Tag Archives: Country Life

Gifts from Mother Nature

November 12, 2015Country Life, GardensCountry Life, Flowers, Friends, Gardenscindyhazelett

Mother Nature was indeed kind to us this weekend. It was such a beautiful day of mid-November on Sunday that I took a walk around our property to check on the progress of the plants. The garden area is still quite spectacular. The plants have the “bones” of the garden as backdrop so even with the lesser array of blooms it is still pleasant to look at. The fountain and sandstone beds anchor the plants. In this shot above I especially like the dappling of the sunlight on the fence and the way it is reflected on the surface of the water. The fountain pump has been put away for the year so the fountain functions as a reflecting pool for the time being.

These snapdragons were all volunteers. That’s one of the reasons I love them. Plant them once and you can enjoy them for a few years afterward too. I also appreciate them because they bloom so prolifically and for so long. I have seen an occasional bloom even in December! And the white snapdragon is growing from between two sandstone blocks on the side of the flowerbed. These tough little plants show tenacity. Hence the phrase, bloom where you’re planted. Mother Nature planted these and they took advantage.

The hydrangea continue to put on a show as well. Their foliage is at least as impressive as their blooms which are not too shabby themselves. Large green leaves provide a lushness that is fading in the garden at this time of year.

A few plants do appear to be confused by the unseasonably warm weather. They are taking advantage of it as are we. This rhododendron has several blooms. I took advantage of this warm spell too. I dug up some daffodil bulbs and moved them to new locations. Then I took a book and sat on the patio to read in the sun. Then friends and family came over and visited while enjoying time outside. Life is good. This is Ohio in mid-November. What a gift!

Things to Come

September 30, 2015Country Life, GardensCountry Life, Gardens, Rescue workcindyhazelett

I spent Saturday afternoon clearing out the perennial bed beside the house. It was overgrown with phlox, bee balm, black eyed Susan’s, and other plants that bees and hummingbirds like. The wygelia bushes were barely visible any more. It’s always a challenge for me to keep the foliage in the beds under control. It seems as if I am keeping up with things and the flower beds look good. Then one day I look over and it’s all out of control and overgrown. I don’t know how this happens. I should have taken a before picture so you could see the difference but I found that idea to be too embarrassing.

The impetus for all this clearing and getting the plants under control is that we are going to have a Fall Gathering here for our Sheltie Rescue group. And their dogs are welcome too so I hope to have some wonderful photos of the dogs to share with you in a couple of weeks. Hopefully some of our past foster dogs. We are very excited at the prospect!

I got a surprise last week from one of those plants that came up as a volunteer. The white trumpet shaped flower is a Daturum. We planted those last year and several returned to put on a show for us this year. I knew the plants had come up but I didn’t think they would get big enough to bloom, but they did. It was a most pleasant surprise.

This cleome is also a volunteer. It took hold in between the sandstones. It impresses me with its tenacity.

There are still some beautiful flowers in bloom even though it is late in the year. The mandevilla and pinks continue on.

As does the hydrangea that I purchased three or four years ago at a discount store for $3. It was a single, bare twig. Now it is several bushes. I’d say that was a good investment.

I found this fuzzy caterpillar when I was looking at the flowers. I wonder which type of butterfly it will be next year? He is chewing on the plants, I imagine, getting fuel to try and survive the winter.

This burning bush is turning red already. The others aren’t, just this one. The others have been planted for a number of years in their current location but this one was just moved last year. That must account for the difference.

The petunias are putting on their last hurrah before frost comes. To be honest, by this time of year I am looking forward to frost. I get tired of working in the gardens and beds but feel too guilty if I stop while plants are still growing. Fall and winter come as a welcome break. Although by the middle of February I am chomping at the bit to get started again. So I will enjoy it while I can.

Life is Good

September 22, 2015Country Life, Gardens, Thoughts On LifeCountry Life, Gardens, Walkscindyhazelett

Things are changing noticeably around our property as fall approaches. In fact tomorrow is the first official day of fall. The plants in my large urn have completely filled in the space. The trailing, pale green vine is that of a sweet potato that now reaches the ground.

The cleomes continue to provide quite a show. I’m very glad to have them in my rose bed because the roses barely bloomed at all this year. I am thinking that it was due to uncooperative weather and they will be back in full force next year.

The cleomes are blooming in the bed back by our garden bench too. It seems that things we did not plant are doing best this year. That would be the cleomes, snapdragons, and butterfly bushes. What a gift they have been.

This butterfly bush was so prolific that we can’t use the walkway here. We couldn’t bare to trim it back earlier because we took such joy from the hummingbirds, butterflies, hummingbird moths, and even bees that frequented it. It is later in the year and not many come now so the bush will soon get a haircut. These flying creatures provided some of my favorite entertainment over the summer.

The verbena and hydrangea are still putting on quite a show. The hydrangea started from a small root piece that I bought for $3 at a discount store. They have grown into four large bushes that take up half of one our raised garden beds. Plants are amazing.

My favorite part of the garden this evening though was seeing this new bed around our Harry Lauder walking stick. That’s the name of the tree. The species was named after a Vaudeville actor who had a curled walking stick, just like the branches on this type of tree. The stone in the back is from a burgundy vein of Pennsylvania blue stone. The new bed is what appears when you have a very impressive husband toiling while you are away. Also amazing.

What conclusion do I come to after my evening walk of seeing so many plants that grow by chance doing well rather than the ones that I planted? And new garden beds that appear as if by magic? Life is good.

Unplanned Joy

August 5, 2015Country Life, Gardens, Thoughts On LifeButterflies, Country Life, Gardenscindyhazelett

Life sometimes blesses me in ways that I’m not expecting. For instance plants around here reseed themselves and grow in places that they shouldn’t. I intend to weed them out but often times I don’t get around to it. This is the case with a butterfly bush that took root and is growing out from between two sandstones in one of the garden beds. It is about seven feet tall now and oh how fortunate that I never pulled it out. It is bringing me much joy.

It comes by its name honestly. It definitely does draw in the butterflies. There are often several on it at once and a few different kinds too. I can go out any time during the day and see butterflies on it. What a beautiful site.

Butterflies are not the only thing this bush attracts though. It also draws in what is called a hummingbird moth. I only discovered these in recent years. At first glance it looks like a hummingbird. It is about half the size of a hummer but similar in shape and the wings move in the same manner as the bird. It also has similar brilliant colors. But this creature is a moth. Much as I like the hummingbirds, I think that I like the hummingbird moth even better. It is not as common and it is more unusual looking so it fascinates me. I will have to learn more about them because at this point all I know is that they are a cool looking moth and like the butterfly bush.

All this pleasure I get from something that was an accidental plant. Maybe it wasn’t accidental at all. One morning last weekend after standing and watching all the activity at this bush, I told my husband, “it’s a glorious morning, we must always have a butterfly bush in the walled garden”. I have learned a lesson from this. Take beauty and joy where you find them. You may happen upon them in unexpected places.

Sanctuary Acres Weekend Part II

July 7, 2015Country Life, GardensCountry Life, Gardens, Weekendscindyhazelett

This past holiday weekend was also wonderful because I got to spend most of it at home. I often feel like I am on vacation when I get to sit outside and enjoy the greenery. That is when I’m not weeding. I have to make it a point to take time to smell the roses, or sometimes the puppies, as the case may be. I took a walk around on Sunday evening to get some pictures to share of the things that I enjoy. I started where I was sitting and reading a book. I love the red mandevillas. They are always in bloom and so tropical looking.

Also in the patio area is this lush hydrangea. It was a gift. Lucky us. The dark green leaves are nearly as attractive as the blooms. Fortunate are we, who have friends that would give us such a gift.

As I leave the patio area I enjoy the plantings in the flower boxes on top of the wall. This year we have verbena in lavender and peach tones and various pastel shades of celosia. I rather like the rainbow effect.

Even the thyme is getting into the act by blooming and looking attractive. It is the herb that I use the most of when cooking. Every year I trim the plant back and harvest all the clippings to dry and cook with later on. For the first time ever, my thyme did not survive the unusually cold winter and I had to buy a new one. The old plant was one that I dug up and moved from my previous house some years ago. So it was like loosing an old friend. The new one is growing heartily so I hope it fairs better over the winter.

I love this red maple. I always feel like I am in a park when I look at it with the hostas growing underneath. I think it is very picturesque.

Our property has black raspberry bushes growing in various places. They re-seed themselves in addition to spreading by runners so they show up the oddest places. Above was one day’s pickings. I usually get enough to make two pies and then have enough berries left to freeze almost a gallon of them for muffins throughout the winter months. At this time of year I am usually covered with so many scratches from the briars that it looks like we have a kitten. My fingers are stained for several days too from the berry juice. Well worth it!

Here I am in front of the yucca plant at our last stop for this walk. Thanks for visiting. Until next time…

A Fortunate Investment

June 2, 2015Country Life, GardensBeauty, Country Life, Gardenscindyhazelett

Things are really kicking into high gear in the gardens. This provides me much new subject matter but less time to write! Maintaining and upgrading these gardens does involve a little bit of time. I was going to say “unfortunately involves time and work” but decided it was not unfortunate. I would not appreciate the beauty nearly as much without the time investment. Planting, mulching, weeding, fertilizing, and otherwise tending these plants and gardens makes me appreciate them all the more. Working so closely with them I also see tiny changes and bits of beauty that I might otherwise overlook. I guess what you put in, you get out. Above is my new climbing rose called America. The tag says it is a coral pink and I love the color. It has the best bits of all colors, a little pink, a little peach, a little red in the buds. It has it all. I am also hoping that I have found a climbing rose that will survive the cold of the recent winters. We will see. For now I am enjoying the beauty.

I move on to another garden and see one of our nine barks in full bloom. The foliage is the main draw on this shrub. It has attractive red leaves and weeping branches and, you guessed it, various types of bark. I don’t think it is known for its blooms but as you can see, it does briefly, put on quite a show. It reminds me of something that should be a wedding decoration.

This is a shot of the corner garden. Over the nine bark you can see the red buckeye and the arbor vitae in a row on the corner of the yard. All this hides the stop sign and the corner intersection. Just one example of plants beautifying an otherwise mundane area.

This is one of our two red wygelia. The blooms are glorious if short lived. It is an attractive plant with its red leaves, even once the blooms are gone. I understand that they can become quite large. I will have to report back to you on that in a few years.

This is one of the verbena we have in planters on top of the garden wall. They were recently planted but already starting to become something I like to pause and look at on my wanderings around the yard.

And of course, the peonies. They are one of the best things about this time of year. They smell heavenly and are beautiful too. The mass of them is eye catching from a distance and they are equally impressive individually. I need to get more of these beauties! They come in other lovely colors too. I planted a Sarah Bernhardt last year but although it is growing well, peonies are slow bloomers so we will hope for blooms from it next year. Meanwhile, it is peony season so I will enjoy the show.

Why I Prefer to be at Home

May 25, 2015Country Life, Dogs & Other Animals, GardensCountry Life, Dogs, Flowers, Gardenscindyhazelett

Earlier this week I talked about why I like working four 10 hour days as opposed to the normal five 8 hour days. Today I am going to show you. Most of the time at work I am inside without access to windows. I don’t usually know if it is hot or cold, or sunny or rainy. These pictures will share some of what I see when I am at home this Friday. Above is the clematis which is blooming early this year. It is quite spectacular.

As I take a tour around the yard I see the Wygelia and Rhododendron in bloom beside the house. The light and dark pink complement each other nicely.

We have two red buckeye trees and they are currently covered with these stunning red blooms.

The false indigo blooms in several places on our property. The extremely cold winters have been hard on it but there is still some left.

I just finished weeding and mulching my herb Garden so it’s looking good. Here you can see the thyme, oergano, catnip, and globe basil in the urn.

The irises are blooming early this year. These plants have been moved and split many times. I dug them up and started moving them with me two houses ago.

These are columbine and they are really something this year. I have moved them around the yard too.

And here are Shelby and Baxter waiting for me to take them in the house for lunch after being outside for a couple hours enjoying the beautiful weather. Who wouldn’t want an extra day at home with all of this?

Spring Garden Walk and Memories

May 6, 2015Dogs & Other Animals, GardensCountry Life, Dogs, Gardens, Spring, Walkscindyhazelett

The weather was pleasant with sunshine and the temperature was perfect so I decided a walk around the gardens was in order. I started by checking on the trillium. It achieved its personal best for number of blooms this year at six. The trilliums grow in our pine grove, enjoying the shade of the tall trees.

Then it was on to check out the hemlock nearby. It is doing great. We purchased it when it was no more than a small twig from the County Extension Office, and have enjoyed watching it grow from a small Charlie Brown type Christmas tree to its current self.

The ground cover throughout the pine grove is covered with Vinca vine also known as myrtle. It has these pretty bluish purple little blossoms at this time of year.

Growing near the house we have a viburnum. The bush doesn’t look like much, although it does have these cute little flowers, but ohhh the smell. Heavenly! You can smell its glorious perfume from the door of the house. I wish there was a way to record smell so that I could share it with you. Maybe that will be the next wave of the future.

Also near the house we have the woodland bleeding heart. Named for its heart shaped little flowers.

And of course the requisite spring tulips.

And continuing on the walk we see these the tiny, white violets nearly everywhere. They grow up in the lawn and so fall prey to the mower, but still they always seem to be there.

The flowering almond is resplendent with many blooms right now. This little tree always makes me think of my beloved sheltie Duncan. Every evening, during his last days, we would take a walk to enjoy our time together and I have pictures of him in front of this tree. The tree is beautiful by its own merits but the memory of Duncan makes it even sweeter. He grew from being my greatest challenge to my greatest gift.

And so I will leave you with the memory of Duncan who has been gone from me two years next week. You can see his therapy dog tag in the photo. He was the light of my life but he also brought joy wherever he went and made the world a better place. Rest well my sweet boy.

A Sanctuary Acres Weekend

April 20, 2015Country Life, Dogs & Other Animals, Gardens, Thoughts On LifeCats, Country Life, Daily life, Dogs, Gardens, Springcindyhazelett

I spent a couple of hours cleaning out the rose bed this afternoon. I foolishly thought I could get it all done in that amount of time. So far I have spent twice that working on it. One more session should finish it up. Unless you count the bulbs I want to plant next to the roses. I also have numerous punctures and scratches covering my arms that make it look like we have a kitten. These are from encounters while trimming the roses bushes, and they won. Oh well, by summer time I will have glorious pictures of flowers to show you.

After working outside I took a walk through the woods. Beautiful daffodils are in bloom. We did not plant them. Someone who came before put them there and we are reaping the benefits.

And I came upon this cross section of log that I thought was intriguing to look at. All the rings bespeak of years of life and make me ponder what happened on this property in the years before we came here.

I stumbled upon this fallen nest. The high winds we have had must have knocked it down. It is early enough in the year that it is probably a nest from last year. Of course it has copious amounts of dog fur woven into it. How soft and warm for the hatchlings.

And what first got me out in the woods today. The ground was finally thawed out enough to bury my Romeo Kitten. His grave is marked with the cross and unmarked stone. Soon it will have his name engraved on it. Beside him is dear Trevor whose stone already bears his name.

More daffodils on the way back to the house. They look so happy with their sunny faces saying “look, we survived, spring is here”.

And to complete an enjoyable weekend, hanging out with the family. Baxter puppers and Lacey cat shown, snuggling on the couch. And once again, life is good!

Team Work Aborted

April 3, 2015Country Life, Dogs & Other AnimalsCats, Country Lifecindyhazelett

So it turned out that it was not a mouse that Harley and Morty were hunting. In fact it was a half grown squirrel. I don’t know how he managed to fit in that tiny space. The cover had to be removed from the heating baseboard before Mr. (Ms.?) Squirrel would come out. No small wonder with two fierce hunters waiting.

Well, when Harley found out it was a squirrel that was already half grown, he immediately lost interest. The wise old man seemed to know that this was more than he should mess with and walked away leaving it for the humans to deal with. Wisdom being the better part of valor and all that. See Harley below.

Morty, being younger and less experienced, thought that he would handle the situation himself. The dastardly human intervened so as to keep our hero safe. Even now Morty keeps returning to the bathroom. I don’t know if he is looking for action or reliving his big adventure.

Morty at the end of a long day’s work.

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