What a Beautiful Full Moon...

I hope all of you have looked out the window tonight to see the full moon. It is just beautiful..
It seemed to just pop up in the sky...I watched it as it came up over the hill in front of the house.
So what better night then to show you some night bloomers in the garden.

This is the moon flower in my front yard.
http://www.moonlightsys.com/themoon/flower.html
This is a wonderful link to watch the flower open and it will tell you all about it.
I usually bring 2-3 in each evening because they smell so wonderful. They bloom in the evening and are done by morning, so you may as well pick them and enjoy them each evening...

This one is Nicotina, it also blooms at night and has a wonderful fragrance. I think I posted an earlier picture of the new lime green one.

Both of these really make a statement in your garden late at night. Especially the moon flower, because of their size and that bright white color. The bees love them, I have seen them get inside the flower even before it is fully open. Then they stay so late they can't even fly home. I usually find them hanging on my screens in the morning.lol

Have a Good One!!

Lynn

Water Barrel....

Ok where to start???

Oh yea that Gaillardia "Goblin" picture...

here you go..

Now some pictures of the new water barrel so you can see how we put it together. I think from the pictures you can figure it out...

Ok this one shows you how to take elbows and connect to hole you have made in top of lid.

Then cut hole in side so when barrel is full it will flow out of the side and back down down spout.

He sealed both top and side with caulk. Then in the fall we will empty and reconnect downspout.

He put a spigot at bottom with a short hose to fill watering can.

You can buy all sorts of fancy stuff to do this with, but this works perfect. In one light rain it was full. I was amazed to see how quick. If you have any questions just call me.

The upside down tomato is doing better then I thought it would... I had to move it off the porch because it got to big. It has plenty of little babies on it and lots of blooms. The coleus is even doing good...
I can't wait for a good salad...








Have a Good One...
Lynn

Gaillardia

My new Gaillardia "Sundace Bicolor" flowers are finally blooming. planted them from seed early this spring at school in our little green house we had in the window.

The package says Cherry, bicolor ruffled globes in mahogany-red and gold are 2-3 inches across. Carefree Southwestern native is heat tolerant. A unique choice for beds, borders, containers or hanging baskets. Annual.

Well they are all of that, I love them They are the color of my perennial Gaillardia just round. The petals are cone shaped so the hummingbirds love them.

Take a look..

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This is another new Gaillardia for this year but I can't seem to remember it's name "you know one of those senior moments". sorry I will think of it later.

Of course the Gaillardia Goblin I can't find a picture of one. But there are the 2 new ones for this year. I will post the Goblin tomorrow..

Have a Good One!

Lynn

Back from the beach...

Back from the beach and back to reality...

The flowerbeds and baskets are like a jungle!!

Nicole watered well !!! The new water barrel has stayed full and working great, I should have done that years ago. What better water then rain water, and God knows we have had plenty of rain. Now we need to cut grass and edge beds and dead head petunias.. petunias... petunias...

I love them but they are alot of work. My cherry tomatoes that are hanging upside down are going crazy. They must like it where they are. The new Perfussion Zinnias are starting to bloom, and of course the garden is full of weeds..

Here are a few pictures..

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Have a Good One...

Lynn

Beach Flowers

Took a few pictures of some flowers this morning after the rain. I have no idea what some of them are...

This poor little Morning Glory was soaked....

I love to visit the beach, but couldn't live here with all the sand. I need my flowers lots of them...

Have a Good One...

Lynn

Experimental Garden Project

It sure looks like the garden in Colfax is doing WONDERFUL!! What a great job everyone involved is doing. I wish my garden looked that fine. Looks like giant plants!! You guys need to GIVE YOURSELF A HAND!!!
I am away for a few days and Nicole is getting to be one of the first to use my new rain barrel. I am so jealous!! I just hope it holds out for her with enough water.
ttyl,

HAVE A GOOD ONE,
Lynn



Look at those blooms...

Sure was Knee High by the 4th of July!!

Now that is a CABBAGE!! I sure could go for a good cabbage roll...

BEAUTIFUL GARDEN...

Butterflies

Butterfly Facts
"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly,One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."
~Hans Christian Anderson Interesting Facts About Butterflies
In North America there are over 700 species of butterflies.
Worldwide there are about 28,000 species of butterflies.
A caterpillar increases its body size thousands of times from hatching out of the egg to pupation.
As caterpillars grow they shed their skin.
Butterflies do not make cocoons. Butterflies develop from eggs to caterpillars, and during the pupal stage they harden into chrysalis. After a few weeks the adult butterfly will emerge from its chrysalis.
Butterflies range in size from 1/8 inch to almost 12 inches.All butterflies have six legs and feet.
Butterflies taste their food through their feet not their proboscis (straw-like structure), which they use to drink nectar and juices.
Butterflies use their antennas to smell.
If their body temperature is less than 86 degrees butterflies cannot fly, so often butterflies absorb heat by basking in the sun.
Butterflies prefer flowers that are pink, yellow, red, or purple and have single petals.
After bees, butterflies are the second largest group of pollinators

Have a Good One,

Lynn

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July everyone. We were hoping for some better weather for the day. Hope it doesn't ruin every ones plans for the day... So have a great 4th.The new rain barrel is up and working just great. Plenty of rain filled it to the top last night. Now I can water til my hearts content... Of course I won't get to use it this weekend, I think it is going to rain all weekend... Just kinda took all the fun out of it... lol


Have a Good One...
Lynn

I think I felt a sprinkle or two...

Here comes the rain again... But the new rain barrel is hooked up and ready to go now. So I can stop running up the water bill. Last summer Tom thought we had a water line break... lol

So hopefully this will work. Of course now I want it to rain!

At the bottom of the page is a new link to my new book I just did with pictures of the gardens. I love the site Shutterfly.com you can make so many great things and it is fun.. Just take a look at all the neat stuff, by clicking on the link it will take you right to the book.

This i an annual called Mimulus it is a calypso mix. Great for pots.

Have a Good One...

Lynn

Upside Down Tomatoes

The Upside Down Tomatoes are starting to bloom, so they must be doing ok growing upside down. I should be picking tomatoes in a few weeks, right off the porch. lol Just thought I would try it, it looked like something cool to do. Tomatoes on bottom flowers in top.

Those funky flower pots are overflowing in the back bed. I never thought the heliotrope would get that big in that 6 in. pot on the top. You can't hardly see the two bottom pots now.
It was really a beautiful day and NO RAIN.

We even got the rain barrel hooked up this afternoon. I will take a picture and let you see how it is working as soon as it rains. Now I'm hoping for rain!!! lol

Have a Good One!!

Lynn