My humble beginnings...

...as a flower farmer, that is.

 Planning what to grow that will provide blooms for cutting in spring, starts in
August/Sept. There are hardy annuals that will handle my Zone 6a winters no
problem. Bachelor Buttons is one of them.

Seeds direct-sown in the garden looked great just a few weeks later.
I also started many other easy to grow hardy annuals.
Such as sweet peas, nigellas, poppies and larkspurs
(images from google).

New raised beds were created all around the garden.
This is a front yard island bed I extended by 3'.
Brick edgings were removed, sod cut and dug up in 12" sections, soil
loosened with hand picks and added back to new bed.
Supervisor Tilly approves!

Don't forget the bulb food!

Many bags of soil and compost later, I was ready to plant!

Since the front yard is pretty much deer country, my plantings were mostly

daffodils and alliums...all 600 of 'em!

And in the backyard, hubby built 6 new raised beds...wahoo!
5' x 10' and 6" deep.

I use a weed barrier to prevent nearby tree roots growing through,

and layers of newspapers break down fast so a good way to recycle, as well.

 

  These tulips will be treated as annuals at harvest time...

meaning I will pull up the whole bulb (to get longer stem length),
and discard the bulbs..making room to grow the next batch of plants.

Leaf mulching is a great way to add nutrients to your beds...though
be mindful that breakdown of said leaves will affect your soil's PH level.

And here I go...expanding another bed...

...for more tulips!

I can't wait to see the explosion of 3,000 bulbs!

It's going to be beautiful spring!

Have a great week!

Big News!

There comes that certain time in Spring when the weather is just oh-so-perfect
and we can finally get out there and garden to our heart's content.

The last two weeks have been that time for me.  I finally felt that shift in the air (and in my bones), allowing me to work 10-hr.days yet still find enough adrenaline to keep going.  Day in and day out. THIS is what we waited all winter for...right?!

Of course, it never fails that the more I accomplish, the more I STILL need to do, and it
becomes a vicious circle...but that's the nature of gardening, huh?

Believe me, I am not complaining!  Since the installation of the deer fence (see last post), tulips have taken center stage in my garden in Springtime!  April and May have never been more beautiful, and using my creativity for color combinations has been crazy fun!

And, come summer, growing daylilies has taken on a whole new level!  So overjoyed with last year's display that I dared to apply and receive approval to become a Display Garden for the American Hemerocallis Society.   What an honor!

My collection of daylilies have grown quiet a bit plus many new companion plants.

 Yes, I know I have my work cut out for me but I am ready!

Bring. It. On!

 If any of my blogging friends are within driving distance, please come visit me! 
Dates will soon be announced.

Thanks for stopping and Happy Memorial Day!

Wordless Wednesday...

 A cozy morning to day(lily) dreeeamm!

An extra hour...

Happy Daylight Savings Day!

My phone rang at 7am this morning. Caller ID: Mom. From California.

She'd totally forgotten to 'fall back' on the clock.  So, what the heck was she

doing up at 5am...?!

Heading out for her daily pre-dawn walk.  Good thing I'd been up for hours, reading.  Yep, besides our love of gardening, Mom and I have insomnia in common.

My absence here has not been deliberate.  I've tried numerous times to post but uploading photos with Blogger has been a pain!  Any friends out there retired their

Blogger account for something faster, better? 

There's so many more options now, besides Wordpress.  I will need to do a little research...

One thing I will not complain about is the beautiful indian summer

we've had these past weeks in NJ.  Summer blooms are still hanging in there.  I mean, look at this pot of geraniums, still setting buds into November!

Vibrant hues of fall foliage have been quite spectacular, as well!

How will you spend your extra hour of daylight?  Hopefully, I will finish my bulb planting, mulch, and tuck the garden in for the season.

If I could just stay awake til sunset....

The Hoseless Summer

Mother Nature has been watering my garden every other day it seems.  I have NOT had to drag the hose from one end of the yard to the other....a chore that can take two hours.

So that's great news, right?!  Except all this excess rain has kept me from weeding the beds regularly, which is not so great.  It's a jungle out there!

And, bugs abound!  Beetles, flies, gnats, and the oh-so-dreaded mosquitoes!  Even the overflowing pond has seen a hub-bub of activities with visitors big (stray cat Cookie), 

and small. I counted 6 dragonflies this afternoon!

The unusual weather has even confused my favorite perennial.  Early varieties like Eenie Meenie are just now blooming and later ones such as Autumn Minaret are already setting scapes!

Though it's been nice capturing raindrops on velvety petals...like this Dominic, 

I"m ready for a stretch of dry days, when I can really enjoy these beauties that lasts but a day.  So pretty but a bit faded is Always Afternoon.

A tall clump with petite blooms is Miss Amelia. 

Have you noticed many butterflies yet in your garden?  I have only see these skippers. 

Unfortunately, I will be away this coming week so will miss the grand show on this amazing Dallas Star clump.

Next post will showcase the beautiful daylily gardens I toured last weekend in the Delware area.  I'll leave you with a teaser...enjoy!

Meet Chantilly Lace!

This post has been 2+ months in the making...
I draft a copy every other week, only to have downloading issues, and always give up! Today, Friday the 13th, is my lucky day!

You, my regular visitors, knew of my beloved Bandit, whom I lost in November, 2010.
Just shy of the 1-yr. anniversary of his passing, Hubba Hubba surprised me with a puppy! Another Coton de Tulear...this time, a girl!

Meet Chantilly Lace! We call her Tilly.
She arrived in my arms October 19th, at 12 weeks old.

Five fluffy pounds of pure joy!


Enjoying her first romp in our freaky early snowstorm, October 30th.

And learning early to always smile for Mommy's camera.

When she escaped from the playpen, this is what I came home to.
An expensive collection of chew toys! But who can stay mad at that face?

Waking up every morning to her deer alarm has been fun...yeah!

Another favorite past time~chasing the cats!
Except when they're out of reach.

But don't worry, Lacey lets her know when she's had enough...bap, bap!

Happy Five-month Birthday. I think it's time for that first haircut!


Aah...that's better!

Hope you enjoyed meeting Tilly!
Hard to imagine a time without her now, but, that's the gift of a pet...they give us love unconditionally, forever and always.