This blog is about my garden and the outdoors. I am new to photography but I am trying to show some of the pretty things that grow here in Michigan. I love the wild things who visit me and I dont mind if they eat a bit here and there. I like it more if they let me take their picture. As time goes on I think I will try to show you around the beautiful area that I live in as well as my garden. I try to use my own pictures as much as possible but will also use pictures from the web. If I inadvertently use your photo or work without permission please email me and I will remove it or give credit if you prefer. I will give credit when I know who the owner is. I would ask that anyone using my pictures do the same.
... I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.......Psalm23:6
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Friday, July 28, 2017

Not my garden..........................

Today started with a real pretty sky, I went out around 6am......phew!!! yup and with eyes open too.
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Sky brilliant pink and the pictures do not do it justice.
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I had the kids today, I am babysitting for a friend. Ryland and Brodie, nice kids and I find if I do things with them then the days go quicker and they behave better. Then there is Cooper he is a handful. So about 10am it was still quite cool with a nice breeze so decided upon going to Central to the playground. Gabby and I took our coffee and let them loose.
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Look at the sky, it was wonderful
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Anyway, Central school used to be the old high school at one time. Gerry went there for awhile. Tristen went there until he left us. I have spent time there often enough. They have a garden.
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Unfortunately it is long neglected now. Last couple of years it seems to have been forgotten and that's a shame. I would volunteer but cant keep up with my own. The Perennials try hard to flourish among the weeds that are slowly taking over and smothering things.
There were a few highlights though. The Queen Anne's Lace is a weed but it is so pretty, I am trying to grow it in my garden. I saw one pop through this year.
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It really is like lace.........another seems to be a wild geranium but I am not sure on that one. I didn't look close but would like some of that.
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There were also some Day lilies that were doing ok. Some quite pretty, I would love the yellow one.
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They have an herb garden and fruit but all now overgrown and wasted. Such a shame
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yes this garden needs some TLC but I have no time. They did at least cut the grass so you can see there was a garden once.
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If it had a wall it could be the Secret Garden and maybe then it could be brought back to life and not look so forlorn and neglected. I enjoy going there, I wonder if anyone else does.......but now it's too sad looking. I wonder if someone will bring it back......I hope so.

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Its nice to see a few things blooming at the same time. This is a part of the front garden.
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Day Lilies are the main stay, but the daisies are blooming too yahooooo.
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Today Gerry and Tristen got the stones down on the side garden by the porch so tomorrow I can get my beach stones. I will put pretty stones on top and collect some big ones if possible. I can put the Petoskey Stones and all my pretties. I will take pictures when we are done.
I have taken some pictures of the back garden and the grass needs cutting. Here are a few.
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The pond is pretty too
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The purple bells that I have no name for are spreading but I am managing to keep them somewhat under control
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I bought a few extra plants that I can overwinter again. It worked well last year, they did well inside so I hope these will too.
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I still need to get one more fence, maybe two so that I can get it around the corner. Then that corner will be easier to work on.
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Its good to see every thing blooming
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The Roses are done for now as we move towards the end of summer............yes, it's just started but you see that cycle moving along.
These look so cool before they bloom. I should learn or remember the names but well they are red and the Hummingbirds like them
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Some of the things that spread I move into the side gardens that really don't have a lot in them, then if they flourish its OK.
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Bea Balm, I have 3 colours but this year they have been cut back somewhat, still not in full bloom yet. I love to go out with the camera and watch the Bees.
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Bessie always hangs out when I am in the garden, she loves to show off her climbing skills
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Can you see her in this one?
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Boots just likes to sunbathe she is getting older now, she has to be about 11 I think.
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I take pictures just about every day and it's hard to decide what to put here. I hate to repeat myself but anyway every day seems different.
That little metal stool has some great memories attached to it. We had it in bookkeeping when I worked at the bank, we used it to get into top drawers because we were all short.

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Side yard.......................

We started work on the side garden. The seeds are sprouting and doing well. Now I can see where we need to put some more. We took down all the climbing vines from the porch originally so Gerry could work on the porch this year. Alas no money. So it will look a bit naked until its done. The next step is to put stones under the overhang where all the vines were pulled. Right now we just have the black tarp down. Gerry made is narrower than I would have done but I will work with that. We got some pea gravel. Right now just enough stones to hold the tarp down. It won't look like that when its all done
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When the gravel is down and spread the next thing will be to put all the beach rocks that I have collected on the top. I will continue to bring home pretty and unusual stones and will have to start looking for BIG ones.
I am thinking of other ideas as well. I don't think I will put any flowers in this area because its shaded so much. I may end up putting some pots but not this year. For now it will be rocks.
So, the rest of the garden is doing OK. I have a few unusual things popping up here and there
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Mainly though right now it's the Lilies.
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The thing with the lilies is that they last for awhile and there are so many different kinds. So many colours and I hope to get more every year.
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I noticed my Butterfly plant is blooming but I don't see the orange one. Just this yellow.
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The lady in the chair under the Pines has a new plant to hold.
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My tomatoes have babies but the Zucchini is still flowering but not producing fruit. What's up with that. Same thing happened last time. I read that the male flowers bloom first and then the fruit producing ones later but I am not sure how that works.
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I am going to feed the garden again and see if that helps. It may just be too soon.
Some of the daisies are blooming and I have some white ones but they are not as prolific as I would like. Again, I must get the plant food out there.
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The succulents have blooms.
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The Astilbe is blooming but I don't get the big flowers I see in other gardens, is it the sun or the soil? A puzzle.
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The flowers are not that big, I have several plants that I moved last year so they can get more light and sun. We shall see if that helps.

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

and more from July garden...................

So today I finished another pretty for the garden. I am trying to use up a lot of old stuff and dwindle my craft supplies down. A while ago I had some ornaments, fairies, they broke and left me with some wire wings. I held on to them. I wondered if I could make something with them and when I started stringing beads I looked at the bigger one of the two and decided to experiment. Here it is.
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I am quite happy with this one. Anyway, I refreshed some garden things with nail polish. This one was twinkling in the sun but I don't think I captured it.
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There are some new blooms on my old farm rose. I gave it some fertilizer, maybe that will give it a boost
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In the back of this picture you can see a very large tub with some grass in it. I gave up on trying to control it in the garden and now I can have it and control it too.
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This stuff needs a lot of control too, it spreads all over but is so pretty. It comes in a few colours but I just have pink. I have enough problems with that.
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This is Creeping Jenny (I think) it's such a pretty colour. It took me a long time to get it going but now I have it in several places. I put some in the little boy fountain out back, the water would not stay in so I am hoping that means it will drain OK. I am thinking I wont mind if it spreads bit under the pines.
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I have a few other things that are blooming so may as well show those today
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Bodicea enjoyed a mild day in the shade, she is getting old poor girl. She has trouble walking now and I am pretty sure she is having some hearing and vision problems (sounds like me)
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I found a home for a pretty saucer that was broken. I didn't want to smash it or throw it away and so here it is in it's new home.
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Well that's about it for today, I enjoyed the light on these yellow lilies and took a picture.
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I enjoy going out with my camera every day, it seems every day there is something new to see. I had not meant to post this often.