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Thursday, April 15, 2010

My Little Angels


Well -----I guess, if truth be told, I have LOTS of ANGELS in my life.... First, there's my Sweetheart hubby (who is the most important angel in my life). Then there's my kids and grandkids, all of my friends--including YOU, and of course, my special little backyard birds. But today, I'm featuring more of my angels----our PANSIES.

Do you like Pansies? We do ---and they love our climate here. We buy them in late Fall--to give us some color in the yard --which will last most years through winter. AND-they will bloom all spring --and won't die until it gets too hot in July.

This past winter, we had some bitter temperatures here ---so we thought for sure we lost our Pansies. BUT--those little guys have come back and are showing off like crazy right now. We have them in our three round beds in the front yard where we also have Daffodils and Lilies. Once the Pansies die out, we put Impatiens and Vinca in their places (Impatiens in the 2 shady beds and Vinca in the sunny bed).

Why do I call them 'angels'???? WELL---it's because there is an angle design in many of them.... You can see for yourself in our pictures. Above is one of our 3 round flowerbeds. This one is the 'sunny' one ---and in this picture, you can see the Tahiti and Replete Daffodils which so many of you said that you liked. You can also see the beginning of our lilies ---and also the little Pansies dotted around in the bed. Below are some close-ups of my 'angels'. Thanks to George and his macro lens for these.
















Now---aren't they just SWEET???? Sometimes I think the Pansies are smiling at me... They are similar to each other---and yet quite different, one from another. Do you like the plain yellow one????? The orange one looks like a kitty face instead of an angel. Can you see it???? Maybe it's a "Kitty Angel"... ha

Hope you have a wonderful day. I spent the past couple of days 'power-washing' our deck and deck furniture. SO---if I am behind on comments, please forgive me. I'll catch up SOMEDAY!!!! ha.....

OH---we now have a Chickadee egg in our Bluebird Nestbox. SO---I guess it's the Chickadee Nestbox for now. That egg is teeny tiny --about the size of the tip of my pinky finger. SO---I'm gonna be a Grammy again---even if they aren't Bluebirds.

Hugs,

47 comments:

Beth said...

Hi, Betsy! Your pansies are very pretty. I'd never noticed the resemblance to angels before, but I see it now. I've always loved pansies and even more, those little minature pansies----johnny-jump-ups. I planted some last year and expected them to reseed as they usually do. But I think the birds must have eaten all the seeds, because I don't have a single one. :-(

diane b said...

They are very pretty. I love pansies but its too hot for them here. I have never noticed the angels before, thats neat.I like the yellow and brown one best.

T said...

Very pretty - my moms favorite flower.

Ginny Hartzler said...

I LOVE pansies and have a strange and rather sad history with them, which I may blog about one day. However, we've not had much luck growing them here. I do love the orange kitty one. They are ALL adorable. The plain one-I didn't know there were plain pansies. I thought if something looked like a plain pansy, it was a petunia! I never thought of the angle thing, but you're so right. I have always seen faces.

Darla said...

Pansies are troopers that's for sure...Chickadee eggs? Cool, can you get a photo of it?

Tabor said...

You know it is spring when the pansies bloom!

Connie said...

I love pansies, Betsy! I have always thought they look like little faces, but now I see the angels in them too! :-)

Lisa said...

They are beautiful Betsy. And I am always intrigue by pansies because I read the tales about them when I was little. So every time I look at the flower, I'll be searching for the face.

I Am Woody said...

I thought for sure I had lost my pansies over the winter but those hardy little guys perked right back up and started blooming. I wonder if they will survive being jerked out of the planter and replaced with geraniums. LOL!

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Betsy: Great photos of the pansies.

Anonymous said...

SPRING HAS SPRUNG in your yard & it's so very beautiful!!!

Karin said...

Beautiful viola angels you have there! In German these flowers are called Stiefmuetterchen - translated 'stepmother', in Poland I understand they are called 'brothers'. Not quite sure of the reasoning behind that! I love pansies, and especially the hardy little wild ones - the jumping jacks! Enjoyed your photos again! Hugs!

Big Dude said...

You sure have some vivid colors and if you need a second job - I recommend photographer for a flower catelog. Have you ever submitted pictures to "Birds and Blooms" magazine?

Roses and Lilacs said...

I can see the angel design, funny, I never noticed that before. I like pansies but they don't last long here. They don't survive our winters so they are planted in the spring and only last a few weeks until it gets hot.
Marnie

Mary said...

I love the pansies....such pretty little faces and so varied. I always buy some first thing in the spring and put them in pots by the front door. Sometimes I get more in the fall. Our climate is similar to yours. I'm glad you have a chickadee nest box :-) They are so cute and you will enjoy watching it.

Dar said...

Your pansies are have wonderful personalities. My Grandmother, Mother and all of my sisters love the pansies. It must be a heritage thing for us Germans, huh? Both of my Grandmothers said that they were one of the few plants that were carried over from the homeland so these are special...my favorite is still the old fashioned yellow and purple faced.
Thanks for the fond memories of my Grandmothers.

Snap said...

I love pansies and johnny-jump-ups ... their sweet little faces. Your pansies are wonderful! You have an egg -- you are going to have a grand-bird!!!

Deb said...

I've never had much luck with pansies and after reading the comments I think I'm losing them to the summer heat. But I'm going to plant some this spring just to see the angels.

Diane said...

As in many instances sometimes these grandparent things ARE not what we planned. teehee. Just one?

We had chickadees that nested in a little birdhouse next to our sanctuary. My husband was doing some building on it and the chickadees were not bothered by him, they just flew past him building their nest. When they hatched out they sounded like little tiny bells when mamma or daddy came around.

nanny said...

I love pansies and yours are beautiful!!!!

Busy Bee Suz said...

I love pansies and YES, they are smiling at you.
We had them when we lived in TX..the husband and I did a large bed of them in yellow and purple...oh, I miss TX now!!!

congrats on the new baby!!

Diane said...

P. S. I meant to say how beautiful your pansies are. They DO look like angels. I always thought they looked like a little kindergarten class or day care. All those eager little faces. Diane

Julie said...

Oh, your pansies really are little angels!!! So sweet!!! They are so beautiful. Your round beds are very pretty too...and nicely arranged, Betsy!!! I just planted a few vincas in my front garden by the porch...they seem to be the only thing that will survive summer here! Geeze!!!

Small City Scenes said...

Love the Pansies. Even the solid ones that have mis placed their faces. there are so many and I like Sweet Violets too. Nice post. MB

Together We Save said...

Very pretty!! I like pansies too... yellow and purple are my favorite.

Dorothy said...

Love those Pansies! Mine are doing well right now, too. It's good to plant them in Sept. and you get to enjoy them fall and Spring!

Kay said...

All of the are so beautiful. Wish I could see them in person.

Rose said...

I really love pansies...one of my favorite flowers...

Maybe the chickadees will be done in time for the bluebirds to move in.

penny said...

I love Pansies too and yours have beautiful colors in their angel faces.

ps, thanks for naming the ferns, Betsy. The name is very appropriate for that tree.

Anonymous said...

At least you got something using the bluebird box. Mine is unused. I thought a sparrow was going to go in and use it the other day but even he stayed away.

Jo said...

Wow,beautiful macro photography from George. I love pansies and we grow them in winter in South Africa. They are called "little faces" (Gesiggies) in Afrikaans. You are an angel, too, Betsy. I'd love to see the chickadee egg, or if not, cannot wait for the chickadee chick! (((Hugs))) and blessings Jo

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

Excellent pictures.Thanks to you,Betsy,I will never look at Pansies the same way again.I had never noticed the 'angel' design,but it is strikingly beautiful.
Thanks so much for pointing this out and have a beautiful day.
Blessings,Ruth

Becca's Dirt said...

Wow what a stunning assortment of pansy's. All of them are knockouts.

I have more trouble loading your blog now than before you made the changes. Sometimes it takes so long that I give up. I'm gonna keep trying.

Harriet said...

Love the Pansies, I never noticed the Angel before.

Mary Isabella and Kiley too! said...

they are so pretty and I do like them also. Planted some wildflowers today...m..

Anonymous said...

♥♥♥ your photos! I'll sure buy some pansies before our winter!

Glenda said...

Beautiful, beautiful pansies! I had never noticed the angels inside the little flowers! The purples are my favorites.

imac said...

They are beauties Betsy.

Cheryl said...

I had never noticed the similarities to angels before! So sweet and yes indeed little angels.

Anonymous said...

I see a resemblance to angels in your pansies. I see a mustache and beard too :-)

The Retired One said...

I never noticed that angels were inside the pansies before...lovely photographs, Betsy!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Hi Betsy!
I always thought Pansies have happy "faces" but now I see the "angel" in them too! :-) They are so sweet, and I'm glad the unusually cold and snowy winter did not harm their roots.

I think I need a macro lens for my camera ..fabulous photos!

♥ Pat

Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...

Hi Betsy,

Oh, I'd love to see that chickadee egg! I have three bird houses hanging at different levels at the back porch.

We have a wren that is out there every morning singing its sweet song. I happened to time it right by looking out my window and seeing it land on the porch of one birdhouse and then flying up to the Church birdhouse and going inside and then coming back out...so we are still not sure what's going on yet but I'll be watching.

Have a great day,
Stephanie ♥

carolina nana said...

I love to look at the different pansy faces. I read somewhere that they are called pansy because that word means thought and who ever named them thought they had human faces! They are an interesting flower.Yours are so pretty.Have a blessed tomorrow.
Marilyn

SquirrelQueen said...

The pansies do look like little angels, they are so colorful and pretty. George's macro shots are great.

I guess we will get to see a baby Chickadee. I wonder where the Bluebirds will nest?

Splendid Little Stars said...

I DO love pansies! Mine didn't come back this year :(
I see that they DO look like angels--how cool!

Splendid Little Stars said...

I have had pansies overwinter before, even though they're supposed to be an annual. I've also had them die back in the hot weather and then come back in the Fall.
Now when I look at pansies, I will think of you and angels!