The Little Log Cabin By The Creek

I have a friend that lives down at the bottom of the road from us. They call it their little log cabin and it's tucked in the woods with a creek at the edge of their back yard. It's just charming. Part of that charm is all of her yard art. I need to go junkin' with her but then we'd probably end up knocking each other down trying to get to the same thing first. This little guy driving the tractor looks so cute when the wind is blowing and his wheels turn.

This tree art she has is kind of eerie as some of it blends right in with the tree.




Some succulents planted in an antique tea kettle sunk into the ground.
Even her drain spouts are cute.




I took these pictures before she had much blooming or planted in containers.

I've Come To Appreciate Parking Strips . . .

I took my camera to town the other day (when dropping off my computer)in search of blooms since nothing was blooming up here so I could enjoy some color. On my way I looked off to my left and there was a parking strip just a bloomin' and I thought I'm going to come back and get that picture and send it to Karen over at GREENWALKS Gardening where the sidewalk ends to add to her collection of posts on these really great strips - parking strips, hell strips, garden strips - apparently they have a number of different names.I did my business then headed back down the main street where I had come in and since there was traffic behind me I turned and figured that strip display was probably on the next block or so. Well it wasn't but I found another one . . ..
and another . . .
and another.
This little section of town was loaded with them. I never did find the one that was only 1 block off of the main street. But I found so many more. This one had such a nice variety of color, size and textured plants and shrubs.
A month ago I probably wouldn't have even noticed these strips unless they were so brilliantly colored with blooms ya couldn't help but see them. But reading GREENWALKS posts has brought them to my attention and heightened my awareness to a level of wanting to see more of these delightful strips people have taken upon their own to landscape.
I told her I had wanted to take just this one picture to send to her and then ended up taking a whole camera full because this neighborhood had so many. She very graciously told me since I had so much fun taking these pictures I should go ahead and enjoy doing the post myself.First let me say I'm not as knowledgeble as she is about the trees, shrubs and flowers so I'll just show the pictures and if you want a real treat be sure and visit herblog for more strips and much more informative posts.
Some Yucca plants on each side.
This one where the 2 streets come together looks like it's filled with Sedums.
This looks like their yard but it does have sidewalk going through.
Each tree has it's own planter built around it with a variety of flowers in each one.

I thought all 3 of these trees were very interesting.
A close up of the 2 strangest ones.
And some decorative stairs with white Heathers blooming.

My Flowers Are Finally Blooming . . .

We’re getting a jump on the weeding around this place. This shady side area started out to be a fern garden and then I started adding other things. A friend put in Calla Lilies and in front of them she put a green with white trim Hosta and it looked so good – almost like it was one flower because the white in the Hosta matched the Calla so well. I don’t know if you can see it in the picture or not but what the nursery sold me as 2 of the same Hostas are not looking alike and didn’t last year either. One is a lot bigger and has more of a yellow cast to the trim. Not to mention they are a lot bigger than what I had wanted. So I think I’ll just get a couple of smaller ones and put these somewhere else. In this garden I have a couple of ferns, Callas, Hardy Fuchsia santa claus, New Zealand Brass Buttons looks like a little fern groundcover and Saxifraga London Pride in the front right corner. It’s bloom has a long stem sticking up with this tiny little flower but after taking the picture and looking closely I couldn’t believe how beautiful it is – like someone took a brush and spattered paint all over it.
I never would have expected to see a bloom like this on Saxifraga London Pride Around the corner in a still shady bed are 5 Heucheras (3 different kinds), 2 different Columbines, 2 different Bleeding Hearts, Jacobs Ladder, Heathers, Armeria, Jack Frost, Hardy Orchid, Pulmonaria, Hardy Fuchsia Double Otto and 2 Hostas. I put my new Heuchera Snow Angel in an old tub I found at an estate sale to give it added height behind Heuchera Plum Pudding, who is behind Jack Frost but hopefully will be taller when full grown. If not I’ll have to move it over a bit. I had Bob divide up the Callas and line them all across the bed to give a green background through the summer. It should look great when it fills in.
Bleeding Hearts
Wild Bleeding Hearts
Heuchera Snow Angel
Heuchera Plum Pudding
Jacobs Ladder
The Columbines are blooming and first is my newest one Winky Rose.
A front shot
Cardinal Song
Purple/wine colored Columbine with white center.
Front shot.
I had mentioned in an earlier post that I thought this Purple Columbine was 3 ½ to 4 feet tall so I just measured it in full bloom and it is 45” tall.
A closer view.
A wash tub with Columbine Clementine Rose and some Creeping Charlie blooming.
Columbine Clementine Rose
Creeping Charlie blooming and he smells sooooo good.
Looks like I'll have to do more tomorrow because there is still more blooming for a change!

It's Fertilizer Friday . . . Flaunt Your Flowers!

It's Fertilizer Friday - let's see what's blooming . . .
It's Fertilizer Friday so be sure to go over and visit our hostess Tootsie and see what's blooming in everyone's gardens after fertilizing every Friday! Join in on the fun while you're there too.I just got this Beauty Berry Profusion less than a month ago and it needed some TLC and it has little berries on it already. I was really surprised!
This is another Campanula I have. It's a small one about 10" tall but the bloom is big like my tall Peachleaf. It's called Carpathian Harebell Blue Chips.
I believe this is Clematis Jackmanii - it was given to us and blooms like crazy.
Hot pink Ice Plant - Delosperma something.
The Lilies are blooming - they made it without a nibble!!!

A new dark one - I did a swap with the neighbor and she didn't know the name of it. A beautiful dark one.

Lychness

Malva Zebrina or known as a small Hollyhock
Red Hot Pokers
My bloomin' stairs filled with Wolley Thyme didn't bloom in every stair. Hmmm what to do. I have another set on the other side of the yard. We lined them up with the 2 stairways coming off of the deck for easier access to the upper yard.