Maidenhair with Flowers

Hello friends.  I like these pictures that I snapped recently in my yard.  I thought I would share them. 

Maidenhair Grass

These pictures above and below are a David Austin rose called Abraham Darby.  I have them growing in the cottage garden.

My wave petunias are blooming again....yea!!

Ferry Morse Mixed Sunflower

Sunflowers make me so happy. 

I hope life is treating you well.  Until next time,

Eat Pray Love

Eat Pray Love is one of the best books I have read in a long time.  It is one of those books I will read a second time.

I finished reading the book just as the movie was starting to play in the local theatres.  I have seen the movie twice.  It is a very good movie but the book is soooooo much better. 

This is definitely a woman's book.  So girls, if you need something good to read I highly recommend this one.

Cooler Weather

Hello all my blogger friends.  I haven't posted in a while because it has been so darn hot here.  BUT the weather has been very nice the last 2 days.  Last night I was at the park with my 2 granddaughters and the air felt cool.  It was a little strange. 

I thought I would post a few pictures I snapped tonight in the yard.  Enjoy.

A view of the back yard. 

Flowers along the driveway. 

This is Dynamite Crape Myrtle and it has just started blooming.  The picture does not do it justice.  It is a bright red.

A little yard art. 

A look down the breezeway at dusk.

This is one of our 2 cats.  Her name is Nosey and she has found a little shade under the fire pit....(which I am so looking forward to using this fall). 

I have been sewing on several quilt tops but I never seem to take any pictures of them.  I am making myself a promise to post a few quilty pictures soon.

Until next time,

Wow, it is really HOT

For the past several weeks our high temperatures have been between 100 and 106.  As I type this, it is 11:00am and the temperature is already 99.  I am amazed that I have anything blooming in the yard but I do.  There are several blooming plants that like the heat.  I thought I would share a few of these pictures taken from my yard this morning.

The Mandevilla started blooming as soon as it got hot. 

The sunflowers I planted in June are starting to bloom.

 

 

This is Obedient Plant and it absolutely loves the heat.  It can be very invasive and is often given as a pass-along plant.  It is pretty this time of year but Beware if someone offers you a start of it!!

There are 2 butterflies in this picture that were being so playful.  They were fluttering all through the garden.  I was surprised that I was able to get this picture. 

I hope that you are staying cool.  Until next time,

Naked Ladies

Before

After

The high temperatures this week are running around 100-104.  There are not many flowers blooming except zinnias and these naked ladies. 

Until next time,

Butterflies and Spiders....oh my!

Welcome.  Today at the Empty Nest Gardens...

the naked ladies (Lycoris Squamigera) have just started blooming

The Knockout roses are blooming again

The perennial Ruella loves the heat.

Portulaca also loves the heat.  This is a good plant for me to have in a hanging container.  I only water it 3 times a week and it doesn't seem to mind.

I believe this is a Fritillary butterfly and it loves the zinnias.

Wow, look what a little water soluble fertilizer does for a pot of Wave Petunias.

Mrs. Weaver is back.  She is an orb weaver and she has built her web on my bay window where I can watch her every move from inside the house. 

 

Thank you for visiting Empty Nest Gardens and Quilts. 

Until next time,

Weeds Happen

I am ashamed to show you this bed full of weeds in front of the shed but I wanted to show the progress  I made today. 

This morning I decided to tackle this bed with it's over grown native rose bush and lots of crabgrass.  The mulch had decomposed enabling the weeds to grow wildly.

These are the tools I chose to attack this bed, my grandfathers hoe, loppers, hand pruners, hand spade, thorn gloves, and my large green bag that holds lots and lots of pulled weeds and trimmings.  I started at 9:15am while the temperature was in the 80's and the bed was in the shade.

After an hour I had made this much progress.  The rose bush has to go.  It came up volunteer, has no flowers to speak of and has horrific thorns.  I spent most of my time cutting it back.  Time for a Diet Pepsi Vanilla and a dip in the pool to cool off. 

3 hours after I started I am finished.  I cut the rose back as far as I could.  It is growing inside a tomato cage around an old satellite dish pole.  The rose will have to be dug out but that takes a lot of energy, way too much for a hot day like today.   By now it is 93 degrees and full scorching sun.  Time for another dip in the pool. 

I just love the varigated ginger on the shed porch.  Now I have space to plant something fun....oh my...I have a good reason to go to the garden center.  That will be a fall project.  

Remember, weeds happen to all of us.  Don't get discouraged if they are taking over your garden because they do that this time of the year. 

Enjoy your summer, weeds and all.

Until next time,