Flowers and Muffins

 It was another beautiful  day. I may have mentioned that I was looking for Poppy seeds. I wanted mixed colours but only found these red ones, which I sowed yesterday.

 

Walmart had a big display of different kinds of bulbs outside near the entrance. I looked at them every time I walked by hoping they would soon be marked down.  Finally they were. 50% off.  Eldest came by and helped put all 18 into a smallish area that I managed to clear of perennial Bleeding Heart and Lily of the Valley.    I'm hoping they make a lovely display in a couple of months.

 Something happened and my picture shifted.  At least it didn't disappear. 

This lovely bouquet was delivered to my door today thanks to one of my sons. You might think it would be  Coals to Newcastle  but I don't think I ever have too many flowers!!

(No doubt you are familiar with that term but just in case you are not it refers to bringing something to a person who already has an ample supply of that product.) 

I did do a bit of baking this afternoon. DH brought in some rhubarb from our rather pathetic plants and there was enough to make Rhubarb Muffins. I used a recipe called Aunt Norma's Rhubarb Muffins.

 That's it for today.  Thanks for visiting.

 

 

 

 

What's Blooming Now

 It's a lovely sunny day and I thought I'd show you some of what's blooming in my garden right now. 

I only have one Peony left and it's this white one with the dab of red in the centre. It has just begun to open and I'm so glad there are lots more buds.

 A few more Irises have opened.....My pictures don't do them justice.

 

 Every year I get told what this lovely spreader is and I promptly forget. It has jumped the edge and keeps right on growing on the cement (?). That's one of my tomatoes in the pot.

My Allium have grown so tall again. This is actually city property where I've made a flowerbed. Next to it is the gravel parking where the guys park their trucks.

The strange looking bulbs blooming beside them are nectaroscordum.  They also grow tall and some of them have curved stems. These two were the only straight ones.

In case you're wondering about them here's what the 'net has to say...

Nectaroscordum siculum (Sicilian Honey Garlic) 

This perennial exudes a strong garlic scent when bruised, hence its common name of Sicilian Honey Garlic. Easy to grow, undemanding and beautiful.

What's blooming in your garden right now?  I'd love to know.

 

Thanks for visiting

 

 

 

 

Random Things

 

It's a wet morning here. Finally we're getting much needed rain. The house feels chilly and I'm thinking that some baking would warm it up. Not much to blog about so I thought I'd post some random pictures.

A clematis growing near the mailbox by the street.

Our row of Rugosa roses from the next door neighbour's side.

 

My kitty teapot which you may remember from other years. 

 

The people across the street must love their kitty a lot. They just built this outdoor pen for her. The window behind has a small window that opens to allow the cat to come and go ( although I notice that  she mostly comes out when they're outside. Otherwise she's content to stay in and look out that big window. 

 

I saw these pretty bags on Pinterest.  Are they not sweet?

 

That's it for today. I hope you're having a lovely day.

 

 

Thanks for visiting

 

 

Flowers and Scones

 Another lovely morning. After our walk DH went on to his "job" and I puttered happily outside for an hour watering and tying up various perennials.   The last of the lilacs came in as well as the very first Iris. 

 I had a very pleasant day on Sunday and at some point I saw all 5 of the grown children ( as well as 4 grands).  Second Son, the one who likes to bake, gifted me a recipe of Orange Scones. They are very delicious. When he bakes he actually follows the recipe, not like his haphazard mother.  Consequently his baking always ( well, almost always) turns out.

 The forecast is for a very warm afternoon. I plan on getting things done in the morning so I can be a lady of leisure in the afternoon.  What are your plans?

 

Thanks for coming by 

 

 

Mothers Day

 

 Happy Mothers Day to all who celebrate it whether mothers, grandmothers, aunts or just goodhearted women who care for others. We'll have a full day surrounded by our loved ones. Hopefully the weather remains pleasant.

We had lovely weather for our morning walk over at Willband, our usual Saturday walk. First we came upon this rabbit who let me get quite close and I think I could even have gotten closer except 2 men with dogs came by and the bunny took off. 

 Then we saw this garter snake and it was only after I took the picture that I noticed that he had just shed his skin and it lay not far from him. He was very shiny and beautiful ( if a snake can be beautiful. I'm not usually a fan.) I wasn't quick enough and all I got was part of him in the picture.  If it was a him.

 Buttercups are considered weeds when they come up in the garden but make a pretty show out in the wild .

That's it for tonight. I hope your Sunday is lovely no matter how you spend it.

 

 

Another Walk

 

 

 Another week flew by.  Our weather has changed to cool and cloudy. Hopefully the sunshine returns soon.  I took my camera along on our walk yesterday. There are some very big old rhododendrons nearby and they're so beautiful right now.

 In front of this assisted living building (also very near to us) there are several Laburnums blooming.

 Once in the park we saw these goslings that have grown so much in just a few days. I guess it's no wonder since all they do all day is eat.

 Now the ducklings are starting to appear.  I hope this mama can keep her babies safe.  Male geese stay near to their families and are fiercely protective while the male duck leaves all the protecting to the mama. She's no match for any predators. 

 I plan on baking a rhubarb cake today as well as making jam.  I'll use frozen strawberries which fortunately we still have in our freezer.  Maybe add some rhubarb. 

What are your plans for the day?  I'd love to know.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

 

Monday Chit Chat

 

We had some lovely walks on the weekend.  Skies that were dark and cloudy first thing in the morning soon cleared up. Days were warm...almost too warm at least for doing much outside. The forecast is for one more day of 30 degrees then a little cooler. I want to sow more flower seeds but I'm waiting for those cool days. The next seeds will be Cosmos. I used to have them and they would self-seed but I must have hoed too thoroughly because none came up last year. 

 Close to the tap behind the house these Columbines thrive.  There must have been a pink one that dropped seeds there last summer.  Behind them, on the metal trellis are perennial Sweet Peas.  They'll grow to the top and look in the porch window.

 An early Mothers Day gift from Eldest Daughter and GD Kate.  It's a beautiful Hydrangea Kimono
 I love the white flowers with wine-red margins. Now I have to find the perfect spot to plant it.

 Kirsten... I believe that lungwort is sometimes called "soldiers and sailors" just as you thought. 
Here's what the internet had to say:

"Soldiers and sailors" is a common name for Lungwort (Pulmonaria), a hardy, shade-loving perennial known for its early spring flowers that change color from pink to blue/violet. It is popular for its spotted foliage and is often used in shade gardens. It thrives in moisture-retentive, well-drained soil, making it perfect for woodland-style landscapes.

That's all for today. I hope your week is off to a great start.

Mainly about Flowers

 Happy Sunday!  We're enjoying a stretch of sunny days. Had to get the portable A/C out to keep the bedrooms cool.  There's another portable on the porch and that one was doing its best to keep the temperature down.  Youngest son came and got on the roof to put a cover on the skylight. That helps keep it cool as well.  While he was here he planted two new Clematises that I bought at Walmart earlier this week. One was Jackmanii Superba and the other had the unlikely name of Bees Jubilee. Both take  spots left by  Clematis that didn't show up after this Winter.

We have 2 Spring Clematis that are in full bloom right now. The first one is fighting for space since an older one ( a white one that blooms later) has decided to try to take over.  That's what the bushy light green foliage is all about.

 The other pink one grows over part of the garden shed and onto an arbour.

 This lovely tree/shrub is in my DIL's part of the garden. I believe it's an ornamental cherry ( prunus).

 This may or may not be of any interest to you. I thought I'd include it. I've never tried growing lungwort but I have tried several times to grow Impatiens with no luck at all. They are supposed to be very easy to grow but not in my garden.

Thanks for coming by

 

Happy May

 

 

 Happy First Day of May!!   It promises to be sunny and quite warm here today.  Fortunately I did some baking yesterday so I won't need to use the oven today.  I made lemon scones and Oatmeal/Raisin cookies.

 

Last night I went out after 10 o"clock to see the full moon.  I love being outside at night. All the years that we had a dog I would be out either early before it got light or late (for that last trip for the dog). 
Nowadays I don't have a reason to be out there early or late so it doesn't happen.

Here's what the internet has to say about this month's moon.

 May brings two full moons − one is the "Flower Moon," originally named by Native Americans for the wildflowers the burst into bloom in the North America this time of year. These flowers include lupine, violets, wild garlic, anemones and more. And the second is a full blue moon at the end of the month.

Having two full moons in one month is the result of the moon's cycle, which lasts about 29.5 days. Because that cycle does not align perfectly with the length of calendar months, there are occasional instances when a month begins with a full moon and ends with another.

 The high for today is forecast to be 25C  , tomorrow 28 and Sunday 30 degrees (86F).
I better get outside and do any gardening before it gets too warm. 

I hope you're having a lovely day too.  

 

 

Flowers and Magazines

 Sunshine this morning 11C .  We saw more goose families while on our walk.

 I want to do indoor chores this morning and spend the afternoon outside.  That's my plan so I'll see if it comes to pass :)

I sowed Morning Glories in peat pots to give them a head start.  I'll plant them out once the nights are a little less chilly.  

 I found out that this mystery plant is actually common Oregano which has next to no flavour whatsoever. It will go into the compost and I'll look for a better variety when I next visit the plant shop.

 The lilacs are in full bloom now. There are white ones as well as this lighter purple and a dark one given to us years ago by a lovely lady who has since gone on to her reward.

 We dropped off a few boxes at the thrift store yesterday. I did a quick browse and found some magazines that I'll keep on the porch for when I have nothing to do but sit and read  LOL
It doesn't matter to me if a magazine is older.  What matters is that I'm paying  far less than the cost of a new one. Daphne's Diary has the original price right on it....$25.  in Canada.

 

I better get going here.  Thanks for visiting.