Category Archives: gardening

Jun7

Wall of Pockets

Posted on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 by Dianne

I went down to my hometown to get my mom to stay over as she has a hearing aid appt at a place that is local to me. I almost didn’t get this shot as the mirror phone protector was making it hard to capture this shot. Aren’t these neat? I think they are made of fabric. I guess I should take a closer look next time I go. My mom looked at was this huge hanging basket that was $85! This place has a display at the Philadelphia Flower each year and I love to see their color combos and other things. You just can’t touch the prices-$5-$8 for small plants is my limit. I got a Coleus, a Throatwart , a black ornamental pepper and a fern on sale. Mom got a black Petunia and a yellow Lantana.

Tomorrow the temp will be around 100 and the three of us (Bri, Sean and me) had tummy issues-from our dinner last night so I hope we are all better then. Sean and I are peppier, but Bri is still blah. We had wheat pasta and a salad with alfalfa sprouts on top (the lid said they were tested for e.coli-so I hope that’s so).

Isn’t this a sweet terrarium?

May31

My Fitness Pal

Posted on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 by Dianne

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As you know, I acquired Sean’s ‘old’ G1 phone. So 4 days ago, I started to use the above named app which is also online where you can utilize it for free. The phone app is pretty good and it’s really an eye-opener too. For instance, after eating lunch, I had used all my sugar credits-that quickly. You plug your weight and weight loss goal in. You can even scan the food packaging (you have to download a bar code scanner) and it finds the nutritional info 8 out of 10 times. Then, if you are like me, you eat similar foods and you just check them off and they get added to the correct entry. You also say what kind of exercise you do (mine is mostly walking and gardening) and you ‘get’ credit and can have a snack that doesn’t go over your daily calorie intake. I’m really trying to get serious about weight loss since two of my brothers have Diabetes and I am being watched for it. I’m giving the guys whole wheat pasta and other fiber rich foods. My tummy was making lots of noises this morning-lol. I’m going to go out to eat once in a while. Yesterday was a ‘over the limit’ day, so I ate lighter today. I do like the credit for exercising-you just have to be honest!
Here’s a 4″ x 4″ collage I made over a week ago. Art has slowed down a lot, but I plan to get back to it soon. I had to wait so long for gardening, it’s my top priority. The lady was from a card making kit and I decided to do a collage:

I have an ‘Asian’ garden under the Japanese maple tree-why not! I try and paint the little pagodas, but missed the one last year. I have my Sweet William (Dianthus) under it. I believe it’s a biannual, but I add to it every year. My grandmom loved Zinnias and Sweet William as that was her dad and brother’s name. Princess Catherine had some white ones in her wedding bouquet.

I love them too for their colors. I added some white Impatiens and a few potted plants like Begonias and Zinnias in there too.

The heat here is southeastern Pennsylvania has been miserable the last few days. I am so glad I mulched when it was still in the 80s! A cold front is on it’s way!
Both Brian and I are off to the dentist tomorrow-him for 3 of 6 fillings he needs and me for a chip in a fix-ka-ching!

May29

Neat find

Posted on Sunday, May 29, 2011 by Dianne

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Dress form made with florals, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

Brian and I were garden center hopping yesterday. We got most of what we needed at Lowes (mulch, 75% off plants). We then stopped at a few more places (even a winery where we got snubbed-guess we looked too casual-I don’t know). These neat floral dress forms were at the last place. It sure looks like real flowers. I didn’t go and touch it, but will the next time. I noticed the price tag-$200! Makes me want to make my own!
Here’s the pond at the nursery. They have great supplies here for ponds:

Today was mulching day-went through 3 bags and need a few more. Everything that was mulched looks so much nicer. I realized I haven’t edged gardens for a while. I may do that too, but I have to recover a bit from the mulching. And yesterday we put in a new round garden. I think it looks like a little pony corral-Brian isn’t sure he likes it, but the other garden isn’t doing anything and we had to move it if we wanted to get anything. It has 12 tomatoes and about 8 green peppers planted in it now. I want to add cucumbers and zucchini in the middle.

Those are daffodils I need to tie up.

A part of the fairy garden after mulching. I stepped on some fairy wings and broke them. Is that bad luck? : )

And to close…this was a birdbath, but it just got so dirty. I added some soil and made it a little fairy garden. That’s portulaca and a geranium. There’s a blue gravel ‘stream’ and some pebbles…and moss! I have some moss on top of the mulch-not sure if that will work.

May28

The plants made me do it (Photo Hunt-Looking Down)

Posted on Saturday, May 28, 2011 by Dianne

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May26

Dianne’s country excursion

Posted on Thursday, May 26, 2011 by Dianne

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Hidden Acres Amish Nursery, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

Today I did get out to the doctor’s office to sign the release papers to the new doctor(s). Since I drove all the way out there, I decided to take a drive around to look for nurseries. It was about 90 degrees out-was I crazy to go driving around? I was ‘into’ adding to foursquare, the phone app that says where you are going. I checked into 5 places, but not the little nursery pictured here-too remote. I left the hospital and headed to Oxford, past Lincoln University and Tastykake Bakery. I decided to stop at Dollar General and Rita’s Water Ice (had Mango and Peach Gelato). I went by one small perennial place but it was a bit on the small side. I decided to stop at a thrift shop and bought a few little things. Will show the sweet mermaid decoration from I think I the 50s or 60s. I asked the young man in there about nurseries and he said there was an Amish one down the hill and to look for a sign. I drove by the road and had to go through a auto shop, down a road and then up a gravel road and found ‘Hidden Acres’. There was no one around and I was looking around for about 10 minutes. I could have helped myself (ha ha), but just got in the car to leave and the Amish lady came around the corner and she said she was at the house. I think most of what I bought was between $1-$3. : ) She helped me to the car and I had a big bag of plastic trays and pots in the back I was taking to Lowes (they recycle) and she took them. Glad to help.
My last stop was for white pizza for Sean and me as Brian was going to his dad’s house for a visit. After dinner I planted a few more pots of things. The air was so thick I could almost slice it.
So I had a nice time. I’ll be able to share more photos when I drive around as I don’t mind snapping photos with a cellphone. : )
I’m thinking of going to Longwood Gardens tomorrow before noon as the exterminator is suppose to come between 2-4.
Right now we have a thunderstorm watch-not a surprised!

May20

Life is blooming

Posted on Friday, May 20, 2011 by Dianne

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Life is blooming Collage Card, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I really look forward to ‘life blooming’ this time of year. From looking out the window at bleak and brown in the winter to green and growing in the spring just makes me happier! We haven’t had the sunniest of weeks this week. I did very little gardening, but also got to do a few tasks around the house.
I think on Sunday I’ll dig around the basement for a few ‘fairy garden’ props. Really tiny props for really tiny gardens…you’ll see.
So I got a bug punch and wanted to use some, hence this card. I also was making a bug related card to swap with a friend-it’s all hand drawn and I’ll share when she says she got it-it’s nice to get a surprise, don’t you think.
I’ll be taking my camera to the wedding tomorrow-it should be beautiful!
BTW-my allergies seem better, but still achy, but more isolated, so maybe the old medicine was causing more issues.

May15

Couldn’t go…

Posted on Sunday, May 15, 2011 by Dianne

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Both Bri and I weren’t feeling well today so we had to skip a baby christening. His stomach has been upset and my muscles and joints are all achy. I think it’s the hbp med as one of the side effects is muscle pain. I have been doing a ton of gardening and the last couple of days I was sorting and putting away summer clothes, though I was lifting heavy bags of clothes. Sean said usually I just complain about my back or arm hurting, not everything! I didn’t go to sleep until about 5 am. I dislike missing family functions, especially those we don’t see that often. I plan of calling the doctor and seeing if I can try something else. We have a wedding to go to Saturday. The bride was just sick this past week. I’m sure she’s fine now.
Got to sit outside a bit until Bri called me into to look at the old computer. It’s having issues with the virus software…won’t update and runs and runs. He tried to look at the internet when it was having issues!
Sean’s first day in the garden department at work! He’s glad to be off the registers for a change and it should help him learn more about plants.
Will share more photos as soon as the computer works. Update-after 4 hours it updated and is working so:

May13

Goodreads

Posted on Friday, May 13, 2011 by Dianne

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I want to recommend the above link as I’ve gotten more into reading this last year. I’m trying to remember all the books I’ve enjoyed over the years and am up to 45 or so. I know I’ve read lots more. You can link to your friends and see what they are reading and bookmark some you want to read. Pretty neat. I’ve read almost every book by Amy Tan, John Irving and Nicholas Sparks. : )
We had really gorgeous weather this week-not too hot or cold. Today was really the first day it was a bit cloudy and it took the sun forever to peek out in the afternoon. I’ve been doing a little of this and that. I was inside more today with the clothes sorting business-that twice a year drudgery! I make myself fill up a trash bag to donate. I seem to get ‘pets’ clothes I keep for many, many years. I finally stuck an old gray sweater in the donate bag. I have 5 Hefty storage bags of just tops and a few sweaters. I pack lightly, whereas Sean jams his bags full. Bri never does his clothes without help and his armoire is a sight-jammed packed. I have lots of tops in mine, but they are mostly color coordinated and nicely folded. I have the pants and jammies to do. The whole house suffers when big mama is digging in the flower beds!
We have a luncheon for a baby christening to attend on Sunday which is about an hour away. I asked the mom if we could skip the christening itself. When Sean was baptized all those years ago, we had a luncheon and lots of people just went to that. I am still waiting on the address to the place as the invite got lost in the mail. I got little Eleanor (Nora) Rosemarie some cute outfits and I did take photos to share. I also have outside photos to share too. It’s suppose to rain off and on over the weekend.

Two-toned Wallflowers!

New Glazing Ball and Millions of Bells

May3

Springtime Flowers

Posted on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 by Dianne

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Burgundy Columbine, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I’ve been really busy for a few days outside since we’ve had nice weather. I wore a tank top and shorts today it was so warm. I’m happy to see the flowers, but wish they weren’t coming up around that creepy ‘Creepy Charlie’ and leaf debris. I have 5 crates of yard decorations and emptied 3 of them! I didn’t show the Asian bed as it’s not too colorful yet, but I have the pagodas all set up there.
These Columbine are in the mainly Iris garden and I have white Irises blooming too:

Brian just planted a new Iris for me tonight-apricot color.
Also have a garden named for my friend Gret who loves nature and squirrels:

And the pond area is up and running and also cleaned out:

There are two new plants here, a pink and purplish Wallflower and a red Salvia (not shown here, but planted near the gazing ball).
So I’m making a dent in the work, but lots to do!
Last but not least, the little strawberry house I found at the flea market set in the gnome garden:

May2

painted gourds

Posted on Monday, May 2, 2011 by Dianne

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Dianne checking out painted gourds, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

Just curious if you’d add these to your garden decor? I thought they were a bit cosmic and snake looking. Interesting colors!
I got outside and weeded around the pond and out front where I planted burgundy Pansies, pale pink Nicotiana and yellow and purple Johnny Jump Ups (you can see these plants in the wagon photo below). My Bleeding Hearts and a ground cover (what’s it’s name?) look very lush this year. 2 down and about 6 to go plus around the house. I have to kill some faux Snow on the Mountain plant that took over my entire side bed. I use the weed wacker, but you have to get the roots. More work for me!