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Thursday, June 18, 2009

A llittle of this, a little of that...

While I was gone on vacation I got a wonderful surprise from Ginger (Law of the Land). I won her Pay It Forward gift a while back. She was going to bring it to me on one of her trips to Mobile, but we can't seem to get together when she comes, so she finally just mailed it. And look how cute it is............... Its a camo birdhouse!!! I love it!!! The Hunter loved it too! To those of you that don't know....the Dirt Princess is a hunter. I love to hunt (bow hunt, deer hunt, turkey hunt). I thought it was so thoughtful of her! The gifts didn't stop there.....
Bailey & Gracie (Ginger's cats) sent Kiki a gift too!!! Kiki loved it! She is sometime not fond of new toys, but she immediately took to this one and started playing with it!
I am still noticing new things around the garden since returning home
I was informed by several ladies that this is NOT a crinum, it is a Cahaba Lily. There was an article in our local paper recently about them. They grow wild on the Cahaba River here in Alabama. Apparently they are highly adaptable since my yard is far from the river!
another view of the court jester......ok, well Bee Balm
Phlox...it now has a name
Crocosmia is coming along nicely
I have many more of these to plant this fall
Plumbago is loaded
and the one that shocks me the most is this.....well these.....
I always deadhead my plants, one of those are the zinnias. I deadheaded them last year, and saved most of the seeds. I planted all of the seeds, and they are all growing and blooming. When I got too many seeds, I just started throwing the dried blooms off into the flower beds. Well look what we have here...........those seeds are growing.....everywhere!
All around the bed on the side of the house!!!
There must be 50 zinnias coming up around there. Amazing to think they came up from me throwing a dried up bloom back into the bed! I really didn't think they would come back....well I was wrong!
Ginger asked about the Dinner Plate Dahlia. She wanted to know how big it was (size & height). The bloom is very large, as you can tell with my hand next to it!
I am 5'-5" (shorty), and the plant is a good 5' tall right now
more of the bee balm.....and don't pay attention to all those weeds! They have since been sprayed
Petunias, phlox, crocosmia in bloom. The Butterfly Ginger in the back should be blooming soon. It is so dry here that all the leaves are curled up. I will douse them with water this afternoon
Breakfast at the hibiscus
remember those blue lace cap hydrangeas, well they decided to turn on me while I was gone!!!! They are now a mottled pink!
Butterfly bush
this Jurassic looking thing on the trellis....its a locust! A reminder in the deep south that summer is here
remember the leaf stepping stone my wonderful Aunt found for me? Well I finally put them out!! I put them on both sides of this bed walking up to the shaded sitting area. Actually there is no shaded sitting area right now, but one day there will be. This bed will be getting a makeover next year. Too much green and not enough blooms!
A larger shot. The grass is just now growing here after much transplanting. It was all sand...it is slowly filling in
A rose from Mrs. Brown. She rooted it for me, and it is blooming, it smells so great!
I really love that shade of pink!
budding star (see that mulch...God Love him...he is great!)
The roses are happy that The Hunter spruced up their home with that mulch, so they have decided to show off!
The Hunter and I went to the hunting camp Saturday to do a few things. We rode by one of the hunting spots and saw blackberries COVERING the field. So we got out in the 100 degree heat and picked blackberries like they were the last on earth!!!!!!
We picked until we were about to fall out and have a heat stroke...which wasn't long this time of year. The field is LOADED with them. I had on flip flops which are not conducive to blackberry picking. They picked me as much as I picked them. I am going to go back soon, wearing my snake boots for added protection, and pick away! I did make some blackberry tarts, they were pretty good. I am going to make a cobbler for my dad this weekend.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

I definitely need to get some crocosomia bulbs and I am going to start throwing my deadhead zinnias onto the ground. Those blackberries look so darn good.

Ginger said...

That DPD is awesome - thanks for the perspective picture!

So glad you and Kiki like your happies :)

Jean said...

Yummmmm..those blackberries look good. Hope you didnt get chiggers!

Melanie Elissa said...

I am in love with all of your flowers. Have any extras feel free to send them my way!! And my cat..he's a mess. He is my child! (we dont have kids) In that pic that is his "baby". I have never heard of a cat taking up with a stuffed animal but he has! Hes a spoiled rotten mess!!

Unknown said...

DP your flowers are beautiful. Your Cahaba Lily is so delicate and gorgeous as is your Bee Balm and Plumbago. Everything is wonderful! As I've said I lost all of my Dahlias but bought some more. I've had a couple of dinnerplates and still never seen one bloom. This time I got another - not what I wanted but a dinnerplate just the same so we'll see how it does. I've only seen (in person) a dinnerplate bloom once a lady brought in to garden club and it was the size of a dinnerplate probably about 10" or more. I was soooooo amazed and will grow one if it's the last thing I do - and it may very well be. LOL
Sorry I'm so behind in responding to posts - having a hard time gardening, posting (not even doing that well) and all.

Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality said...

Oooo, blackberries, love those! Thanks for stopping by. And I have been to Hoods, posted about it back in April, as well as a few other spots down Foley way. If you haven't been to the Plunderosa, you must check it out. Did a post on both of those so go back & look at my April posts to see them. Great places!

Dirt Princess said...

Sue can you believe they came up from those dead heads! I love it!!

Ginger we love it!

Melanie don't worry Kiki is our child too...she doesn't know she is a cat. We talk to her like a kid...people would think we were nuts if they saw us!

RG you MUST grow one! They like FULL sun, and well drained soil. THey take the heat wonderfully

Rhoda I am headed your way now to check it out.

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

Love the birdhouse, it is perfect for you! The stepping stones look perfect where you put them, that was such a great find.
I've never seen a locust before, strange looking!
I'm going to try that with my zinnias this year. I never thought to do that, great idea.
All your flowers are so pretty.

Erin @ The Impatient Gardener said...

MMMMMMMM... those berries look delicious!

Jesikarena said...

I just love your naming of the bee balm! It fits it so well! That locust is DISGUSTING and huge! OMG! I had no idea what a locust looked like. But it gives me a better idea about the plague of locust in the Bible! YUCK!
The stepping stones are really cute! and Im going to be getting one of those dinnerplate dahlias! Very impressive!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi DP----Shall we call you the Huntress??? I knew your hubby was a hunter--but I didn't know you were also. NEAT!!! The csmo bird-house is just too cute.....

Your flowers are gorgeous as usual. Love that pink rose..
Hugs,
Betsy

Dirt Princess said...

Catherine I love to hear the locust "chirp" on a summer night. They are very odd looking. I am really surprised they came up...how wonderful is that! And they are blooming

Impatient Gardener they are so sweet

Jessica they are very disgusting. I have never seen on alive, only their dead carcusses...I guess I failed to mention that...he was dead.

Betsy I am a Huntress :-). I do love it.

Cathy S. said...

I really like the Crocosmia, I thought they were called Mombresias or maybe it's just another name for Crocosmia.

Tootsie said...

I love that lily!!! and I had a dinner plate dahlia one year that was enourmous...I should really remember to put one in next year...
Now...post me a photo of your friend!!! The only other twin I know of is my mother...and well...yea. {8-)

Heather said...

Wow, it all looks so nice. I can't believe that Dahlia is so darn big! Good job on that one. I love to pick berries. Here we have huckleberries and that is my favorite thing to pick in the summer. Those blackberries look scrumptious.

Jan said...

Even with all the heat and dry weather, you certainly have some great blooms. That pink rose is gorgeous.

Jan
Always Growing

Sue said...

I love blackberries-I hope one day to have a patch soooo big, I turn BLUE from eating them!
Your flowers are gorgeous. I am such a sucker for pink!

Unknown said...

Those blackberries look sooo good! I love the variety of flowers that you have.And it's still d@mn hot here!

Joanne said...

Lovely photos, I love the Plumbago very jelous, I had one I was so proud of at my last house until the gas main had to be replaced.
Not too sure about the locust what an ugly insect. Ugh!

Teresa said...

Ooooh! I love those crocosmia. Got to get me some of those! Have a great weekend, Your Royal Huntress.

imjacobsmom said...

Oooh yum - Blackberries! Your dinner plate dahlia is huge - cool! The rest of your garden is doing great. Your lucky you have all of those zinnias popping up - I bet that's going to be very pretty later this summer! ~ Robyn

Jessica said...

Had to giggle at the locust picture...there was one on my front porch yesterday ( the shell ) and I almost took a picture of it but I didn't...lol. Your gardens are gorgeous and I can't believe your story about the zinnia's....my Poppaw always told me ( he was a master gardener ) just to leave things alone and let nature take it's course....and see what you got from a few dried blooms. I'm so trying it. :) Wow!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Hugs~ J

Lou Cinda @ Tattered Hydrangeas said...

That dahlia is unreal gorgeous!It is HUGE! And that pink rose...love it! And I,
(also residing in Alabama) can relate to the locust! They are so ugle and scare me to death. One day I was leaning against a tree and looked out of the corner of my eye and that tree was COVERED it their shells!! I screamed bloody murder! They just give me the creeps! Them and those ugly HUGE black grasshoppers! Ugh!! And ever since you told me NOT to go see The Hangover while Seth is gone...I have obsessed about it! I want to go see it! I am trying to resist.....

Lou Cinda :)

candy said...

Somehow came across your blog as Ive been blog hopping :) Thought Id say Hi :)
:)
candy

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