Another Old Rose

This one reminds me of the wild roses that you can still occasionally find here in Iowa, it is our state flower. But this rose has a bigger and pinker flower. I am sure the wild rose is part of its heritage.

Garden Stones

These are not works of art but I have a great time making the stones! My daughter says the round one looks like a chocolate chip cookie with blue M & Ms.

A Tale of Two Roses

Both of these roses are currently in bloom in my yard. The hybrid tea is Truly Yours, the other is an unknown (to me, anyway) old rose grown from a cutting. Both are beautiful, don't you agree?

Lady Bug

What a beautiful gorgeous day this was! I am still on my weed pulling mission, how do they grow so fast? This ladybug was nice enough to pose for me this weekend, I thought that was very nice of her. She even looks like a real Ladybug and not one of those smelly Asian Lady Beetles.

Jenny Wren

I enjoy taking bird shots, for the most part the birds do not cooperate very well but yesterday when I was outside this little wren was in a bush right by where I was working singing her little heart out, I loved having her company.

The Day of the Weird Shrooms

Mushrooms poped up over night after the 4 inches of rain in the past two days.

TGIF!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have gotten almost 4 inches of rain in the past 3 days, so the weeds should pull easy this weekend. I know one plant that I will pull out by the bucket fulls is Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory, I received these seeds years ago in a seed exchange, while it is a pretty morning glory, they are prolific to say the least. If Grandpa Ott was that prolific he has descendants in every corner of the state :). I do let a few of the vines grow, mostly around the compost pile, it is covered in dark purple morning glories by the end of summer.

We planted two new Hydrangeas this past week so all the rain will make those two happy. We planted Black Lace Elderberry Sambucus nigra 'Eva' last week, this shrub is supposed to resemble a Japanese Maple which will not survive in zone 4, I hope it lives up to this claim. I had ordered the Hydrangeas and the Elderberry last February and forgot all about the order until it arrived this past week, it was a nice surprise, but his is the second order that I had forgotten about, either I am ordering too much or I am having senior moments.

I took the picture of the baby robin last weekend. The Baltimore Orioles are now regular visitors to the grape jelly and the peony is one of my last peony bushes to bloom this season.