Skywatch Friday # 12

Same area as last week. We've been having wonderful colors in the evening every night.

Click here for more Skywatch Friday photos.


Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:
Happenstance House -- A journal about my Victorian home and all of it's contents.

Remembering Tasha Tudor

Today would have been Tasha Tudor's birthday. She died on June 18th. She would have been 93. Many bloggers are celebrating her life and so I decided to participate.




I first became aware of Tasha Tudor while I was working as a librarian, and I kept seeing this wonderful book come through. The quilter on the front attracted me. I checked it out for myself and was immediately mesmerized by her grace and spirit. I knew then that I wanted my gardens and quilts to be just like hers, but I'm not sure anyone could ever achieve that.
Tasha was an amazing woman. I feel the peace and gentleness radiating from her right through the photos.



When I first saw this picture with the blue and white transferware, I knew I would be a fan for life.





I had no idea until I discovered who she was that she had illustrated one of my favorite childhood books. Tasha could do it all, and do it well.

She was well loved and will be greatly missed.


For more posts about Tasha Tudor check in at Storybook Woods.



Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:
Happenstance House -- A journal about my Victorian home and all of it's contents.

Thankful Thursday -- Music in my Soul

You've all seen my profile picture; I'm the little girl at the piano. Many of you have asked if I am playing the piano on my soundtrack. No, I am not, but I do have the ability.

Today I am truly thankful for the gift of music. I love music of all kinds and always have. I took 13 years of piano lessons, and also played clarinet and alto clarinet in the high school band. When I became an adult, I took organ lessons. I started teaching piano when I was 15, and later also taught organ. Hundreds of children have come through my doors in the last 40 years. I have written some music; for a while it was a passion. Recently, I decided to try to learn the tin whistle, an Irish flute. I haven't been too successful yet.

I believe the gift comes with an obligation. I have tried to give back by playing for the adult and children's choirs, Christmas programs at church, and VBS, but sometimes I still feel like I have not done enough. There finally came a time when I realized I didn't have it in me anymore. A few years ago I gave up choir, and this year I retired from teaching piano. I still feel guilty about it.

I truly don't know what I would have done without music in my life. I'm grateful for the fact that I am never bored. The piano is always waiting patiently for my fingers to run over the keys. If there's nothing interesting to do, I play the piano. My piano has shared my joy, my tears, my fears, and my anticipations. At times, I have poured out my love -- at other times, my anguish -- as I played.

I am blessed with a God given gift of music, and I am thankful.


For more Thankful Thursday posts see Rhondi's list at Rose Colored Glasses.



Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:
Happenstance House -- A journal about my Victorian home and all of it's contents.

Wordless Wednesday #8 -- Sneaky Squirrel

Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:
Happenstance House -- A journal about my Victorian home and all of it's contents.

These Daylilies are LATE

These daylilies may be late, but they're not too late for me. I just walked the garden with a tablet in hand. Here's what is blooming and still has buds as of August 25th, 2008:

Frills and Fancies
Purple Storm
Miracle Maid
Dublin Elaine
Daring Deception
Susan Weber
Unknown red
Lingering Loveliness
Chicago Apache
Dempsey's Red Velvet








Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:
Happenstance House -- A journal about my Victorian home and all of it's contents.

Am I CRRRAZEEE?

Am I crazy or what? Last week I decided to start my fourth blog. I know, I know, I spend too much time at the computer. I work here all day, and then in between jobs I'm blogging. But the garden is winding down, less to do and less to write about. Tickling the Ivories doesn't take much time and An Herbal Bedfellow is just recipes, very little typing.
So, this new blog, Happenstance House, will be all about my 101-year-old home and it's contents. I plan to journal some of my experiences here. I hope you can stop by and see what it's all about. Soon, I will post my first pictures of my blue and white room. If you're into antiques, come along with me for a visit. The teapot is always ready to pour a lovely cup just for you, and I know how to make some fabulous lavender cookies!


Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs, and also my newest blog:
Happenstance House -- A journal about my Victorian home and all of it's contents.

My Giant Hibiscus Crop

These plants are the back border to my herb garden. They are having a fantastic year. It sort of looked to me like a crop of hibiscus growing there. Just looking at it lifted my spirits immensely today. I thought it might do the same for you.


Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs.

SkyWatch Friday #11

I love the way this jet stream lined itself up in my treetops.

Look for more Skywatch Friday photos here.


Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs.

Thankful Thursday - My Names

It's Thankful Thursday again and today I'm thankful for my names.

You probably think that's a strange one. I wasn't sure what to write this morning and then I read Brambleberries in the Rain. Cindy there has changed her name to Cynthia to avoid confusion in the blogging world. That got me to thinking about the names we are known by as we go through life.

So I am thankful for the names I've been given because they define who I am more than anythng I can write about my garden.

Besides the name my parents gave me, I am known as Mrs., Honey, Janie, Sis, Mom or Mumsie, Aunt, and Nanna.
Most of all, I'm thankful for the people in my life who use these names.


Don't forget to visit Rhondi at Rose Colored Glasses for more Thankful Thursday posts






Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs.

I Refuse to Believe Summer's Over!!!

By the looks of what's blooming, summer's not over by far. And I refuse to believe it, so don't talk about fall to me yet. No, the blooms aren't thick and lush, tightly blooming together to make waves of color. But there's still plenty out there.
I'm always late for GBBD hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Anything else that has a date attached to it, can count me out. My life is not "normal" and I don't run on a schedule like others do. I am on call 24/7, although I try not to work during the late night hours. But I can get in a high pressure crunch and while I'm totally focused on work, dates get right by me at times.
So today, I'm going to post everything that's blooming. It was far more glorious than I anticipated, and I'm glad I went out with the camera. I can really see what works and what needs work. Here is my photo journal.







Snapdragons and Rudbeckia -- self seeded.


Phlox -- a little past prime.


Dempsey Red Velvet, Daylily. Still lots of blooms.


Hibiscus, light pink, The red hasn't opened yet.


Darker pink hibiscus.



A cheery wave of rudbeckias.


Evening Primrose, always opens in the morning.


Paprika yarrow, should be more red. What happened?


Marigold and petunia seeds in dishpan that I forgot about, They were hidden under the porcelain vine . Oops.


California Zinnia, sowed the seeds late in early June.



Coleus in a pot, bench needs painting. Note: do group of pots on bench next year.


Sedum, planted by previous owner. Hidden under peony. Note: Move to garden shed.


Gladiola, note: plant more colors next year.


Coleus and spikes in washtub


Impatiens in wheelbarrow. Note: Needs another companion plant. Ivy?
(Annie in Austin at The Transplantable Rose pointed out that these are waxed begonias. I guess I wasn't quite awake yet when I wrote my blog. Do you have any idea how many edits I've had to do?)


Resurrection Lily.( aka naked lady, surprise lily, lycoris) Note: be sure to spread seeds in this area. Does well here.





Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs.

Thankful "Gardening" Thursday

First, let me make myself clear. I am not just thankful on Thursday. I try to be thankful for something every day, but to be honest, sometimes a day goes by and I have totally forgotten to consciously think about one particular thing. And I have to admit that sometimes I just plain don't feel like being thankful. I shouldn't tell you that, but I do have a downer day now and then.

But today it wasn't that difficult. I looked at my garden and realized what a wonderful summer I have had so far. The weather has been perfect for being outside almost every day, and my job has been a little less stressful, allowing me to enjoy my flowers; not just work on them.

So today I am thankful for my gardening abilities and the opportunity to so thoroughly enjoy what God has allowed me to grow.

See the sidebar for more Thankful Thursdays or visit Rhondi at Rose Colored Glasses.
(Sorry about the music. It goes with the previous post.)

Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs.

The Party's Over!

(If you haven't already, turn on speakers :)


That's right! The ball is over! There are still some guests hanging around and the floor is not empty by far. There are even those who thought they could arrive late and no one would notice. Or maybe they wanted to make an entrance to gain some attention and be appreciated as an individual. They certainly were, by me. I never tired of seeing newcomers.


Conrad Blasco finally arrived. I think he was just checking out the scene and looking for a last minute hook-up! Men!!


Lingering Loveliness was hit on more than once by the cad but she at least had some class and turned him down.


What's that? Frills and Fancies has decided to go home with him. I sure hope she knows what's she's doing! I worry about the girls these days.


On Friday I dropped in at another daylily ball:


South Seas came home with me to check out the scene and decided to stay. I'm thrilled! She donned her lovely tropical colors just in time for the last song.



Other new acquaintances I met on Friday: (I know, I'm shameless; I encouraged them to follow me home)

Trahlyta

Highland Lord

Monster

and a bonus -- Red Volunteer (shoot! Lamb was going to send this one my way anyway)

Well, It was a ball (literally) and I'm so glad you came to the red carpet. It was a pleasure showing my cotillion to all of you. So, until next year, this is Jane Marie at the Serendipity Garden. Good Night, Ladies, Good Night!


(If you're interested in reading all of the posts on the Serendipity Garden Cotillion, see "Labels" in the sidebar and click on Cotillion. Be sure to start with the earliest one and move forward.)


Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs.

Thankful For Family

On my first Thankful Thursday I chose to be patriotic. It seemed as though everyone was thankful for their families, and I guess I didn't want to follow along with the pack. But then I realized that it didn't matter, because I am thankful for my family. I have a husband of 41 years and two daughters. I have two great sons-in-law and a wonderful grandson. What more could one woman want?

Maybe you don't have a spouse or children; your "family" could be the special people who surround you. To love and to be loved is all that's really important in life. I'm thankful to have family to love and I'm thankful to know they love me.

For more Thankful Thursday posts visit Rose Colored Glasses.



Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs.

A Visit with Lamb

About a week and a half ago, I had a visit with Lamb. Lamb is a dear friend and we share a love of daylilies. She had been to view my garden the previous day and we selected, from the plants I have, the ones she would like that I am able to split. I did the same at her garden.
Although Lamb and I most often go daylily shopping together, we discovered that we have totally different daylilies. I guess that's because we have different tastes and also different garden needs as far as height and color.

After walking around her garden in the heat, we sat under a shade tree, sipped on some cool punch, and looked at daylily catalogs. I'm glad that I have a friend that shares my passion. It wouldn't be the same without someone to talk about bloom size, scape strength, color, and bloom time.

These are the pictures of Lamb's lovely gardens. They wrap around her historic home which has been in the family for generations. The daylilies are in the large, raised, circle bed in the backyard creating a friendly greeting to everyone who enters the backdoor.

Thank you, Lamb, for a wonderful afternoon. I enjoyed the time we spent together.





















Don't forget to visit An Herbal Bedfellow for healthy recipes made with herbs.