~The Great Outdoor Challenge~

Continues.  We are recovering from a little illness over the weekend, but I wanted to share a few photo’s..  

 It is so hard to see your little child suffer from sickness and pain. I knew when she got dressed, started talking ninety to nothing, running outside every 10 minutes to play today that she was back to her old self again. It was a rough two days, but the clouds have lifted, thank heavens!

~Antique tea rose.. maybe Safrano? Or ?? I just can’t quite recall right now.

~Marie Pavie~ Love, smells so good!

 I am really pleased with this little bed. I keep trying to capture the color’s, but they are not coming across quite right.  I love the white  bridal spiraea, with Old Gay Hill (China rose), and the purple iris. On the other end of the bed is Baby Love (a little shrub rose) and a little purple iris tucked in.

It’s a jungle out there, but it makes me happy.  Hoping you have a healthy and happy week!

~Hummingbirds and other garden delights~

My little friends are back!   We have had our feeder up since late March, but it was not until April 8th that I saw my first little friend.  Last year it was April 14th.    The family and I are  just thrilled to have our buddies back.  Oh how we’ve missed them!! Now if I can just arrange to have my camera ready when I see one!

We had to get a new feeder  our previous one  lasted a few years and we finally wore it out.   There  is our new one  all pretty and filled with  fresh  nectar Yum!

My roses are really behind this Spring.   It has been rather cool  so far.  However, a few have popped open.   Martha Gonzales is a found china rose.  Love love love it. If you need a great little nonstop bloomer then this will work for you.

Baby Love miniature rose. I really love this little beauty. It is hard to find a really strong and healthy yellow rose. This one is outstanding. I love roses that just do their thing.. no fuss, no worries..  they just shine.

I wish I could remember the name of this clematis.. I need to go back through my records.  I know I got it from Silver Star Vinery.  Actually I believe it is Artic Queen. It is a beautiful white. It appears to start out with a touch of a blush on it and then turns to a clear beautiful white.

Happy Easter!

~Birds in a bowl~

   ~I found the cutest vintage thing the other day… not exactly sure what this is supposed to be, but it has multiple birdies hanging on a string with beading. There is a very tiny bell on the very bottom.  We have it hanging on my daughter’s door as a part of her catatorium, dont ask!    I first had them  placed them in a  wooden bowl from the thrift store… 

They are the coolest thing and what I love the most is the colors of each bird with the little beading detail for eyes and beak, and a little tassel tail matching the main color of each bird…

Here they are hanging~

I found a few other little goodies that I am saving for later.

We have been enjoying the best fall ever! The weather has been warm during the day and cool at night, just perfect for roses and the last of our fall flowers~

We have been enjoying some wonderful soaking rains as well…

   ~ lovely orange mums

a little pink rose, think it is the Knockout.. it is a good doer along with all of my antique roses. This has been a great fall for roses! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

dreaming of roses….

Living in the south, it is a well known fact that Gallica roses do not do all that well here.  Typically we go from a few days of lovely weather called “Spring” to all out hot Summer.  Gallica roses bloom one time for supposedly a long time. Well worth the space they take up in the garden. This is a risky rose for the South due to the shortened bloom cycle due to heat. I have had 2 gallica’s that have been less then stellar in my garden. This one below was supposedly “Tuscany Superb” but it is not. I had like 2 blooms on it last year. This is the 3 year in my garden and I finally have some Wow going on. I just don’t know if it is because of all of the rain post drought. Or the cool long Spring we are having. Not sure, but I am happy. I was going to shovel prune this one if it didn’t give me something.

 

 

  ~ a budded type view

   ~ combo view and it is very fragrant!

 

  ~ Marchesa Bocella it is a winner all the way.  Here is a bud view ~

  ~ and an open bloom. Very very fragrant and so pretty!

  ~ Field of the Woods, climbing rose.   The photo has it in a pinkish tint, but it is red, will need more time to study it, but looks like a winner!

Teasing Georgia~ and friends…

The Spring flush is still going strong. The roses are looking pretty good overall.  Such an odd Spring. The weather has been warm, then rain, and cold. Over and over. We are in the midst of more rain showers/ thunderstorms.  No complaints, just different than what it has been

Teasing Georgia is continuing to climb to heights unknown. I made a copper teepee for her last year.. she shows no signs of stopping.

  ~lower portion of Teasing Georgia…

  ~ mid-section

  ~view from the top portion…

   ~ another David Austin rose… Benjamin Britten this rose is vigorous, tolerates part shade and is an unusual shade of orange, reddish-pink. Very pretty…

   ~my very favorite rose of all time, a polyantha rose Marie Pavie  the fragrance is to die for, it WAFT’S and you just have not lived until you have smelled this rose. Seriously.

   ~one of my other favorites for form, color and smell is Souvenir de la Malmaison This is one of the best…

   ~ This is Belinda’s Dream It is an Earth Kind rose.. and you can read more about them here..

 If you are interested in any of the roses listed, just click on the “Photo’s” tab on the help me find site, it will show you all pictures listed for that rose.. be warned, rose addiction may overcome you. If your interested in any of these roses or other old garden roses.. go to the Antique Rose Forum on Gardenweb. this is a great resource for these roses.. 

However, we are still experiencing torrrential downpours and I am hoping some of these blooms remain intact for my sister’s wedding reception tomorrow night.  I was hoping to carry a few to her dinner hmmm…

Summer Skirt Sheet Swap~ Check!

Ok, sheets are cut and packaged for travel.. for Polka Dot Creations Summer Skirt Sheet Swap!!

I had a time cutting the sheets… one sheet had spots I think… so that one was out, of course its been a long day and my eyes are tired, but it’s out.. The next one I got confused on the direction I was cutting… so part of that was out.. On to the last one, and it was not a twin, but I cut it down to spec’s..

Here they are~ set to go out tomorrow!!

 

~ I am excited to be in this swap!
 
~just because I found it blooming earlier this evening~ antique Bourbon rose “Souvenir de la Malmaison” this is a good one!

”Allister Stella Gray” Noisette rose, it is almost a pale yellow~ green when first opening, very unique and smells great!

 

Sunday musings…. a little rose anyone?

As the weather warms, and as the days grow longer, it is so hard to stay inside. I am currently battling either poison ivy or Virginia Creeper type rash… I still can’t stay inside! I have been trying for days to get a an accurate shot of this rose bush gone mad….   ~ I have no idea why this is so hard to capture in a picture…  one picture has to much light in the background, ~ this one has too much  somthing or other..

  ~on the other hand, close up photo’s are much easier…~ seriously though, this is a great rose! Everyone should grow one if you have the room!  

Now, when the blooms have faded I will attempt to tidy it up a bit.  It is a bit impossible to go thru the fence, but it is a price worth paying for now…   ~one more little peek~ here is the backside of the fence.

 Now to the back garden….

  ~ my arbor seems to have filled in nicely…  I am loving ‘Madame Alfred Carriere’ right now.  This rose is so fragrant, and nearly thornless so, it is a great choice for an arbor. Only worry is that is will get way too large for the space. But, that is a worry for another day.

     ~ close up MAC bloom

  ~ sometimes you just have to appreciate the view you create on your own…

  ~ peace be with you on this Sunday evening and enjoy Earth Week!