January and February Blooms

This Camellia is about eight years old. A  Camellia is the most perfect flower, at least I think so.  If they had longer stems they make beautiful arrangements.  I made one in December however I have had to buy another computer and my December pictures are on it and it is blocked to me.

                                                            February

I took more picture in February, than in January, the weather has been better and some of my pictures are also on the other computer that is blocked from me.  I hope I do not have to buy a new computer every month but I will not be beat.  It is so hard to get my programs back on.  I have tried for two weeks now to get my e-mail set up. I still do not have going.

This bush now has a lot more blooms.  It starts blooming the last of November and finishes in March.

                                                                 

                                                         

Debutant

.The Debutant, reminds me of a Carnation for marking a corsage for the Debutant balls. 

this one also blooms in December though March.

Debutant

    Looks like the bees are visiting already.

February's favorite yellow and bright.   This bush belongs to my neighbor,  Mrs. Lemely, has past away, and I miss her.  She lived to be well over 90.  She had a flower garden over two lots.  She planted everything, almost.  Carrel still mows 4 lots for her free,  they join me and I do not want the grass to grow out of hand. 

 I planted some pansies I had left over from my pots  in the yard.  These little flowers with their bright faces brighten a winter garden.

My first Iris to bloom in 2017.  These reblooming do not really know when to bloom.

The biggest surprise of all in February was opening my door and the lady handing me this beautiful arrangement from Debbie and Ken.  I really had to carry it from room to room to keep Miss Muffett from messing it up.  The bad cat still turned it over twice,  however it still lasted over a week. Ken sent Debbie and his Mother an arrangement also.

I thank you for watching my garden grow and bloom.  I hope you will give me some ideas for my new butterfly garden.  I hope you grow one of your own.  Happy gardening from Carrel and I.

Miss Muffett.

Miss Muffett

Let me introduce you to Miss Muffett.  One night in October Debbie and Ken of 2015  brought this little bitty very pretty Kitten.  My older cat Calico had been killed by a dog,  everyone needs a cat,  like they need a hole in their head.  Cats are inquisitive, active, and full of mischief some like Muffett,  more so. 

In this picture Miss Muffett is on her Throne she intends to jump up on my entertainment center and see what she can destroy

to save me some dusting.  In the first picture she is looking at me because I have the gal to tell her to get down.  k,,,,,,kllllllll  The Miss just walked across the keys of my computer.  She picked up an old spool of thread to play with. When Carrel holds his hand up like a traffic cop she sat there and looks around hoping we have forgot to watch.  She does not look us  any more.  Not until Carrel lets down the foot prop to get up does she get down.   This is our reading room you can see the library books.

 Now tired of us bossing her,  she lays down to rest from these mean old people.  I do not know if this is a "I will do that later or I hope you are ashamed of yourself" look. It could be you know which one of us will win.

.This is my chair, when I am in the sewing room on the computer however when she likes to sleep there.












Missy is glad she can have Daddy by himself.  Missy hopes she will sleep awhile.

This is the worst trick she has done.  I was scared she was going to break all of my cows I have left after saving them for nearly 30 years. I gave away a lot of them.

We knew we would not convenience Muffett not to jump up on top of the refrigerator,  so
Carrel removed the cows.  My Grandson Sean, painted the sunflower picture.  I am very proud of it  Debbie put up the boarder in my kitchen. You know she doesn't have any thing else to do.  Thanks Debbie bless her heart she is really the busiest Lady I know.

    I hope you have enjoyed this new page on my blog.  Thank you for reading it and keeping in touch.  I hope you have a nice winter and our gardens will give us and the butterflies lots of pleasure next year.  Happy Gardening to you from Carrel and I.  Juanita

Pots of Pansies

Every year about this time my spring pots are about worn out.  Time for the Pansies.  I thought the pot above   was very interesting.  I planted three Trailing Pansies around the top and the middle row of  holes. There are three regular  Pansies in the bottom row   Carrel climbed on his short latter and just as he hung it and let go I say "I bet it falls" Yes it did dirt flew as well as plants.  Carrel searched for a larger hook finally found one.  This one held but we decided we would need even a bigger one so when Carrel went back to Wall- Mart he bought  one. This pot must weight at least forty pounds.

                                                                            

  
                                                                       

The blue holder stays  behind the mail box,  like to put a smile on my lady Mail Carrier's  I plant a renew it every season.Everyone going to my neighbors or coming here are greeted by this pot on the blue stand with Butterflies.  It sure will match my theme for my new garden A Butterfly Garden.

These two are in front of my windows.  Usually I try to match these two, however this time I wanted opposites. Light and dark large and small.

                                                                                                                                                          

 Carrel likes this location best and when I start redoing the pots he asks me over and\ over if I am doing one for this location.  Guess I should do this one first.  I was surprised he even washed this pot holder.
                                                   

   A bird bath turn into a planter. I need to plant another Pansy in  this pot,   white with a purple face.  Hope you have enjoyed reading another blog page.  Thank you for watching my garden grow and bloom,  hope you have one of your own.  Happy gardening from Carrel and I.    Juanita                  

Collection Nunber Two

Rainbow Butterfly Bush

This is my second area to redo.  Carrel dug up my orange roses, Vavooms  This is an eight foot square bed.  There were 5 roses in it along with Iris.  Four Vavooms and one Harvest Fest.  It was really sad to see my pretty roses dug up.  I hope I have chosen well for my new garden.  I had it just about  what I wanted then Carrels roses started dying first then mine.  In 2014 we lost 4 then 2015 some more this year the rest.  We have two old fashion roses still living that Frank and Charlotte dug up from their Grandmother Murphy's old home place.   The white pot under the tree with a lavender Petunia  growing in it ,came up from seed from several years ago.  The Rainbow Butterfly Bush will bloom from May to Fall.

The Bea Balm or Monarda is great for butterflies.  I bought three, I hope they send me one of each color and mark them.   In the spring I will order two more of each color.  I read in one of my many magazines I buy,  that you are suppose to plant three of each flower too make a good show.

Butterfly Blue Scabiosa  will bloom from May until fall.  This flower is know also by its common name, Pin  Cushion.  I will measure and make sure to plant the Butterfly Bush in the exact center allowing. for  growth width then plant the other four flowers in a square. I am not sure what else I will plant in this bed 
I do want something blooming at all times. By next fall I will know what else I will need.

  I hope you have enjoyed this new page in my blog.  Thank you for watching my garden grow and bloom, and you are growing one of your own.  Happy gardening from Carrel and I.  I will let you know number collection number three soon.

                                                                  

September Bush

 Liz at Selman's Nursery, located in Eudora AR. rooted this bush for me.  She had a big one and I thought it was so pretty.  However it does get top heavy.  The root system is not very strong,  certainly not strong enough to hold up a heavy   top.  Carrel has this one tied at the back to the fence. This has grown about 4 ft.  since last winter.  We trimed it after it bloomed last September.  The first one I planted died over the winter.  Liz gave me another one.  I had been looking for plants that bloom in September.

                                                                       
                                                                       

                                                                       

All the above are or have been blooming in September.  Now September is a colorful month in my new yard.  I have many plants coming that will bloom from late summer to frost.  I hope you have enjoyed this new page on my blog.  Thank you for watching my garden grow and bloom,  I hope you are growing one of your own.  Happy gardening to you from Carrel and I,  Juanita.

Plumbaga

Plumbago

If I plant this in zone 8 will it be a shrub or just a plant?

\I saw it growing in the big garden in Huston Texas,  it looked like just a flower, I have wanted one every since.  Such a pretty blue.  Our roses are all just about died.  In 2014 5 died, in 2015 some more,  now the ones that remain look awful.  Can not stand anymore.  They took some kind of virus and slowly all the others  are dying.

Now we have to redo most of it.  I would like suggestions of plants that grow as tall and as wide as roses and bloom most of the summer  Or garden accessories.  I will show you a picture of one I have  and what I have planned for it.  My goal is to make arrangements in each section of my yard.  I will  place small rocks in the bottom to make my pot level.  It is not deep enough to plant in with out a pot.  This birdbath will go were we dig up a rose. 
 

  

  The Plumbago will be planted on both sides of the bird bath one each.  In front and back we will plant  Shasta Daisies and in the bird bath will be the red flowers you see with the Plumbago on both sides.  Not only am I changing from rose to other things my color will be deferent also. When I finish this I will show you  I will transplant from stock in my yard the Shasta Daisies in the spring.  That is the best to transplant here.

We have begun.  Carrel dug up a red running roes from the arbor.  I never did like that rose.  It bloomed only on top.
I have two Clematis vines.  May plant another one. 





                                                                                                                                                 

 Carrel came in and told me the blue plant has more blooms one it today.  

I hope will be pleased with this plant and won't have to treat it as annual.  I will give you up dates on our progress.  I am 80 now and can not be planting the same plant every year.

I hope you have enjoyed this page I think everything will be fine.  Thank you for watching my garden grow and bloom.  I hope you will grow one of your own.  Happy gardening from Carrel and I.

                                                             

This is the moss I will plant in the bird bath.  the colors in this area will be red white and blue. 

Touch-me-not

Touch-me-not

I planted the flower above for many years in Ar.  I lived in Ashdown when my Mother came up and stayed with my brother for a week.  She brought me 3 or 4 plants that my Aunt Earline gave to her.  I planted them not knowing what they were.   I went to my favorite nursery in Eudora and found my friend was still there.  I bought a lot of flowers like I always do.  As I was living I heard someone say don't  step on the Touch-me-nots.  I looked down and I said "Do you have the seed".  Just one seed pod gives you all you will ever need.  Elizabeth reach down at my feet and very gently pulled up 5 plants,  warped them in wet paper and I planted them before dark.  Now I will soon have seed.

These plants like a lot of others came from Asia.  They were popular in the early 20th century until after World War 2.  Then impatiens came along.  These plants are easy to raise.  What is so good about them even I can get the seed to come up.  Just throw them out don't cover and keep moist they will sprout in 4 to 5 days.  You can grow 3 new crops in a summer.   Plant in sun or shade you will never have to plant again.  They come up year after year.  I have never planted  in the shade,  however I will now over in my evergreen room.  I have always had sun beds.
I hope you enjoyed this new page to my blog.  I want to thank you for watching my garden grow and bloom.  I really hope you have planted one for yourself and people who pass by.  I love to look at flowers along the highway.  There is not enough and you may cheer up some unhappy person.  Happy gardening from Carrel and I.  Juanita