Pretty Purple Lilacs

Nothing like old fashioned lilacs for fragrance, have I mentioned I love to garden for fragrance??

Violas and Easter

I love these little violas, every Easter I take several half egg shells, the dark brown ones and plant violas in the half shell and make a center piece with a little fake green moss or grass for Easter, I did not get out to buy any violas this weekend, I need to hurry to get this project done for Easter this year. After they have been in the house for a week or so, I stick the plant in the ground egg shell and all.

Deep Purple

Purple Haze

So far I have done green, blue and pink, time for purple!

Monday Monday

Well, the weekend flew by as usual. I did not get the raspberry bed cleaned or anything else done outside for that matter, it was cold and raining. We had unexpected company which was nice, my son, daughter-in-law and grandsons, they were on the their way home to Dubuque after spending the night at the Adventureland Inn in Des Moines. I did get my computer torn apart and killed all the dust bunnies inside so the weekend was not a total waste.

We took the dogs walking both days, we seen American Coots (ducks) that were migrating through on the lake and a couple Magansers as well.

I started gardening when I was in my early 20s, my Mother did not garden, my Grandmother and several aunts did, I guess that is where my interest came from. They always had lots of houseplants as well, they were always sharing starts of houseplants as well as garden plants.

I remember quite clearly the first 6 pack I bought, of plants of course, I hope no one thought I meant beer :). They were dark dark purple petunias, the fragrance emitting from them is what caught my attention as I walked by. I have bought dark purple petunias each year since. At the time, I did know they were petunias from exposure to my aunts and grandmother's gardens. But I didn't know much else. But I read, bought books, subscribed to magazines. Ten or fifteen years ago I took the Master Gardener's class through Iowa State, I no longer am certified because I have not done my volunteer 40 hours every year, someday I would like to take the class again and keep up my certification. I had four years of Latin (Catholic school survivor) in high school and was actually able to put it to use reading botanical names.

I wanted to share a couple of pictures of last year's purple petunias.