Being green

Garden Rhapsodies Garden Tour 2009

Come along with me on the Garden Rhapsodies Tour!

(Presented by the Master Gardeners of Thurston County)

~*~

Theme for this year's tour is gardens using drought tolerant plants

and/or

Eco-friendly watering/planting methods.

~*~

Garden 1

Drought tolerant planting

~*~

Play area for children...

...and birds!
~*~

Many birds were feeding and 'hummers' buzzing all over the garden

~*~

Garden 2.
~*~

Beautiful harp music in the garden.

~*~

Learning about Vermiculture!

~*~

Beautiful woodland garden.

~*~

Mixing veggies and flowers!

~*~

Daylilies

~*~

Stately lillies!

~*~

White Echinaecia

~*~

Campanula

(which blogger likes sideways!)

~*~

Heuchera (coral bells) and Hostas in the shade
~*~

Perennials line the walk to the front door

~*~

Garden 3.

~*~

Goldfish in the water collection pond

~*~

Dragonfly or perhaps a Damselfly, perched on waterlily frond

~*~

Unknown plant growing along the path through a small woodland

~*~

Garden 4.

Unusual color delphinium

~*~

Bed of daylilies

~*~

Music with a country flair

~*~

I loved this vignette with the "Shagpoke"

(our name for Heron)

~*~

Hydrangea

~*~

More daylilies

~*~

Sweet volunteer Poppies 'escaping' the compost bin

~*~

Garden 5.

A variety of lacecap hydrangea

~*~

Hosta and Brunnera in the shade

~*~

Beautiful stacked stone wall with plantings

~*~

Bear's Breeches

(love the name!)

~*~

The planting on the top side of the stacked stone wall

~*~

Garden 6

New garden with arbor planted with evergreen clematis

~*~

The new Potager

~*~

?

~*~

Brunnera and a bench to rest on after a beautiful but long hot day!

~*~

I hope you enjoyed the Garden Rhapsodies tour with me!

We will have to go again next year!

Friendship's Garden

When I first started flower gardening, I wanted to make my beds entirely of

"pass~along" plants; plants that had been given to me by friends.

My garden wasn't growing in variety, so I have bought many,

but there are several that are from friends.

Come join me, won't you, as we take a turn around my

Friendship Garden.

~

Near the front door is this purple Rhododendron that is usually

in full bloom by Mother's Day.

As you can see, she is just now showing us her

lovely purple-hued blooms.

~

~

Red and Orange are not my favorite colors

but here is a first bloom of a Chinese Red Oriental Poppy

that persists on growing, quite healthilyI might add, despite

repeated attempts at eradication!

(pass-along plant)

~

~

Sweet purple Granny's Bonnets being modeled on

willowy stems above common geranium, Lillie's, rosemary, delphinium

and Oops! weeds!

(pass-along plant ~ the Granny's Bonnets not the weeds!)

~

~

Stately purple Iris set before a tower of Golden Hops.

(Pass-along plant from my first pastor

Rev. Wesley Gain, now with the Lord)

~

~

Here are the first delicate white flowers of the Bridal Wreath bush

given to me by a dear lady friend who

passed away a couple of years ago.

I have named this plant "Audrey" in her honor.

(Pass-along plants are a sweet reminder of dear friends

who are no longer with us.)

~

~

One of my favorite flowers, Double White Lilacs.

They are incredibly fragrant!

(Pass-along plant given to me from my Auntie. I, in turn, made a gift

of several of the babies to a sweet young friend of mine as a wedding present.

Her wedding bouquet was lilacs and she was wanting starts to line the drive of their future home.)

~

~

"Scentsation" lilac.

True to is name!

~

~

Bleeding heart

~

Beneath the Hydrangea grows a tiny fairy garden of Sweet Woodruff, Bluebells

and tiny woodland violets.

(The Bluebells and yellow violets were gathered in the woods near our farm.)

~

~

Solomon's Seal

in the dappled shade of the old Banana Apple Tree.

~

~

Snowball Viburnum

(A true pass-along plant, given to me when I was a young bride by

my mother-in-laws friend and neighbor Connie.)

~

~

Johnny~Jump~Up's

and they are.....everywhere!

(Pass-along plant from dear Jan who started me making

my own soap!)

~

~

A blushing Columbine given to me years ago by one of my

sweetest friends, Jamie!

(I love this barely pink against the red of the rhody. But next year, she may

be friends with the iris or the peony.)

~

~

We call this Rhododendron "Grandma's Lipstick" because

it was my sweet grandmother's favorite shade to wear!

Here it is nestled down with Bishop's Weed,

a pass-along plant that I regret receiving from a cousin.

It spreads like wild fire into my new lawn!

~

~

And lastly, our dear old pink dogwood tree.

We fondly call him "Dagwood" dogwood; the name

we used when my girls were small as the

'secret word' should someone other than me

need to pick them up from school.

~

~

I hope you enjoyed your little tour of my friendship garden

and perhaps you will be inspired to start one of your own.

Garden Planting Time

Here are some suggestions for a successful harvest of your Springtime "Planting".

~

Plant Seven rows of Peas (P's)

~

1. Prayer

2. Promptness

3. Patience

4. Preparation

5. Perseverance

6. Politeness

7. Purity

~

Plant Seven Rows of Squash

~

1. Squash Gossip

2. Squash Indifference

3. Squash Criticism

4. Squash Negative Thinking

5. Squash Envy

6. Squash Jealousy

7. Squash Hatred

~

Plant Six Rows of Lettuce ("Let Us")

~

1. Let Us be unselfish and loyal

2. Let Us be faithful to duty

3. Let Us search the Scriptures

4. Let Us not be weary in well doing

5. Let Us be obedient in all things

6. Let Us be truthful

~

No Garden Is complete Without Turnips ("Turn up")

~

1. Turn up with a friendly smile

2. Turn Up for Church

3. Turn Up for Bible Study

4. Turn Up for Prayer Meeting

5. Turn Up with determination to do your best in God's service

6. Turn Up to praise God and not man

~

After planting,

"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus

Christ."

II Peter 3:18a