Rather than focusing on things we no longer have blooming, let’s focus on what’s still showing some color. Shall we? The Rose of Sharon is doing fine with more buds prepared to burst open. Knock-out roses are blooming just fine – like always from spring through fall. The larger cockscomb were flattened by Harvey’s strong […]
Gardening
What’s Blooming Wednesday #59
Wasn’t the eclipse an event? I’ve never seen such bright sunshine look so “dim”. It’s hard to explain the effect, really. It was fun seeing the TV coverage of the different groups gathered across the country in the areas of total block. God surely created a wonderful universe to entertain us! I enjoy His creation […]
What’s Blooming in Post-Katrina Gulfport
We took a trip to the Mississippi coast two weekends ago to visit Fun Son (where he is now working and adulting 🙂 ). I was pleasantly surprised to see the progress they’ve made since Katrina swept through – and wanted to share it with all of you. Gulfport didn’t impress me much before Katrina […]
The Joys of French Tarragon
A few days ago, Bonnie from Living With Thanksgiving commented on the tarragon I planted in bush beds around our yard. She had questions about it, and as I started typing an answer, I realized something. There is so much to say about French tarragon! I knew immediately that I could and should write an […]
What’s Blooming Wednesday #58 – My Top 13 Southern Perennial Picks
How was your July 4th? I hope you had a great day (and/or long weekend)! Total subject change, and in reference to our yard, we have several volunteers growing in random places these days. Is that happening in your yard, too? As I began counting all the hardy bloomers that reoccur each year in my […]
What’s Blooming Wednesday #57
Welcome, summer! Last week, HH and I motorcycled through Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and back home through North Mississippi. Texas was beautiful, as always. We go through Texas quite often, and this time we stopped in Dallas to visit family. Southern New Mexico was, well, honestly…less than desirable with hot, driving winds. Northern New […]
What’s Blooming Wednesday #56 + Porch Swing Blooming Pillow
It’s been about six weeks since my last WBW post. Since this is a sacrifice year when I cut whacked(!) the bushes out front, I’ve backed off on all my planting activity while the bushes leaf out again. I’m not bothering the weeds too aggressively, either. I have a few things blooming to share with […]
What’s Blooming Wednesday #55
The day after I published WBW #54, I suddenly discovered more blooms appearing in different spots all around our yard. Daily, I see new blooms I’d forgotten would be here this soon. And, here I thought I had very few flowering plants remaining! Do the flowers in your yard ever surprise you that way? These […]
What’s Blooming Wednesday #52 – Why You Shouldn’t Fear the Ugly
I know all about the ugly. You probably know it, too. It’s that in-between stage of landscaping. Today, I’m sharing all my ugly with you. Don’t we love to see other people’s ugly? It helps us feel like our own ugly is doing pretty good! Last week, I shared what HH has been working on […]
What’s Blooming Wednesday #51 – How to Wake Up to the Loveliest Sound of Rain
It’s true. Yesterday morning, I woke up to the sound of the loveliest light misty rain. Have you ever heard misty rain? I didn’t think so. I’ll explain as we move through today’s pictures of what’s barely blooming here in The Land of Making Do. Hah! Did you notice my lack of What’s Blooming Wednesday […]
How to Moss-Emboss Your Ordinary Clay Planters
Early in spring this year, Spunky Daughter (SD) planted some seeds I shared with her. She bought clay pots and grew herbs in her bedroom window – the only window at their apartment that gets enough sun. Last month, we transplanted everything into larger planters – along with some flowers SD had bought. I kept […]
How to Best Maximize Your Bird House Power
After publishing my post last Wednesday, I Pinned this picture of my friend’s ladder to my ladder board. The next time I need to do something with a ladder, this is it (or something similar)! And you know what happens the minute you stick even your toe inside Pinterest. You never come out! (Please tell […]
What’s Blooming Wednesday #48 – How to Energize Your Fence!
If you were here for last week’s What’s Blooming Wednesday, you remember this gorgeous English garden tucked inside the inner fence in my friend’s back yard. Today, we’re venturing outside this gate – to the outer fence. Some of you noticed that bright yellow window frame right away. Isn’t it awesome? Don’t you love that […]
What’s Blooming Wednesday #47 – How to Dress Your Yard in English Garden
I’m very excited to share this post with you today because I’m always so inspired when I visit these friends. They live nearby, and they don’t live in a land of making do. They have what I call a regular yard. Do you know what I mean by regular? It’s a yard that may be […]
What’s Blooming Wednesday #44 at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage
We quickly bounded up the highway to Nashville last week for a couple of days with our two kids (who are in college). With all our schedules for work, school, and blogging, we fit as much fun as possible into our time of under 40 hours. And. It. Was. Great. (!) Our first stop was […]
What’s Blooming Wednesday #42 – Deb’s Garden
Remember my friend Deb who gave me the Recipe for Tomato Plant Pots? Yes, my plants have more than doubled in size…and they have blooms. Tomatoes should be here soon. 🙂 But, that’s not all that important today. What I really want to show you is Deb’s garden plot. Or, I should rather say plots. […]
What’s Blooming Wednesday #41 – The Aroma!
Is there something blooming in your yard that you love to cut and bring inside? Do you love it more because it fills your rooms with its wonderful scent? Our Magnolia blooms started opening last weekend. The aroma is heavenly. I wish you could smell them here this year – because it seems to be […]
Tomato Plant Pots – Recipe for Success
My friend Deb, who shares lots of great recipes with me (and you’ve seen many of them here), told me how she grew tomatoes successfully last year inside 5-gallon buckets. Since horn-worms get mine every year when they’re in the ground, I’m doing this! Deb grew her tomatoes in five of these pots last year. […]
What’s Blooming Wednesday #40
Do you have irises in your yard? Mine aren’t doing so well this year. This first one appeared the other day. Notice it’s leaning against a tree. There are guilty four-legs around here somewhere. Ah-ha! Caught in the act…well, almost. I was glad to see these iris buds, but nothing had opened yet. The peonies […]
Tips to Eliminate the “Oh, Deer!”
A reader and friend who lives at the other end of my state (Mississippi) emailed me before Easter. She asked me to write a post about what to plant that the deer won’t eat. They have eaten everything in her yard down to a nub. Oh, deer is right! Why didn’t I think of writing […]