mermaids and moss

in my garden

This little guy practically jumped into my shopping cart at the store. I'm so tempted to collect his other friends [Hint, hint. Mother's Day is this weekend!]

Lots of swinging and playing and running and climbing and watering taking place in the yard these days.

The ferns have really gotten lush and I'm enjoying them so much. So green!

His latest "project"... working with wet chalk. And leaving his "art" everywhere. He's also been ripping up tiny pieces of paper and gluing them to sticks.

And we've planted a new hydrangea, a bleeding heart and a lilac tree. We're taking care to keep them watered, hoping that they survive for many years. Oh, and we also planted the seedlings... it may have been too soon, but some of them were starting to flop over and wither up in their egg cartons inside. I hope they grow. Some sprouts have disappeared. I'm pretty sure the disappearance is connected to our resident bunny. And! The red fox dashed through the back of our garden as my son played and I watered plants last week. Hoping I'll have my camera handy one of these days as he sprints by.

blues and greens

Been feeling a bit blue these last couple days... not feeling very creative or motivated. I went dress shopping yesterday... it was a disaster. Came home and pulled out some old stand-bys only to discover that they're a size 6. I swear I just wore them a couple years ago.

The lilies from my dad's garden are growing. He'll be proud. Hope he's remembered to bring me back some pretty rocks from Lake Superior. I have big plans for them.

One garden hose guide has been procured... I probably should invest in a few more. Lots of watering and planting and playing in the yard lately.

Happy May Day to you!!

happy hollyhocks

{ sweet peas and lady lavender }

{ hollyhocks }

We have sprouts! So far, so good... hoping to keep them safe. I took my girl to the farmers' market in search of a lilac tree, and came home with two basils, a bleeding heart and promises of a purple lilac waiting for me next weekend. Very exciting, I say. Glad to be putting my touches into our new garden.

in the garden

{ a collection :: mints, lavenders, thyme, oregano and other assorted herbs. three tomato plants. }

{ and this hydrangea! }

{ one little girl wearing a dress that's too small but twirls well. one trowel. }

{ one little boy in a Batman shirt. }

{ a bit of digging. spider and worm encounters. }

{ flower studies. }

{ garden twirling. }

plantings

I've been admiring seedlings sprouting from egg shells on several blogs recently, Tiel's photos come to mind, though I know I've seen other posts about them in blog land.

I'm not talented enough to crack eggs so neatly so I haven't been saving the shells. I did have a couple egg cartons saved for this gardening project, and we're quickly going through another dozen and a half eggs so more containers are on their way.

My son and I used the egg cartons as little seedling pots. We're hoping to grow some sweet peas and lavender, though I've been warned that the lavender can be tricky.

So, we'll do our best to keep them moist and in the sun, hoping that they sprout soon.

I assigned my daughter the task of making little signs for our garden plot on the kitchen counter. I think she did a beautiful job.

Grow, little seeds, grow.

pink snow and piles of blankets

Okay, well, two of these blankets are still works in progress, but aren't they looking pretty folded up and stacked in a nice pile... on my cute new antique chair? This makes me happy. Oh, and I've finished 95 squares. Ninety-five. That means that I only have 49 squares to go. 

I'm also very happy with this pink azalea bush in my back garden. It's a beautiful shade of pink. I love it. And though I don't have my own double blossom pink cherry tree [I think they're called Kwanzan cherry trees] there are two in the neighbor's yard with large branches towering over the back corner of our lot. And they're dropping their petals and blossoms like pink snow. This makes me happy. I think one of the things that I miss most about the old neighborhood is that several of the streets and the park are lined with Kwanzan trees. It's so pretty and magical this time of year, especially when the petals are swirling around and the kids are burying themselves in the piles of petals, like this. I've been trying to stop for visits, but it's not quite the same. I need to get out for more walks in this new neighborhood of ours.

under the sea

These flowering bushes were found in the back garden of a house I've been pondering. Does anyone know what kind of bush this is? My husband thinks the flowers look like something that belong under the sea.

counting crocuses

The daily ritual of counting the crocuses in the front garden continues... The crocuses have been a lovely show, but we're looking forward to other types of flowers blooming soon.

Happy Friday to you!

hello, crocus.

Look at who is growing in our front garden! The girl and I planted over 100 bulbs in the garden last fall... all of our hard work is finally paying off. Each morning, the kids can't wait to get outside to see who is blooming.

Found on a walk, nearby:

a glimpse

The past few days we've been experiencing the tiniest glimpse of spring. I'm anticipating a fancy flower show in my front garden in the next month or so. Last fall, the entire family worked together to clear out the overgrown mess of a garden. We planted tiny new shrubs and many, many bulbs—crocuses, tulips, daffodils from this garden store.

The kids and I have been spending long afternoons at the local playgrounds gathering sticks and leaves to build huts, nests and pretend campfires. Summer days, we are so ready for you.