Green Thumb Sunday

My thumb hasn't been very green lately. It is just too dry here to get much to grow. My bell peppers dried up on the stalks. I do have some pictures to share.

Remember the mystery plant that everyone said looked like a certain non legal type of "weed"? Well, here is what it looks like when it flowers. Very pretty I think. Anyone have a clue now what it could be? I'd love to find out. I have another just like it that popped up in another spot and I'm thinking I'll move them both to a more convenient location. (growing between the slats of the garden fence is just not a good place for me) :-)

I think I've asked this before, but does anyone know what kind of shrub this is? One side of my yard has these growing along the fence and in some other areas that are just beautiful. Purple and white blooms. They remind me of hibiscus but I think they are too small to be hibiscus. If anyone knows what they are I'd love to know.

Well, that is about it from my boring dried up old garden right now. I hope the temperature cools down soon so I can get it ready for some fall plantings.

Blessings,

~*~

Green Thumb Sunday...

Not much to post today in regards to Green Thumb Sunday. I haven't been doing much yard work as it has just been way to hot. I need to do some serious weeding in the garden and the herb bed.

For the first picture we have a photo of a cayenne pepper ripening.



Next is a photo of a mystery plant I have found in my garden. I know I didn't plant this and I haven't seen it growing anywhere else in the yard. Does anyone know what it is?



And last but not least is a photo of one of my eggplants.


That's all for today. I've done not much of anything today. I slept until 11 this morning since I didn't get to bed until 2. I read the last Harry Potter book yesterday and finished this morning at 2.

I'm anxious to get back in the pool tomorrow. I missed it this weekend. I may have to adjust my schedule and see if I can't get in an early swim on the weekends too. :-)

Alright, I'm off. If you haven't seen Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I recommend you do. It was great!

Blessings,
~*~

Green Thumb Sunday...

We'll start today with a lace-cap hydrangea that my step mother gave me yesterday. This one is red and is just huge! I have no idea where to plant it and have been searching the yard for the perfect spot.


Next are sunflowers my step mother brought to lunch yesterday. We didn't grow them, but I love them and thought they made a pretty picture.

These are day lilies during a rain storm we had last week.


And last we have another hydrangea blooming in the yard. I love these plants. I always think of my paternal Grandmother when I see these blooms. She had them in her yard and she loved them so. She was always tinkering with the soil each year to try to get them to change colors. They would go from white to blue to purple. So beautiful!

I have lots of tomatoes and am waiting for them to ripen. I also have bunches of cayenne peppers waiting to ripen. My eggplants are blooms (the most beautiful flowers!) and I haven't taken a picture of them yet. I'll try to get one for next week. My squash and zucchini are still producing with loads of blooms on them. I think my bell peppers are finally getting ready to bloom and my habanero shouldn't be far behind.

That is the end of my garden report this week. Hopefully I'll have more pictures next week.

Blessings,
~*~

Green Thumb Sunday

For this episode of GTS, we have vegetable garden progress. First up, baby zucchini.


Second, baby squash. Yum...


Below we have cherry tomatoes. These are on a stem that had broken, but I tied them up and hope that they will survive. :-)



Here is a photo of the mint in my herb bed. I really need to get out there and harvest some. It is starting to try to take over.


And last but not least, is a what is this question. Can any of you wonderful gardeners tell me what this is? I hope it isn't what I think... (poison oak?)



One of the things I've noticed in reading the gardening blogs is that I love flowers. I see all these beautiful photos of wonderful flowers, but I don't have any of my favorites in my garden. So my plan for next year is, MORE FLOWERS!

Okay, I'm off to do laundry and get ready for the work week.

Blessings,
~*~

Green Thumb Sunday

Wow, is it Sunday again? The weeks sure are flying by. Here are some photos from the garden.

Feverfew blooming...

I can't believe how big the woodruff has gotten... I'll need to start harvesting some soon.



Here is a baby zucchini. And below we have my row of tomatoes. I think all three plants have blooms.


Well, that is just a small tour of my garden. Next Sunday we will check on the eggplant, the onions, and the peppers.

Blessings,
~*~

Green Thumb Sunday (New Orleans Edition)

Yes, I know... I'm late with this post. Sorry for the delay, things have just been unbelievably hectic. So here are some picture of plants, flowers and trees that I took while in New Orleans. I hope you enjoy them. Next Sunday we will return to my boring old garden photos! :-)

Above is a beautiful tree that I fell in love with during one of the cemetery walks. I can't remember which cemetery. I think the one across from Greenwood.

This is a photo of a plant in Congo Square. None of us knew what it was. Can anyone help? Below is a closeup of the flowers.


Here is another photo, this from the French Quarter. Aren't they beautiful?


A closeup of my favorite...


Blessings,
~*~

Green Thumb Sunday...

I have so many pictures I could post, but I won't. I'll try to just post the really good ones! Above is my pink David Austin Olde English Rose. I love that variety. They are my favorite. I think this one is really pretty.

Next we have a picture of honeysuckle blooms. I didn't realize it was time for them to bloom until I was working in they yard and found it. I love the smell of honeysuckle, don't you?


Here is a picture of the herbs I planted in my vegetable garden. I just couldn't find a better spot so I decided to use part of the vegetable garden as an herb garden. I planted patchouli, blue vervain, horehound, st. johns wort, mugwort and feverfew. I sure hope they survive!

Does anyone have any idea what the above plant is? I have no idea, but have seen a few growing in my yard. It is very pretty and the color of the flowers in this photo is not accurate, it is more blue. I'd really love to know what it is. I also have one more mystery plant, only this one is a tree.


So, anyone know what this tree is? I'd love to know!

That is about all for today. I have more photos but I'll try to post them later in the week.

Happy Mother's Day to the moms.

Blessings,
~*~

Green Thumb Sunday...

Sorry to have been so quiet. I just haven't had a lot to say lately...


The above is a snowball bush that my mum gave me. She originally got hers from my Grandmother's yard, so now it is like I have part of my Grandmother in my yard.


Next we have a Birdsnest Fern. I had been given one a few years ago that died and I was finally able to replace it. I hope I'm able to keep this one alive. :-)


Here we have more herbs that I got at the state's Herb Guild sale that they had at a local farmers market. I picked up Blue Vervain, Mugwort, St. John's Wort, Patchouli, Cilantro and Horehound. (I can't remember if that is all or not.)

I still have several left to plant, but have run out of room. I'm considering adding some to my vegetable garden but I don't want to plant anything that I can't plow under next spring. So, I'm trying to figure out where to plant them.

Anyway, my roses are blooming. I'll try to get a picture tomorrow.

Blessings,
~*~

Green Thumb Sunday

What a busy weekend! And the best part is that I've spent all weekend working in the yard! I had forgotten how much I like to do that. For our photos today we will start with my inspiration for all the yard work.


The state herb society had a sale last Thursday and this is what I got. From the top left, we have Lemon Verbena, Rue, Italian Basil, Woodruff, Wormwood, Sedum Dragon's Blood, Feverfew, Iboko, Eucalyptus and Curled Parsley. Oh and there's a Foxglove in there too.

So, I started by weeding out the herb bed. I also mowed the yard and replanted several plants that I had inside. I don't have a picture of the completed herb bed, but I have spread straw throughout to help keep the weeds down. I also have placed several of my new plants to go in there, but haven't planted them yet. I still need some top soil and compost to mix in when I plant them.


I spent most of today tilling up my vegetable garden. At first it looked like this...


After I had taken the fence down and dug up the garlics and collards. Now it looks like this...



I will be able to plant a lot more this year. I need to cut back the tree that hangs over the bottom right side and plan to do that tomorrow after work.

My iris' are blooming.

And I found that I have several buds on my rose bush. But when I looked closely I found they had nasty little bugs on them. So I sprayed them down and now they look great. I only have a photo from before I sprayed them though. I'll get photo's once they bloom. :-)


So, that pretty much sums up my weekend. I'm off to check in on the blogs that I read and also to see what everyone in GTS has posted today.

Blessings,
~*~

Better late... than never...

Okay, I know, I'm late again. So here are my makeup posts... Sorry for being late, it has been a very crazy weekend.

Eye Candy Friday...

This is my Sweet Jade...well, sometimes she is sweet... :-)


Saturday Sky...


and last but not least...
Green Thumb Sunday...


...my blooming chives...


Blessings,
~*~

More late posts...

Saturday Sky post that I missed...

...they were calling for snow flurries yesterday morning, but I never saw any.

...and today is Green Thumb Sunday...


Today when I arrived home I found this beautiful Lace Cap Hydrangea on my doorstep. (A gift from my dad and stepmother).

The cold temperatures and fierce winds have kept me from working in the garden this weekend. I had hopes of getting the vegetable patch ready for planting, but I suppose it will have to wait. I now must focus on getting taxes finished and also on getting ready for the yard sale I'm having this coming weekend.

Blessings,
~*~

Green Thumb Sunday...

Hey, it's Sunday and I'm actually posting my GTS post on Sunday! I think that is progress!

So today's photo is from my yard. It is a bleeding heart plant (or what I've always called bleeding heart, if you know the real name please leave me a comment). I love this plant. It always makes me smile when I see it.


Well, I'd best run along, I have a list of things that I need to get done before I leave to see my Grandmother. I've been up for a little over an hour and I've already fed all the kids and given the beast his shot and I've also washed dishes and checked email. I still have the cat boxes to clean, to take out the trash and to shower and dress and make my list of supplies to get while I'm out.

Oh, yesterday I posted knitting progress photos on my other blog. If you are interested in seeing it, head over there and check it out.

I also have more to do on the secret life changing project and will hopefully have more information later today. I still don't want to disclose what it is just yet. ;-)

Alright, I'm off to tackle the kittie boxes. I don't know why I hate doing that so much... ugh. :-)

Blessings,
~*~

Late again...

Saturday Sky for this past saturday. I hope I will soon get the hang of doing things on time. :-(


And for Green Thumb Sunday we have:


a forsythia from my yard.

Blessings,
~*~

GTS

Since I have missed the last few Green Thumb Sunday posts, I thought I'd post more than one picture today. I'm hoping to make up for the ones I missed. The first, above, is a picture of lily of the valley growing in my front yard. The second, below, is of crocus which is also growing in my yard.

So, there are some pictures and that is really about all I have to post tonight. I'm very tired and have had quite a long weekend. Oh... I do have one last thing to say...

HOW BOUT DEM HEELS!!!!!! :-)
2007 ACC Champions!

GO HEELS!

Blessings,
~*~

Green Thumb Sunday (on Monday)

Yesterday was so busy I never got a chance to get on the computer. This weeks photo is from my trip to Cancun and some of the beautiful flowers I saw there.


Blessings,
~*~

Green Thumb Sunday