2016 PANSIES in our YARD

Now that I'm 'trying' to catch up some on my Blog Posts,   I want to show you some of our pretty little Pansies in our yard (pictures taken March-May, 2016)....  Pansies (and some Vinca in Summer) are the only ANNUALS we plant here.. All of the rest of our flowers are PERENNIALS --which come back year after year (hopefully)...

I  do like PANSIES --and we plant them in late FALL --in order to have some color in the yard during Winter....Most of the time,  Pansies will last through a cold winter (unless it is extremely cold for a long period of time)...   IF they make it through our fairly mild winters here,  they will perk up BIGTIME in Spring --and will bloom until about mid-June or July (when it gets WAY too hot for them)...

This year's group did well --so I want to share some of the different colors and varieties we have had. Hope you enjoy seeing these pretty little flowers... They always make me smile!!!!  You can click on the photos to see them larger...

Do you have a favorite?  I love them all,  especially in groups (like the top picture and the one just above here) --but a new one to our yard (I think) is the 7th one from the bottom... Very unique!!!!

I hope I made you smile today.   I LOVE my Pansies --and miss them now that they are gone.  BUT---we have planted a few VINCA to replace them.  Vinca love sunshine and hot weather... Do you plant either Pansies or Vinca?

WELL---August is quickly upon us!!!!   (I am SO ready for FALL --since we have had a VERY hot summer here.)  Not sure I'll be blogging next week since it's my Birthday Week... Sweetie has a SURPRISE for me.... You'll hear all about it soon I'm sure!!!!

Hugs to ALL,

Visit to Georgia to see Jeff and Dawn 7/23/16

Jeff and Dawn --in front of their Crepe Myrtle and Hydrangea 

George and I  had a wonderful time this weekend visiting son Jeff and his very beautiful and talented wife, Dawn,  at their home in Georgia...   We don't see these busy young adults as much as I wish --but when we see them,  it's such a JOY for us....

We are SO proud of the life these two young people are leading... Their home if beautiful --since they are both SO talented....Dawn is creative and there's not one place in their home which is not neatly and creatively decorated...  Since that kind of creativity is NOT my talent,  I'm always amazed at what others can  do....

Jeff is just as talented ---and is always working on some kind of new project for their home/yard... One of his next projects is building a new table top and completely re-making their dining room table.... Recently Jeff built a wonderful fire-pit for them...   I told them that we'd come back in the Fall when we can sit around the fire,  tell ghost stories and eat Smores..... YUM.

They both also have the talent of growing beautiful flowers/shrubs/plants...  Their yard is a blaze of beauty.   We also enjoy just TALKING to them since they both are so smart and so much fun just to sit and talk to.... We could stay for hours and hours just chatting.   AND--as if that is not enough,  they also served us a fantastic dinner,  much of which was from their garden.   I could go on and on and on --but instead,  I'll just share a few pictures today...

This is just a small portion of a part of their yard... In these beds,  they have Zinnias  and a Butterfly Bush  (and more) on the left;  Squash,  Zucchini and Cucumbers on the right; ---and Irises,  Canna Lilies and Sunflowers in the middle.....

A close-up of some of their Sunflowers... Sunflowers are Dawn's favorite flower ---so of course,  they started planting Sunflowers a year or two ago....

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE Crepe Myrtles ---and seldom see them in our area....

I was standing in the drive-way looking across the front of their home...  Everything was SO pretty. You can see the Hydrangea bush in the picture.





Dawn made me a Hydrangea Bouquet to bring home with me.... It's SO pretty!!!!!  Thanks, Dawn.

Here is one more picture of the Crepe Myrtles from a different angle...

Here was a picture of the beginnings of a fabulous dinner:  grilled chicken breasts --seasoned with basil from their garden;  spaghetti squash;  grilled squash, zucchini, and onions -with the squash and zucchini coming from their yard;  grilled white mushrooms and onions;  Italian Bread with an olive oil/spices dipping sauce..... SO SO SO SO delicious!!!!

Finally --and the BEST was a gift they gave me for my upcoming birthday (we won't see them on my birthday this year since we will be out-of-town).   Dawn made this gorgeous wreath JUST for us... She is so so so talented!  I told her that she could go into business making these....  The beautiful wreath fits perfectly on our front door.  It is totally made out of burlap --with a big "A"  on the right for ADAMS....  Thank You so much,  Dawn...  I am still extremely excited!

Well Friends.... I know how many of you feel when you visit your adult children who are doing so well --and you just can't be anymore proud of them!!!!!  That is how I always feel when we visit Jeff and Dawn... Thanks to both of them for being SO good to us.... We LOVE them so much!!!

Hope all of you are having a great Summer so far... We are having a terribly hot spell here --and DRY.....  As many of you know,  I'm not a 'summer-lover' ---so I'm one who is definitely ready for Fall...

Have a wonderful week.
Hugs,

July ROSES in our Yard 2016

Lots of blooms (including some Day Lilies) ---taken 7/13/16

Today I'll share some of the MANY different varieties and colors of ROSES blooming in our yard --just THIS month...Even with the heat, humidity,  lack of rain --and Japanese Beetles (YES--we struggle with them here in Summer)-----our roses still manage to put on a wonderful show for us...

Hope you enjoy seeing these beauties... As I say on Facebook most every single day,  I wish YOU could be here to see and smell the roses yourself...We are truly blessed.

OCTOBERFEST 7/9/16

SOMETHING SPECIAL 7/13/16

MALIBU 7/15/16

LOVE AND PEACE 7/13/16

AROMATHERAPY 7/15/16

WILDFIRE 7/7/16

FRANCIS MEILLAND  7/15/16

MILESTONE  7/13/16

SHEER MAGIC 7/15/16

SUNDANCE 7/4/16

SEDONA 7/14/16

APRICOT NECTAR 7/15/16

ROYAL WELCOME 7/14/16

DOUBLE DELIGHT  7/3/16

Hope you enjoyed seeing some of our ROSES.   It has been a good year for Roses --despite the problems with the beetles and of course,  our DEER.   I have more to share --but that will be in another upcoming post.

Today (July 18, 2016) is my eldest son's 53rd birthday.....  Happy Birthday to Bert!!!! How can "I" have a son THAT old????.. WELL---that bundle of joy came into my life when I was 20.  I felt like a child myself then --raising a child.  Thank Goodness for Dr. Spock's Baby Book back then!!!!! ha ha

Have a wonderful week, my Friends!!!

Hugs,