and  a lot smaller than the regular size chickens in the coop.  We let the silkies chickens hatch out a few eggs too.  Is is fun to watch them grow up and grand kids like to hold their soft fuzzy bodies.  

Picked up some of my favorite annuals at the hardware store.  Dick was choosing paint so I headed to the garden center.  Could not resist purchasing a few packs of seeds.  Now the problem as to where to plant them.  My gardens are pretty crowed so not many open spots for burying seeds.  But I will for sure find some place for them maybe even a very large pot on the deck.  

It is too early here in Wisconsin for seed planting.  The weather is so fickle at this time.  Yesterday it was 72 degrees, but after the cold front went through and the rain stopping, a North Easterner wind has brought it down to 38 degrees today.  Brrrrr  not use to this anymore.  I prefer the nice shirt sleeve type weather, so staying in the house one more day and catching up on getting this blog done.  

Hope your day is Sunny and Bright

and the rain storms miss you!

Blessings from my way

Kate