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.

Workin for the Weekend

Tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah! I do love my weekends, the fur kids like it when I am home or so they tell me :). I wish the forcast was a bit better but Sunday looks like the best day to do something outside, I want to get my raspberry bed cleaned out and trim some rose bushes back. My husband volunteered to help with the raspberry bed, I am taking him up on that offer. I saw a forsynthia bush in bloom today, that is a bush that sometimes blooms in this zone and sometimes not. It always lives but does not always bloom.

Apple Blossom Amarylliss

Ya think this amaryllis is Apple Blossom Pink? Ya think maybe it was in the wrong bin when I bought it? :) I do, but it is pretty none the less. I have had a red one the past two years and wanted a change this year.