New Retaining Wall

Our new retaining wall is finished, along with some footing replacements on our old garage. What a difference it makes. After living with dirt washing out of the old wall for a decade, this is a dream come true.

I'm Finally Finished!

Done pitting cherries that is. I've never had a year like this, a month full of picking and pitting cherries, bumper crop! I have two trees, one that blooms two weeks later than the other so they don't all ripen at the same time.

This year I harvested 36 pounds of cherries (pitted), enough for 18 pies! I gave away another 12 pounds, and left a tree full of cherries because I just don't see the need to buy a taller ladder to pick them. My Norpro Deluxe stoner is still working fine, much to my amazement for such an inexpensive gadget. Going to buy another one for backup next year though, I've been using this one for 5 years now.

Chicago Botanical Garden

We were in Chicago for the Wright Plus Tour 2012, and stayed an extra day to visit the Chicago Botanical Garden. I enjoyed this garden as much, if not more, than the Missouri Botanical Garden (which is also phenomenal).

My Little Bog Garden

When I decided to remove my ponds a few years back, I kept one lined and turned it into a small bog garden. Plants include corkscrew rush, blue rush, and fox red curly sedge.

The Ones That Get Away

It's cherry picking time, a time I have a love/hate relationship with. Love picking them, hate pitting them, love eating them. The picked cherries hog all the space in the refrigerator, pitting makes a sticky mess on the counters, and gets cherry juice on the lenses of my glasses, not to mention the clothing stains. But it's all worth it, since I continue to do this year after year. The best looking ones are always the ones you can't reach, it's my donation to the birds as I'm not getting a bigger ladder.


I just keep reminding myself that without this...


There wouldn't be any of this...

Clematis Vines

Jackmanii




Niobe




Dr. Ruppel


H.F. Young with a single Duchess of Edinburgh.


Jackmanii with unknown white clematis (possibly Henryi)

Oriental Poppies

Hot Cocoa

I've appreciated the dependability of the 'Hot Cocoa' rose over the years. It does well in our climate. While others have died in a harsh winter, this one just keeps coming back year after year!

'Carefree' Wonder is another one of my favorites....

Mother's Day

Mother's Day can only mean one thing in our household. Time to plant the vegetable garden! My husband got the garden all tilled and ready to go, and I'm ready for a weekend of planting. Plans this year include sweet corn, beans, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and if I have any room left over (unlikely), watermelon or winter squash.

Bearded Iris Season is Almost Over

I adore tall bearded iris, and this year's blooms have been spectacular! Some I have no names for, they were handed down through family, or I lost the tag when I was young and thought I'd always remember.

Stairway to Heaven

Lady Friend

Avalon Sunset

Starship Enterprise

Megabucks

Batik