May 17 2009
It Was a Garden Kind of Weekend
As has been the case for the last couple of years, the weekends are often followed by a garden post. Why break with tradition? When the weather is so gloriously beautiful, and we aren’t off enjoying the great outdoors elsewhere, I’ll be in the garden.
I spent a good part of Saturday shopping for flowers. Oh my! I haven’t indulged myself so deliciously in ages, as my mature, closely planted garden has little room for newcomers. I always plant several pots of annuals, which allows variety from year to year but, for the most part, the perennial beds remain unchanged. This year, however, I decided to completely redo one of the beds, hoping to plant something the deer find distasteful. Frankly, at the moment I’m exhausted but, before I plant myself on the couch for the evening, I thought I’d share a few photos I took this weekend.
I don’t know how many times I’ve photographed this azalea and maple tree, but they truly are some of my garden favorites. And to think, the maple tree will blaze on like this until it drops its leaves with autumn’s chill. Aren’t those colors beautiful? This is a view from my Adirondack chair where I like to sit (and sometimes nap) in the afternoons.
Before I headed out on my shopping spree I wandered through the garden, enjoying the spring blooms. It’s a favorite time of day…everything fresh with dew…so quiet in the neighborhood, with the birdsong true and sweet, almost echoing through the trees.
Johnny Jump Ups:
Deciduous azalea:
And these are a few of the annuals that came home with me, starting with Osteospermum (pardon the fly):
Gazania:
And, finally, these petunias. They’re mixed with red verbena and the color combination is so pretty:
There are a lot more, but that’s probably enough flower photos for one day. I’ll be back soon with something stamped. I hope you had a wonderful weekend, too. Thanks for visiting my garden!
So absolutely gorgeous Leslie!! My favorite are the Johnny Jump Ups - I love those sweet little flowers! They are a winter/very early spring annual here, and they make me soooo happy!
I love to stroll through your garden with you. It’s such a beautiful place and tended so lovingly by your hands. I’ve been buying plants each spring from our local Dept. of Agriculture. They sell plants indigenous to our area and that probably grew wild at one point. The ones I planted 2 years ago have pushed up out of the soil and are getting ready to add some color. I submitted a large order this year and will pick them up when I’m notified, sometime the first of Jun. My biggest challenge is properly laying out my garden - I’m really not good at that at all. It’s really a hodgepodge. Maybe you ought to come visit me for a week and help me with that! :0)
Oh Leslie, how gorgeous! What beautiful flowers! I am working on adding more color to my garden. I have tons of Azaleas, but once they’ve bloomed they’re just green and unshapen. I can afford to have fewer, so I started hacking the other day. I’m sorry if that sounds awful to you, but believe me, there are plenty left, and it’s time to put something else in their place. I’m loving my adirondack chair too and I’m loving enjoying the outdoors while I still can. Thanks for sharing.
Oh to have beautiful gardens like this . . . sigh . . . these pictures are music to my ears Leslie, a sight to behold. Here in Florida we have tropicals where I’m at that are quite lovely, but I so love the northern gardens, we just way too hot to grow these lovely flowers.
What a pretty garden…can’t wait to see more photos! We worked on ours this weekend also. Today we will be planting new bushes to replace the ones our wicked bunnies ate 2 years ago! We added a new flower border in the fall and I am excited to see how that fares this year. I love working in the garden, but I sure am feeling it this year! Love all your beautiful creations and TFS.
Your garden is gorgeous Leslie! And yes, the azalea and maple tree look fabulous together. I have a lot of petunias, but none the color of yours. I also spend a good chunk of time gardening throughout the Spring and Summer months and then a lot of transplanting in the Fall. I have so many gardens around my property that I have seriously lost count.
Oh, what a wonderful way to start my day, gazing at photos of your gorgeous garden! That’s what we’ve been up to also. Lots more planting to do today, and it’s gorgeous outside. Off I go! Talk to you more soon. Linda
Your garden is beautiful and looks absolutely peaceful! Thanks for sharing such beautiful pictures, I could almost hear the birds singing.
Oh my! I thought the first pic was a new Thomas Kinkade stamp! So lovely and I am so envious. I love flowers and have no green thumb, but you certainly are blessed. Thanks for sharing your garden!
Wow, Leslie! Your garden is beyong stunning - full of vibrant colors! I can only wish for a garden like yours. I am not much a green thumb…oftentimes, the flowers end up looking like they got massacred - oooppssss! Terrible, I know..but I try - LOL! I planted a few flowers this weekend too since we had almost 60 degree weather (to think we had almost freezing weather in the 30’s on Friday and Saturday- yikes!). Seems like it’s going to be a go for some summer weather finally so it was a good time as any to plant some flowers in hanging baskets and a few pots.
Beautiful! I’d love to relax everyday in your lush garden! Thanks for sharing!
Alma =)
You have got to be kidding Leslie…These photos look like professional post cards!!! My sister inherited my mom’s green thumb…you would love to see her backyard…I have got to post some pictures for you. Where do you live? I am sure that I have read it somewhere, but I cannot remember!! That maple is to die for…I could stare at that all day and never get tired of it!!!
I LOVED seeing your garden and hope to see more?? I am an avid gardener myself and spent the weekend planting and weeding! I went to our local Lowes as every Sunday morning they have mark downs, this week it was the Almond bushes half off and the Herb gardens half off, but what I fell for was a Knock Out Rose and an Endless Summer Blushing Bride Hydrangea……I hope to post some pictures soon on my blog…thanks so much for sharing with it with us, it is beautiful!!!!!!
Thanks for the stroll through your MOST beautiful garden, Leslie!! I don’t think I will ever tire of it!! I’m so glad your were able to enjoy the pleasure of the time you spent there this weekend!!
love looking at your photos, leslie! beautiful garden.
my bushes of peonies have just finished blooming. for 2 weeks my house has been filled with every vase that i own…..took in my last bunch yesterday, so after these wither, it will be over for these beauties for another year. i usually do my gardening very early in the a.m. here in sacramento, by 10 am it’s too hot to be outside (over 100 for the past 2 days already!)
tfs, sandyh
sandyha@comcast.net
Your garden is gorgeous Leslie, WOW! *STAMPIN HUGS* Alex
Your photography is great and you’ve captured the gorgeous colors of all the flora and trees. The photos are pretty enough to be made into postcards. I envy the beauty of your garden and all the various flowers. We definitely do not have these plants here. Thanks for sharing.
I love gazania’s. But my squirrels do too. They ate the blooms, so i sprayed some hot pepper spray on them. They loved that even more, they ate the greenery too, all the way to the root.
At least I can enjoy seeing yours. TFS
Wow you have a beautiful garden, no wonder you can bring the flowers you paint and color to life, with such wonderful inspiration all around you…..don’t get me wrong I know it takes ALOT of talent too
What a gorgeous garden, I’m jealous. I live in northernish Canada and today it was snowing (I could have cried). It will be two months before my garden looks remotely like yours and then it will be gone in September. You are so lucky to be surrounded by such beauty for so many months. I think you have a bad case of green thumb!!
Wonderful photos Leslie, thanks for sharing them with us.
Thanks for sharing a glimpse of your world of beauty,peace and quiet Leslie!
My fingers are anything but green and the garden is the size of a postage stamp.
I hope you’ll use some of your photos in a card?
I love it.
Viv xxx
Your garden looks lovely, mine is already looking unruly!
My resourceful eight-year old son is weeding dandelions for me at 5c a dandelion. He is averaging 100 a day because he has his sights set on a rather expensive looking lego set. At this rate he will probably have it within a month! Hopefully my yard will be rid of dandelions by then too.
Hello Leslie,
It must have been the weekend for it - we spent ours planting our vege patch and putting in some perennials in the gaps. Here in North West Western Australia it is only just getting cool enough to plant out - and get things growing before it turns hot again.
It is always lovely to see your garden too - thank you!
Kind regards,
Sherylee
Your garden is so beauitful, Leslie! And pictures you took look so beauitful! Thank for doing it!
Oh Leslie…stunning pictures! I want to come and visit and sit with you in a chair and watch this beautiful garden!
I wish I could love gardening the way you do! I sure do love the results. I would love to see your garden in person one day my friend! The pictures are beyond wonderful
Gorgeous foliage!!! I love flowers, and it’s such a treat to see your beautiful yard and garden! Thanks for sharing!
Can you come over and play at MY house? I do love your pictures and that maple is splendid. Your yard and garden are wonderful.
I love the pics of your garden!! So beautiful!! You take excellent pictures too! Thanks for sharing them with us!!
W-O-W! Your garden should be in a magazine!
Your garden is amazingly lovely!! Thanks for sharing!
Wanna come over and give a black thumb a lesson???? LOL! Your garden is just so serene and beautiful looking - glad you shared!!
Lovely! My flowers beds are still evolving. I planted way too much a few years ago and several weeks ago my hubby and I spent a day transplanting bushes that were too close together. I am excited though that I have a perenial bed that needs to re-done since we are planting a fig tree in it. The maple that was there died and we just cut it down…but in planting the new tree my husband will inevitably stomp to death all of the surrounding plants-so time to move! Then I can sort out what I thought was a casual cottage garden (that really is just a mish mash of stuff!) into something beautiful!