Tag: gardens

Scenes from Las Vegas – Springs Preserve

~ Spence's Girl ~ 2 Comments

from Wikipedia: Las Vegas Springs Preserve consists of 180 acres dedicated to nature walks and displays and is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Valley Water District. The Preserve is located approximately three miles west of downtown Las Vegas.

My recent trip to Nevada included a family reunion which in and of itself was filled with a lot of laughter, simultaneous conversations and catching up on each others lives. That would have been more than enough but my sister, a new Nevada resident, had researched area attractions that would appeal to our gang. Not only was Springs Preserve a huge hit, it was much more than we could’ve anticipated. We availed ourselves two of the many offerings, the Butterfly Habitat and the Botanical Gardens.


For the Bees

~ Spence's Girl ~ 2 Comments

It’s a few months until planting season in Michigan and while I have some of these plants in my garden, I’m planning to add more of those on the list. In the big picture bees are critical to the planet and I want to do my part to help.

Beauty in my garden 

~ Spence's Girl ~ 7 Comments

We’ve finally had several days of what I call “serious rain”.

Enough that I have to dump the decorative pots holding some of my larger, deck-potted plants.

Enough that it doesn’t evaporate immediately after it stops and best of all sometimes falling all through the night.

As a result everything looks lush, green….and overgrown. I’ve been going out for 1-2 hours each day to dead-head, pull weeds and ground cover that has taken over.  While doing so today, I was thrilled to see that finally, one of my 3 hydrangeas has a blossom.  Snapdragons and moss roses are coming up in the cracks between pavers as successfully as the ones planted in containers and beds.

Even my garlic chives have flowered! Here’s what’s up in my garden oasis….

Morning Glories Gone Wild

~ Spence's Girl ~ 5 Comments

A year ago, I planted a single, tiny morning glory with one little blossom on the edge of my herb garden.  After a few weeks they went crazy.  Earlier this summer, I recall worrying that no morning glories had appeared in my garden in spite of millions of seeds that fell while I was dead-heading last fall.

Silly me.

When we returned to Michigan after two weeks in Tennessee, my herb garden had disappeared under a canopy of morning glories gone wild.

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Oh no – where are my herbs?

A gleam in his eye, Spence offered to find his machete and “help me”.  I declined in favor of a kinder, gentler approach pruning until the herbs were liberated while surrounded by a wall of morning glories.

Aren’t they gorgeous? They appear to have tiny white lights in their centers, illuminating from within while their rich colors provide a fabulous display which delights me every morning.

Perfectly Beautiful Saturday

~ Spence's Girl ~ 2 Comments

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With the first of our three day Fourth of July weekend, the weather here in Michigan couldn’t be any more perfect.  In fact ever since Wednesday this week it has been gorgeous including cooler nights and even a pretty solid and much needed rainfall in the wee hours Friday.

Spence and I choose to stay home on holiday weekends as the majority of the state heads “up north”.  The Great Lakes State, Michigan has much to offer the farther north you travel and it’s stunning.  However, there’s also traffic, construction and people pulling boats, jetskis and various other toys.  We’re retired and can travel anytime plus when everybody else leaves town, it’s quiet and laid back.

With a soft breeze, brilliant blue sky and fluffy white clouds drfting above us we’re enjoying the garden.  I picked the first 5 raspberries earlier, eating them right off the bush, like a bite of warm raspberry pie. In a bit, Spence will fire up the grill and I’ll open a bottle of wine and we’ll be chillin’.

Indeed, it’s a perfectly beautiful Saturday.

 

 

Sunday Poppies

~ Spence's Girl ~ 9 Comments

Three colors of poppies appeared this morning, adding brilliant pops of red, peach and pale pink to the iris and spiderwort-filled flowerbed.  There is something really special about the paper-thin petals and the deep black centers. I couldn’t resist going out at 6:30 a.m. and getting a few photos.

 

Sunday’s Blooms – May 29, 2016

~ Spence's Girl ~ 4 Comments

 

In Michigan, we’ve had summer like temps but little to no rain. As a result, the garden is growing quickly, everyday yielding new blooms. This morning I was thrilled to see even more blooms in the garden, including my Dwarf Korean Lilac.

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Much to my surprise, under the lilac bush, I found two of the feral kittens born about seven weeks ago on our porch.  I imagine that the fragrance of the lilacs is relaxing for them.

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Clematis, one of three varieties I have around the garden

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This first of many Clematis blossoms to come

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The first of my poppies!

Lots of shades of purple and yellow abound.

As I strolled around this morning, I found several “volunteers” that I didn’t plant but am happy to see all the same.  My rule is, if it’s growing in a crack but it’s a flower, vegetable or herb – leave it be!