May Gardens

 

A few beautiful days have been wonderful garden time. 

Cool temps and no humidity and yes we will take that!

 Planted 2 red, white and blue planters for the 250th.

                      Time to see what came back and made it 

through an extra long frozen spell here in January.

The spirea and clematis are showing off.

The David Austen Rose is pretty happy right now also.

                         There are a few new spaces for seating 

and it is easier to get to now that the grass 

has filled in and covered the red clay dirt.

We added some garden edging (Bueta) 

with trying to keep upkeep a bit easier.

Some containers over wintered in the house

                                                  and some outside survived.

Some containers have perennials planted to fill in.

Red hot poker,  acanthus, yarrow and phlox.

Plantings in the slip scoop from the farm, golden huechera,

hostas in a pot, (they do better here with the slugs)

 and popcorn drift roses.

This clematis was planted last year 

and bloomed beautifully this year already.

Sweet William always reminds me of my grandfather.

This rose smells so wonderful.

That's the May gardens.

On to June!!!

A Watercolor April

 

April flowers have been spectacular this year. 

Everything has bloomed early and May came in April.

I decided to capture the beauty 

with the Waterlogue App on my phone.

 Pinks, lavenders and new growth reds and greens.

Lilacs for Easter.

The bright colors of Spring.

 We had a watercolor event at our church 

and had fun experimenting with something new.

A great reminder of simple joy.

"Lord, fill me with joy in your presence."

Psalm 16:11

Spring View

 

Just marking the journey of spring time

 in our yard in Virginia.

Vibrant colors and mixups of 

amazing jewels in God's creation.

Spring is the march of new life in the world. 

What a beautiful story of God's creation.

Praise and thanksgiving to our God for 

giving us such a blessing for our time here on earth.

Until we gain the gift of heavenly joy 

with beauty beyond description, we are assured of 

His touch in this temporal world.

Random Life November Snippets

 

This week has included time for

 an online Zoom gathering - Around the Word.

A Lectio Divina process that also 

becomes a Visio Divina outcome.

Always a blessing for this hour each month.

(Sign up for this Free event each month 

at Visual Faith Ministry here-)

VFM events

The Japanese maples have been showing off

 a bit around here this week.

Golden light captured through fall colors 

made me smile this week.

An early start to a day gave the gift of sunrise- 

something I don't usually see in my day.

The burning bush out back has been slower than the rest of the neighborhood, but finally burst into a full RED color display.

The past two weeks has also been time

 to bring the plants back inside for the Winter.

Trying to fit it all in takes a bit of time and 

moving things around.

All in all- a week to gently slide into 

Thanksgiving week and count more and more 

of my blessings. 

Vintage Grace Gardens- Late October

 This year I gathered a few mums for Fall 

and added some pansies and 

ornamental peppers to the pot in front.

Some new colors for this change of seasons.

The dogwood turns red and is quite dramatic

 when played against the blade autumn sky.

The grasses are fully opened 

and wave in the breeze.

Sedum is in bloom and adds a delicate pop

 of color here and there in the garden.

 Filtered light shifts over the dining table.

Gathered gourds sit gently in a favorite leaf bowl

 made by art teacher daughter Laura

 as a gift for us on her wedding day.

So many blessings,

so much to give thanks for each day.

God is good. 

Vintage Grace Gardens- Mid-September

 

A stroll in the garden at golden hour.

Finding some splashes of purple color.

Even some reblooming clematis.

Purple balls on the hydrangea 

and purple spires on the liriope.

Can see the feverfew has 

another branch of blooms.

The shoot on the hosta reaches out 

with a dainty loop of blossoms.

An early evening walk 

is always worth the effort.

August in Vintage Grace Gardens

 

The neighborhood is turning

 into a brilliant display of pinks, reds, 

and lavender. 

Every year I am surprised by the display.

 How do I forget from one year to another?

On the front porch there is blooming

 a bromeliad that I have been watching for 5 years.

Hot red is the color of this sun impatient- 

just setting fire to a pot of blooms.

So many pretty flowers 

to view in the garden in August.

I deadheaded the phlox 

and it is back again.

The hydrangea are showing off.

But, I know by the night sounds 

that summer is waning.

That is a bit sad, of course.

Bloom well dear plants, bloom well.

The days are getting shorter.

Vintage Grace Gardens- Late July

 

Vintage Grace Gardens- Late July

Blooming Hydrangea- getting started.

  Loving this juxtaposition in the garden.

Rudbeckia and phlox.

 A sea of yellow waving in the breeze.

This fun sunflower and lantana

 and begonia in a front yard pot.

Some pink highlights with the loosestrife.

Trying elephant ears in a pot.

The dainty guara in a pot is still going strong.

This beauty looks stunning all summer long.

I am more and more into easy care- Echeveria. 

The purple balloon flower 

adds some strong color.

Dipledenia - in the Mandevilla family.

These daylilies finished about a week ago.

The crocosmia with the bold red has faded away.

The filipendula with its 

feathery pink has drifted away.

The blue purple chaste tree 

has reverted back to green again.

I love how the colors always

 keep changing in the yard.

The beauty of a summer garden.