I’m joining Cathy at Words and Herbs for her annual ‘A Week of Flowers’ meme, which takes place December 1-7. It’s my first year joining her, but what a fun way to bring a bit of colorful beauty to our December day. It’s December 1st–the sun is hiding today and fine flakes of snow are falling from the sky, so I thought I’d spend a little time looking forward to spring in Wisconsin by looking back at some photos from recent years.
Nothing beats the bright yellow of a daffodil in spring-time cheerfulness!The demure pink and blue blossoms of Lungwort in an old crystal salt shakerRaindrops on tulips just outside my front doorPaeonia ‘Gold Standard’ pretty as can be in my mailbox gardenTulips and daffodils usher in the first hint of spring, followed by petite ‘Blue Denim’ irises playing with grape hyacinth muscari at the garden’s edges. The flowers of the old-fashioned Bleeding Heart are a classic favorite. They make me smile because they remind me of when my grandson George called them “Blood Thirsty Hearts” when he was little.
A quick word of thanks for introducing me to Cathy’s meme goes out to my friend Páraig who blogs at The Three Hairs Garden. What sheer fun and enjoyment!
Every year I find sunflowers growing in my garden in places where I wouldn’t have chosen — perhaps planted by the resident squirrels who are a bit willy-nilly in seed placement. Sometimes I pull the volunteer plants out—most of the time I just leave them to grow and enjoy whatever happens.
Classic Sunflower Perfection
This beauty was one of my favorites–classic sunflower perfection.
It’s a busy day – no time to write. But here are a few pictures of what’s happening in my August garden.
We received a garden-refreshing rain last night. It’s probably my imagination, but I think a few of my flowers are smiling today. My favorite photo of the week.
One hidden blessing of the never-ending task of pulling weeds is the beauty you see more clearly when you’re on your knees. The beauty of this daylily is just one of many colorful examples in my garden today.
First sunflower to open—a volunteer from 2022’s crop. The succulent chair garden is flourishing!This lacecap hydrangea is from a funeral basket arrangement 15 years ago. A sweet reminder of the love of my cousins and my dad’s legacy of faith. A white Asiatic Lily on the west side of the house. Clematis ‘Princess Diana’ still looking rather regal This & That – an eclectic hodgepodge of plants and purple-y painted miscellany after a refreshing rain. The purple in my garden is my quiet nod to my sweet Momma’s battle with Alzheimer’s. . “And the yellow sunflower in beauty stood.” ~William Cullen Bryant
Lots of Wisconsinites were “Singing in the Rain”…including me.
On July 4th, we Americans commemorate the birthday of our country. We like to celebrate by wearing red, white and blue, and attending parades, picnics, fireworks, and patriotic music concerts. Some of us prefer a quieter celebration. I spent the holiday doing a lot of barefoot gardening–mostly deadheading spent blossoms and pulling weeds. Once I had an area cleared of weeds and the soil amended with compost, I put down a few inches of mulch I’ve been hauling from our community’s free pile of woodchips.
“A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.”
Liberty Hyde Bailey
Thankfully, some much prayed for rain has fallen in the area, ending our severe drought conditions. Wayne kept up with watering of the flowerbeds, potted flowers, and our little patch of tomatoes during the drought; thankfully, most everything has survived. However, our lawns in the area went dormant, so look rather browned out. Our lawn is greening up a bit, but still looks rather sad and feels a little crispy underfoot.
The metamorphosis of bud to blossom beauty continues in waves.
My echinacea seems rather happy this summer. Buds are opening to beautiful blossoms now that they’ve been sprinkled liberally with raindrops.
I am always delighted when someone stops by my garden for a little visit. Thank YOU for visiting via this virtual “Six on Saturday” peek at what’s happening in my Wisconsin garden. If you’d like to see more beautiful garden spaces, pop on over for a virtual visit with our host Jim at Garden Ruminations–where you’ll find his blog post and comment section to be a most pleasant pastime.
Barefoot Lily Lady 