Snippets of My Backyard Garden

I can't remember where I found this old ladder but knew at the time I might need it for my garden.

My pretend sunflower garden.

My favorite rose.

Everything is blooming early this year because of the mild spring we've had. The weather has been perfect for gardening.  Hopefully, the summer won't be as hot as last year. I lost a lot of flowers to the heat.

How does your garden grow?

Christine

Rocky's Antics

There's nothing like a sunny morning to get my juices running. Gotta take a morning snooze first though.

Rowdy

Garden Bottle Tree

This past winter I lost my hibiscus tree to the cold. I was just sick about it because I had been so careful. I decided to turn what was left of it into a garden bottle tree.  I have seen these trees in garden magazines for years and thought they were cute.  I left the tree in it's pot and bought some colored bottles at Hobby Lobby at half price to put on it.  I then planted some impatients around it and whalla...a whimsical outdoor centerpiece for the deck. 

The pictures above are other garden deco I've added to the deck.  I've enjoyed birds so much and thought these were just what I needed to give the deck some personality.  I am almost finished with my butterfly garden and will show pics later in the week.  Have any of you been working out in the garden this spring? 

Christine

Hunger Games

Yes I'm guilty! I weakened and actually read the series, Hunger Games, that everyone is talking about. I had seen the books at the book store for several months but knew nothing about them except they were written for tweens.  My daughter-in-law started reading the books and told me I ought to read them. I still wasn't very interested but since she already had the books I decided to try them.

The plot is horrific. Kids killing kids. It doesn't matter that it is good versus evil, it's still kids killing kids while involved in a game.  What was the author thinking?  What was I thinking?  I should have stopped reading after the first book, but I had to find out how it all ends. I was disappointed, to say the least.

Now there is a movie out about the first book in the series. It's getting mixed reviews from different movie goers.  I can tell you right now that no matter the reviews I will not be tempted to see it myself.  It just isn't my cup of tea.  Maybe it's my age or maybe, it's just common sense. 

One thing I do know, the author is laughing all the way to the bank.

Christine

Not a Master Gardner

I am not a master gardner by any means, but from experience I've learned how to finally get a bed full of big beautiful flowers.  In Oklahoma we need to plant heat tolerant flowers and begonias and impatients are my favorites beccause they are so easy to care for. 

Tip one is to turn over soil in flowerbed and mulch with compost. 

Tip two is to dig a hole big enough to hold a six pack of flowers and add Osmocote (plant food) to the bottom of the hole.

Tip three is to add the whole six pack of flowers to the hole and cover and water.

Tip four is to use your garden spade to measure the distance between each planting. 

By planting a six pack in each hole you will end up with huge clusters of flowers and it will take just a few weeks to fill in the bed.  Yes, this procedure is a little more costly but well worth it. 

Speaking of costly, I have noticed a jump in prices this spring in bedding plants. Seems like I spend more each season on annuals even though I use the same amount of plants each year.  So, what else is new????

Have fun.
Christine

Spring or Summer

The temperatures in Oklahoma have been in the high 70's and low 80's and all things green are blooming. This is unheard of in March. I've known us to get snow as late as mid March and the temperatures don't get this warm until May. I can't tell if we are in the spring of the year or the beginning of summer. Does this mean we will be looking forward to another hot summer?  I hope not. 

Our azaleas are in full bloom and the Japanese Maple is all leafed out. This has gotten my gardening juices flowing and I've been doing some yardwork this week. I've already made a trip to Lowe's gardening center and invested in some Boston ferns. At $7.50 a pop I bought eight!  I put them in the front entryway which gets a lot of shade.

As soon as the begonias come in to our local garden centers, I'll be planting those. I don't think I have to worry about a late frost this year. 

How is the weather in your neck of the woods?  Are you doing any yardwork?

Christine

Kitchen Makeover

As most of you know I've been working on a kitchen makeover. Stripping wallpaper, sanding, texturing the walls, more sanding, and finally, painting, has been my job focus for the last month.  The makeover is 95% complete. At a later date we will add a new kitchen sink and faucet.  I have to do this in stages as money is available. 

                     Our kitchen and dinning area have gone from this,

                                                           to this,

to this,

                                                        and this,

and this.  The paint color is Valspar Filoli Honey.

I found this copper pot at a local antique market and added the floral arrangement to it.  The boy and girl with ducks was china painted by my mother many years ago. 

          I covered our dinning room chairs in a beautiful red and gold fabric.  I've decited when I tire of this fabric I can always recover.  I think this is the fourth covering on these chairs.  LOL

I still need to paint around my kitchen window, but my body says to relax a while before going forward.  In a few days I will tackle that job. All in all, I'm very pleased with the results.  If you have noticed I've written the word I throughout this post.  It is because I have done all this makeover myself!

One thing is for certain...I won't be doing any more makeovers for a long time. This one about did me in.  This chick isn't as young as she use to be.


Cluck, cluck.
Christine

Cuckoo, Cuckoo

A few weeks ago my hubby and I went to an estate sale. This is what I came  home with.

It not only has a little bird that cuckoos, but a little man comes out and plays Dr. Zhivago. I have always wanted a cuckoo clock and I love it. Now if my hubby just loved it as much as I do.

I admit that it takes some getting use to, but as deaf as he is, he shouldn't be complaining. Anyway, the grandchildren love it!

Christine

Rocky's Antics

               I just love, love sleeping on my mom's bed pillow. It's a big "no, no" at our house, so I have to keep my eye out for her.

Life Just Keep Getting in the Way

Blogging has taken a back seat in my life lately. Have you noticed?  Taking down wallpaper in our kitchen, medical check-ups, cleaning up the yard and flowerbeds, babysitting grandchildren, and domestic chores have taken precedence. In other words, life is front and center of my universe right now. It's not hectic by any means. I don't allow my life to be hectic anymore. I take it nice and slow. The wallpaper is down, finally. My kitchen/dinning area is still a mess, but I don't plan to have company anytime soon. Sanding and painting is next on the agenda and then hopefully, everything will get back to normal in there.

The weather in Oklahoma has brought spring three weeks early. I've taken advantage of it and done some cleaning up in my flowerbeds.  My hubby has helped me out some. He's not a "go getter" when it comes to yard work. I think he helps me because he doesn't want our neighbors talking about how his wife slaves out in the yard and he doesn't lift a finger.

Today we are having dead limbs on one of our maple trees in the backyard trimmed. Keeping an eye on the trimmers is a full time job. I don't want them butchering it. An ice storm about five years ago really damaged it and at that time we had it trimmed and were just happy to be able to save it. Since then it has grown out lopped sided and needed another trim. I am pleased with the results.

The grandchildren have had soccer games and birthday parties to fill in some of my time. Everything stops for that.

I've also gone to some estate sales and attempted some crafty projects in between all this and I'll have a show and tell later this week. Today I am going to rest and catch up on blogs that I like to visit. Some "me" time I call it.  Don't let anyone tell you that life can be boring once you retire from a full time job. You just exchange on job for many others!

Christine

What Was I Thinking?

I started another project in our kitchen this week. I have felt for some time that the wallpaper in our kitchen needed removing. It is outdated and the kitchen needs an updated look. I thought that I would start on one wall and then continue around the room. I have found out that removing wallpaper that has been on the walls since 1987 is harder to remove than I thought it would be. It is going to be a slow and laboring process. After working a few hours I quit for the day. This old body can't take it.

                                                                           Day 1

                                                                          Day 2

                                                                    This is next.

The wall behind the dinningroom hutch will take me a week the rate I'm going.

                              Rowdy keeps watch as I work my tail off.

This weekend I am going to party with the family and then Monday I'll get started on the kitchen again. Sanding and painting will be in the works soon I hope. 


Hope everyone has had a great week.    Christine

This Little Light of Mine

While I was shopping at one of my favorite stores (Hobby Lobby) this weekend, I spotted this little jewel. I don't mind telling you that I just had to have it. You know, when you think you can't live without it and your mind can't let it go kind of thing. So I whipped out my 40 % off coupon and bought the little jewel and took it home with me. The lamp shade is made of off white material with droopy cloth flowers attached. Ruffles run down the sides all around the shade.

This little light of mine sits in one of our spare bedrooms, The Yellow Rose,  and looks like it was made to be in there. (Yes, I name my rooms. Doesn't everybody?) In six months my hubby will notice the lamp and ask me when I got it. I'll tell him, "That old thing. I've had it for six months!"

The  French Provincial bedroom suite was my sister's when she was a little girl. My mother painted it yellow and distressed it after we both had grown and left home. It's almost 50 years old. The new lamp looks rather frenchy sitting on the nightstand, don't you think?

I love the way my yellow bedroom turned out and the lamp is the finishing touch.

Au Revoir,

Christine

Postnote: I noticed in the Sunday paper that lamps are 50% off this week at H.L.  Wouldn't you know!

Go Back To School

There are many blogs I follow that after leaving a comment I have to type in two words to verify I'm not a robot. (as Gloria would say)  I would be happy to if I could read the squidly writing. Even with my readers on I have a terrible time trying to read the letters I'm suppose to be copying. I say Blogger needs to go back to school and learn how to write readable penmenship.

Now I've said my peace and I feel better.

Christine

Postnote:  Thank you Vee. She led me to this website. http://jillthinksdifferent.blogspot.com/2012/01/captcha.html
This site explains all about this type of printing. Now it makes sense.

Rocky's Antics

Ever since I got a haircut the other day I've had the flyaways! Someone said Static Cling might help. 

First Snow

We woke up Monday morning to our first snow this winter here in NE Oklahoma.  By the afternoon is was gone. Just the way I like it. Some areas got 2-3 inches. Last year we received around 28 inches of snow and by the end of the season I was sick of it.

                Morning doves were at the birdfeeder bright and early.

         To my friend Ina in Alaska, we have moose in Oklahoma too.


Smiles,
Christine

Love

My parents were married almost 59 years. By example they showed me how to love and respect another person. They taught me how to love unconditionally. They taught me to love the Lord first, then my husband, then my children and then to accept and love others. I am so thankful and was so blessed to have them as parents. I wish them many heavenly Valentine's Days. 

Christine