Gardening June 2!

The best time for working in the garden for me is early morning - or after dinner when it has cooled back down a little bit.  On Friday (June 2) I put in two solid hours early in the morning, deadheading, weeding, planting, watering and in general enjoying the garden.  I am going to share some photos of how things are progressing now.  First, however, is a little poem of sorts that came to mind when I sat down to have some lunch after working out there all morning and just looked at the garden out the kitchen window.  It made me happy.  

Here are my thoughts.

I hear you ask, is your garden growing?
The roses bloom.  The grass needs mowing.
The coneflowers, veronica, and thyme do thrive,
The phlox, the daisies, hosta are alive.

The bees are buzzing and the finches sing,
There is color and beauty in everything.
It's almost like walking in Eden again,
God is present here as He's always been.

* * * * *

Pretty little pink Veronica Speedwell.

Here's a very fragrant heirloom David Austin rose called Graham Thomas.

Cranesbill geranium nestled next to pygmy barberry.

 Another view of the oh-so-fragrant Graham Thomas roses.

And here is another David Austin rose - extremely sweet fragrance.  It is called Abraham Darby.  If you love roses, the David Austin roses are full, robust, fragrant and real beauties in the garden.

 The bees really like this yellow blossom.  This plant is a St. John's Wart.

Ladies' Mantle.  I should not have taken this photo at noon when the sun was blazing down on it.  This plant is so pretty in the morning when the leaves have big droplets of dew on them.   This photo doesn't do justice to the special charm of Ladies' Mantle.

This is a photo of Wally looking out the window three weeks ago when the garden was just beginning to grow.  He spends hours sitting at this window watching birds and critters scurrying around the yard!!!!  I just realized that the people who own the farm behind the fence really need to cut their grass, don't they????  It has been cut and trimmed nicely since this photo was taken!

 I will close with another early May photo of the Bleeding Hearts and an amazing ground cover called Variegatum Yellow Archangel.  This is along the west side of the house, where it gets little sun due to the position of the house and a line of trees and mini forest that keep it very cool and shady.  The Archangel , ferns, hostas and Bleeding Hearts thrive along this side.

I hope to be disciplined enough and dedicated enough to keep this blog going.  I have been so slack lately.  If I can grab my camera and document the garden as the summer progresses and share what is going on, I may be diligent and post.

Enjoy!  Blessings,
Janet

RECIPE FOR THE YEAR

Here is a recipe for the New Year

Take twelve fine, full grown months.  See that these are thoroughly free from all old memories of bitterness, rancor, hate and jealousy; cleanse them completely from every clinging spite.

Pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are free from all the past negative habits.  Keep them as fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of time.

This batch will  keep for just ONE YEAR.  Do not attempt to make a whole batch at once, but prepare one day at a time as follows:

24 parts of faith
23 parts of patience
20 of courage
18 of work
8 of prayer
6 of meditation
1 well-thought out resolution

If you have no conscientious scruples, add these four parts (highly recommended):
A dash of fun
A pinch of folly
A sprinkling of play
A heaping cupful of good humor

May you make a good year.

I found that among old papers and clippings.  This one is from a newspaper article in the 1960's.  

* * * * *

The Monday night sewing/quilting ladies have been together now for about eleven years. We have solved many world issues (no one else listens to us) and have had a great deal of fun together. We have cried together over family deaths, laughed over funny antics, changed jobs, traveled together, retired, moved our homes, seen grandbabies born, prayed together, shared deep hurts as well as profound happiness .... and have created LOTS OF FABRIC SCRAPS in the process of sewing quilts.  Wonderfully Kind is very practical.  She wanted us to use up our scraps making some new quilts.  First we shared squares and made friendship quilts which we kept and treasure as memories of each other and the various creations we put together.  Now Wonderfully Kind has been cutting (for a year or so!!!!) scraps into six inch long strips of one to two inch widths which we put together in patterns.  
Here are a few examples:

And.......

A local quilt shop had contacts in Tennessee, and they arranged for a truckload (maybe more) to transport handmade quilts to the people who lost homes and possessions in the Appalachian Fires.  Guess what? We were able to send four of our quilts on the truck. Even better .... we have four more in the works.  We will begin a new pattern for our scraps soon and send more to people who NEED to be kept warm and to know they are cared for and loved.  

We feel that is a good way to start 2017.

I wish you blessings, love and much happiness in the coming year .... and a warm cup of tea too!

Janet