Porch Primping & More

Driving home from the chiropractor Friday morning my in-love-with-red-geraniums eye caught sight of these beauties at our local farm market. So I swung in and picked me up a couple along with spiked grass. I already knew what I was going to do with them; thus, I could hardly wait to get home and just do it :)  Yes, I'm a bit crazy I know.  But you might as well know Red Geraniums and me are like a husband and wife, we have to have each other. LOL  

I started with this set up.  I saw a technique for potted plants on Pinterest to help keep moisture in the dirt better; thus, keep them from needing watered every day and keeping them healthy.

The technique involves an unused, disposable baby diaper.  I put some soil in the pot first, then I put the diaper in next opened up and inside of diaper facing toward me. Then I filled the pot the rest of the way with the dirt.  Don't know if it will work or not, but I'm trying it :)  In case you are wondering, diapers can hold a VERY large amount of liquid, therefore helping to keep the water from just running right out of the pot every time you water.

Then I planted my beautiful "Patriot Red Geraniums" and 2 tall spikes.  I like spikes because they add height to potted flowers and they don't take up a lot of room.

Since I had 2 extra Spikes I planted them in a different pot so they wouldn't just die and go to waste. I like how they add a little extra greenery to this corner of my porch.  We must like growing grass around here cause the short grass is my son's. He has really taken an interest in growing things this year and likes to take the scissors to it and give it a good trimming every now-n-then :)

The wind chime is probably my favorite type of music. It's sweet lullabies always bring a sense of relaxation. This is my first bamboo chime and I love it. It's music is totally different then it's metal kin.

Our Bleeding Hearts of blooming profusely this year.  These beauties came all the way from New York with us and seem to love living in Ohio :)

Don't you just love their dainty, delicate blossoms?  They are a very fascinating and unique flower.

Our apple tree is in her bridal attire.  She is always so beautiful this time of year and oh the perfume you gives off is just incredible.  I inhale deeply every time I walk outside.  I don't know if candle companies have ever made an apple blossom scent, but they need to.  

Well that is all for now. Company is coming and I still have a few things to do before they arrive. I hope this post has given a little inspiration to someone. Have a blessed day!!

"A Little Madness in the Spring"...

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. 

 ~Ruth Stout

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.  ~Doug Larson

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.  ~Proverb

Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.  ~Virgil A. Kraft

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.  ~Margaret Atwood

In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.  ~Mark Twain

I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring.  Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth?  ~Edward Giobbi

Yesterday the twig was brown and bare;
To-day the glint of green is there;
Tomorrow will be leaflets spare;
I know no thing so wondrous fair,
No miracle so strangely rare.
I wonder what will next be there!
~L.H. Bailey

The seasons are what a symphony ought to be:  four perfect movements in harmony with each other.  ~Arthur Rubenstein

And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

—Percy Bysshe Shelley

The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.    —Harriet Ann Jacobs

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.

—William Shakespeare

A little madness in the Spring

Is wholesome even for the King,

But God be with the Clown —

Who ponders this tremendous scene —

This whole Experiment of Green —

As if it were his own! --Emily Dickinson

___________________________________________________

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest; keep us here

All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,

Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;

And make us happy in the happy bees,

The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird

That suddenly above the bees is heard,

The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,

And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,

The which it is reserved for God above

To sanctify to what far ends He will,

But which it only needs that we fulfill. 

--Robert Frost

Linking up with:

"A Sheltering Tree"

"Home & Garden Thursday"

Lemonade? Or Is It Mulch??

I'm a firm believer that when life throws lemons at you you make lemonade.  Believe me I know it's NOT always easy to practice.  But if you are ever want to experience a good, full-filling life you have to learn to make the best of every situation. 

You are probably thinking I've done fallen off the carrot truck and hit my silly noggin because what in the world does lemonade have to do with flower beds and mulch. :)  Pretty observant there :) :)  

One of the things that I LOVE is well taken care of flower beds which include fresh, black mulch.  Nothing gives a house curb appeal like well edged and mulched beds. Its been 2 years since we mulched these beds and because we've planted new things in them since then they've been sorely necked from lack of black, shredded wood (mulch).  For reasons I won't go into here we weren't sure if we would do it again this year. So they were continuing to be an eye sore. As you can see below.

Yesterday had turned out to be a wash out of a day for me.  The answer to our question that we got was NOT what I wanted to hear.  So it left me feeling hopeless, discouraged, and totally void of energy. This morning I woke up feeling much better but I still wasn't ready to take on the world. 

Today found me at one point taking a trip to the gas station to get fuel for the mower so we could finish our 1st cutting of the year :)  As I pulled into the Marathon I see huge piles of bagged mulch and a bright yellow sign reading 4 bags $9.99.  No offense to my sweetheart :P  But I was glad he was somewhere in Wisconsin delivering frozen yogurt because he hates bagged mulch.  As a previous landscaper for over 5 years you DON'T buy bagged mulch :) :P  You buy in bulk :P

Whoa be unto me but when I saw that huge pile and the yellow sign I knew I had found some lemonade. Everyday life is something you just have to break out of to get your mind off problems/situations.  Doing laundry, dishes, feeding kids, and keeping the house tidy was a norm I needed to get away from.  And sitting on FB or pinterest or blogland certainly wasn't going to produce lemonade.  You have to DO something!! Something that will make you and/or someone else smile :)

And so something I did.  After buying fuel and exchanging a propane tank I loaded 4 bags of mulch into my van and went home. It must have been longer then 2 years since we mulched cause my kids had no idea what I planned to do with the stuff.  No, those 4 bags didn't go very far but it was a start.  And it makes me SMILE!!  And I feel refreshed in my spirits as a tall glass of lemonade to a thirsty body.

Happy Wednesday y'all!!

Spring is Springing at last

This winter ended up being a flop. It never could make up it's mind whether to be cold or warm. The kids only had one or two snow days.  Really now, what kind of winter is that? :) Might-as-well chock that one up to a loss and move on to the next season. Spring came March 20th according to the calendar, I'm finally getting convinced of it :)

The beginning of this week the farmers started plowing and oh, the wonderful smell of fresh dirt that assailed the nostrils.  Not to mention the fresh manure being sprayed on as well.  What an awesome combination to this country girl.

78* had us outside and releasing some of our built-up cabin fever. The previous weekend Reuben edged the flower bed around the entire house, running out of time to do anything with the edging. So I took advantage of the perfect weather and got rid of the edging, pruned all the dead on the rose bushes, and got rid of a bunch of weeds. HOORAY!

This part of the bed and all around the front of the house are now ready for fresh mulch.  It sure feels good after a long, drawn out winter to get back outside and get my hands dirty.

My secret sister from church gave me these 3 Primrose for Resurrection Sunday and I got those planted this week.  Thank you "sister" who ever you may be :)  I haven't had Primrose since New York.  I was thrilled to get some again.

Our part of the world is once again turning green!! So glad I don't live out west where they just got 3 feet of snow dumped on them.

Vacation and a current decision hanging in the air has left me with "not much to blog about".  Maybe now with the outdoors once again being livable I will post more on here.

We are going to good ole' Pennsylvania to do some trout fishing this weekend.  As natives of that grand state we are itching to do what hundreds of Pennsylvanians do every year in April.  Stand shoulder to shoulder along the banks of bubbling creeks and cast our lines to the stocked trout. And hope we get lucky and find a Brooky while we are at it.  I plan to take the camera along and get some pictures.  

Until then have a great rest of the week and weekend to come!!

Sunny-side Up!!

That title probably had you thinking I was posting about a delicious breakfast.  Sorry to disappoint :)  This week the members of this house have been plagued with fevers. It's not been a pretty picture. I thought I would comb through the pictures I've pinned on my Gardening/Outdoor Living board and post a few on here to sorta help cure the sick blues.

I'd post pictures of my own flower gardens if I had any.  Since moving here 3 years ago we have not really improved much around here as far as that goes.  I'm strongly considering taking the task upon myself  Did I just say that?  Sshh don't tell!!

My favorite annual is the red geraniums.  Being a country gal I love everything about this fun garden~scape. 

More Geraniums and those polka dot boots are awesome!

I've never seen a blue butterfly. Simply beautiful.  And against the yellow makes for a stunning show. God sure has given us a lot of beauty to enjoy!

This snowball vibernum is a favorite. I love white and all these large clumps of white goodness against dark green foliage is beautiful.

Before long these little specks of blue will appear in many backyards. Now that is a sunny-side up thought :)

How's this for some sunshine? Love it!

Proverbs says laughter is the best medicine. Lord knows we could use a good dose around here :)

This picture reminds me of my favorite book character ~Anne Shirley~ Some how this looks like the boat they used on the Lake of Shining Water.

A David Austin rose ~my favorite. Can you smell them? sigh

A common country scene that I never tire of.  Looking forward to having chickens again.

My thoughts exactly!!!

I have a thing for rusty things. Love love this pump.

Strawberry Shortcake Lilacs ~ a definite knowledge that Spring has arrived.  Makes me wish computers had a scratch-n-smell thinga-ma-jig.

Another favorite!

Can we say "punch bug" :)

How's this for some garden inspiration ~ neat idea.

Hope you've enjoyed this garden post as much as I have. It's nice to get lost in the beauty of nature and forget our aches for awhile.  Hope your week is going good.  Cheery-o!!

Partying at "Old Time Party"