Coming down with something

I'm not feeling so great today. I don't know if it's severe allergies or what, but I'm just not feeling good. I awoke at 6am with a terrible sore throat and I am currently feeling VERY exhausted and my throat and nose just feel weird, you know, like right before a cold comes on.

So, instead of any talk of flowers or gardening, I will leave you with some funnies:



And then THIS is another funny one from Jimmy Kimmel's show.

Have a good weekend!

I'm going to take a nap.

Last in the series

Here are the last photos in my recent series of spring lovelies.

This was my birthday present to myself two years ago. It's a Daphne bush. It has a million tiny little blooms that look like they will open in a week or so. Beautiful pink flowers and a lovely fragrance. I may have to get myself another one soon. They are SO pretty and keep their foliage in the winter, which I appreciate...They have a cute, round, variegated leaf. Very nice!

Next, another shot of the yummy lilacs. Is there any better fragrance? Any prettier flowering tree? I think not.


Here we have the white variety of the bleeding heart bush that I just planted a couple of weeks ago! Already blooming! Can't wait until it gets big like the pink ones I have.


This is another grouping of Solomon's Seal that I planted last year. This is the variegated leaf Solomon's Seal. I am a big variegated-anything fan!


And here is a shot of the yard on the left side. The Daphne is next to three hydrangeas that, when leafed-out, nicely hide the ugly compressor back there. Our house used to be a restaurant, so we have this ridiculously huge compressor that drives the central air downstairs here. Anywho, the hydrangeas are pretty far along considering it's only April! And you can see the lilacs there along the back fence. There is a lavender one and a white one. The white one is not quite blooming yet.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Happy Friday to all & have a lovely weekend!

The weather people are insane

All week the weather people have been telling us what a rainy day we were in store for on Thursday.

Could they possibly be wronger?

It is ridiculously warm and beautiful. Seventy degrees and sun! So much for getting out of watering everything today...

So, let us continue the tour of the yard, shall we?

I'll do half the pictures of the back today, and the other half tomorrow. I took a ton!

First, how cute are these little fleurs? I inherited them from a friend, this woman who had the MOST incredible garden you've ever seen...She moved, however...So the garden is not hers anymore, but before she moved, she gave away plants to several of us...If you know what these are called, I'd love to know! They don't last long, only flower in the spring and have cute, little pointy leaves that last all summer.

Next, the King of Hearts bleeding heart bushes. Love the delicate foliage.

Here's a shot of the yard...You can see the lilacs there in the back blooming their faces off! And this bleeding heart bush? I've never seen so many blooms! Gorgeous!


And this last one is not so thrilling, except that it is the Solomon's Seal that I planted last year under one of the butterfly bushes, and it really spread a lot! Love when they bloom, so unusual looking.

Here is the flower which is very subtle, but I just love em!Sort of like a giant lily of the valley mixed with tiny eggplant!!

Ok...I'm off. Too beautiful to be computing.

Later, peeps!

GORgeous

OK. So, I know global warming is not good, but, MAN! This weather? I can take it. I can definitely take it.

We are quite honestly having the most lovely, amazing, beautiful springtime here in Massachusetts. Oy VAY with all the flowers and leaves and butterflies and bumblebees and JEEZ! It's just really really nice is what I'm trying to convey.

I just took photos of the lovelies bursting in my side yard and also in the back yard. Where do I begin?

Let's take a look in the side yard today, shall we?

Here we have a lovely ensemble of Icelandic poppies, violas and look at that phlox coming in so nicely! I have a tradition now of always putting orange poppies right in that spot each year. They act like an annual here, since they don't seem to like the heat. (Not the same as a Chinese poppy). Anyway, our neighbor LOVES when I put the poppies in because it reminds her of her childhood home in Italy. She brings her children over all the time to look at them!

Next, lamium that overwintered in my flower boxes from last year! I plopped 'em in the ground and they're already flowering! NIce!

This little beauty shows the pretty combination going on right now with my grape hyacinths, light yellow narcissus (minnow), violas and looky how tall some of those tulips are getting! There is also a white poppy planted in there that has a ton of blooms. Will be pretty when they open up!

Here is another lovely photo, mostly I wanted you to see that the Jacob's Ladder is blooming already! This is about a month ahead of schedule! Crazy!

Another pretty combo with the narcissus, violas and grape hyacinth. If you look over there on the left, you'll also see there is a lamium blooming! Pretty!


That's all for today. Tomorrow we will explore the pretties out in the back! : )

Hope you have enjoyed the niceness that is our spring!

Frilly pink tulips

Happy Patriot's Day!

I know. There is nowhere else in the country that even knows what that is. It's a Massachusetts thing. We have a lot of those things. Jeff Foxworthy has a whole bit on "You know you live in New England if..." Here are few good ones:

If you measure distance in hours, you live in New England.

If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day and back again, you live in New England.

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in New England.

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you live in New England.

If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you live in New England.

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in New England.

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph you're going 80 and everybody is passing you, you live in New England.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in New England.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you live in New England.

If there's a Dunkin Donuts on every corner, you live in New England.

These are probably only funny if you actually live here or if you know New Englanders. But that last one is truest of all. What is it with our caffeine addiction? Maybe that's why we're always so cranky?

In flower news, my first tulip has opened! I planted many, many bulbs last fall and the tulips are beginning to make their appearances!

Here is what they look like!

Cute, no?

Well, I must run. Off to work on the boat.

Later!