My first expedition of the year to the garden center was very profitable. I wanted to find some shade-loving perennials for Steve's new planting area as well as getting some violas for the front entrance.
Here you see three Pulmonaria "Roy Davidson", two Siberian Iris "Caesar's Brother", various colors of Violas and three Ferns. (My camera really is beginning to suck at pictures taken from a distance! There is no sharpness at all!! Sorry. Maybe I'll use Bush's stimulus check to get a new one.)
Notice the name !! I thought this was really funny - not to be sexist, but I'm assuming that a man named this ??!!
Here are the three "manly" ferns inside a great big, 26" planter I could not resist. Keep in mind that the ferns are each in 3 gallon containers! I'm not sure where this will be or what will be in it. Maybe the backyard - if so, I may as well hang a sign saying "Wild Animal Feeding Station" on it!
Lastly, I found this "Triple Bin Party Feeder" bird feeder to hang outside the breezeway picture window in the back yard. At least that was my original intention until Steve immediately noticed it was too large for the hook on the shepherd's hook that is out there. Guess it's going somewhere else....
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Speaking of Steve, we had another birthday celebration for him this weekend. My daughter and family came over with cards and presents for a belated, but fun party.
Here's Adeena with Tony (Sorry Sierra, I didn't get any pictures of you. Bad Grandma!!) and Garm. I'm not sure what Adeena was explaining, but this captures her personality just perfectly. I just love it.
Steve is a huge NASCAR fan and Jeff Gordon (Number 24) is his favorite driver. He's wearing his new birthday gift. As well as that they got him this really funny figurine.
I figure this has to be the Yeti of whitetail deer! Notice the size of the trussed up hunter in comparison - Wow!
The shot of this isn't the best, but I think you can see that it is a mirror shaped like an arrow head framed with a wooden laser-cut deer placed over it. It also has the little clock, which is removable.
It's quite pretty and Steve hung it under one of his mounted heads. He also got a neat little deer night-light.
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Even though our weather turned quite cold and blustery, we had a quick walk around the yard so Adeena, Tony and Sierra could see how pretty everything looked. The following is what we saw:
A view looking down the hill in the back garden.
Blue and white Grape Hyacinth.
Pathetic Forsythia that blooms once every 5 years.
Mayapples on the back path.
Pheasant's Eye and Apricot Trumpet Daffodils.
Ever popular Bleeding Hearts and a study in textures with Variegated Solomon's Seal, Species Lily "Henryii", miniature Goat's Beard, and Meadow Rue in the background.
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And two tulips that escaped the ravenous ungulates.
Actually I have a lot of this great species Tulip "Tarda". These close up when the sun isn't shining on them, but when they are open, they are really cheerful. They are very short 5 to 6" and are one of the most inexpensive species Tulips you can buy. I highly recommend these!
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Even though our walk was more like a forced march because of the cold, we warmed up inside with subs from Cousins and had a lot of laughs playing the latest video game Tony and Adeena had gotten.
I think we should celebrate Steve's birthday every month!!!
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Thea and Garm sharing a little patch of warm sun. Looking pretty sleepy the day after the party ....
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Cheerfulness gives elasticity to the spirit. Spectres
fly before it.
Samuel Smiles (1812-1904)
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Bye for now,
Alyssa