My 2 Cents

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Blossoms of Squash and Peppers

The Vegetable Garden of Delight!

Mountains of Pumpkins, Butternut Squash,
Acorn Squash and Summer Squash.

Bee on a Butternut Squash flower.

The Birdhouse Gourds have grown up and overtop of the trellis. I can't believe what a difference great compost can make to a garden!

A peek at the green house door in the background with green beans, cucumbers and asperagus ferns in the foreground -- click on image to see the big photo!

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Baby Pine Cones forming on a Spruce

A couple of years ago we planted a whole bunch of pine trees. * I say we in the royal sense... actually I didn't even touch the shovel!!

But the result is several rows of pines that are taller than me. At first when I saw this, I thought it was a weird deformity -- probably because I never saw it up so close before. But I think it's the baby pine cones just beginning to form on one of the spruce trees.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Crazy Weather, Beautiful Results

A long time friend of mine hosted her son's graduation party in the middle of one of those wild summer storms last weekend in Hudson. Just an hour or so later, what a spectacular site! Note the DOUBLE rainbow. A message from God no doubt!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Poppys from my Sister Linda

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Clematis in Full Bloom

Friday, June 06, 2008

Swarm Season in Hudson Ohio

Can you spot the swarm? Just a little right and above the half way point. Right at the Y of the tree.

Last year all we heard about was the bees and how they are mysteriously disappearing. This year we've had more than 5 swarms! A good sign. That means the hives are strong enough to want to split.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

First Day of the Clematis on the Deck

Wow what a beauty! And look at all the buds! Expect to see some beautiful things this June and July from this one!

Friday, May 30, 2008

Rhododendron in full bloom

Just love the full colors and expansiveness of the rhododendron in bloom. Remind me to get more of these!! I've been missing the lilacs now that they are gone, but the iris and rhodies are looking GREAT!

Friday, May 23, 2008

Hosta Garden Growing Strong!

I just love how full the hosta garden is now. I moved the verigated hostas back a little bit and they have filled in so nicely. I read somewhere you're supposed to have 3 of each planting to make a nice pattern for the eye. I think I have 4 of the verigated but 3 of the elephant ears. The ferns are growing and expanding nicely too.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Lucky & Jean with Apple Blossoms

Apple tree & chicken coop
Originally uploaded by cmcbrown

The apple blossoms are in bloom today. The air smells sweet and the dogs were even behaving today! Oh I love spring!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Hostas and Poppies and Lilacs -- OH MY !!

It just feels like the perfect spring this year. So many of the plantings are emerging.

Rhodendenrin and lilacs are budding. Poppies are having an incredible year -- thanks Linda! When I planted those seeds 2 years ago, I never thought they would actually look like this!

The Peonies have never been taller this early in the year. And even the day lilies are beautiful with their long stalks.

I might be most excited about my hosta garden! It is doing great. Verigated and elephant ear. The rose of sharon is already starting to bud.

Only the hyacinths, forcithia and daffodils have faded, but lilacs are about to burst. Few tulips bulbs (damn squirrels!) made it. The compfry has never been as full. Narcisis and lung wort are still going strong.

Check out how the clematis is going to look in a few months growing on the deck! That was last year. This year is going to rock!!

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Daffodil Trail April 08

The daffodil trail is always inspirational!

To find it: Take Route 303 from Hudson through Peninsula, over 271, just past the ice cream stand to Black Road. Take a right. Take a left on Brush road. It's on the left. If you get to Route 21, you are too far.

Best to hike it the second week of April. We were a week too late.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Pretty Little Flower Faces

Back on March 9th when there was so much snow, I couldn't image that six weeks later we'd have such a beautiful spring. I predicted that these would be up in May 22, not April 22nd. Funny how the cold of winter makes spring seem SOOOO far away!

I think that these are narcisisis but they look like mini ones. Very pretty centers. I have tons of these all over. Like sun more than shade. Bad soil not a problem. Shown here on the south side. The little purple flowers are the creeping myrtle.

Lung Wort - with pink and blue flowers

Such a pretty plant. Such a nasty name! Does well in shade. Really spread this year. What delicate pink and blue flowers. Snuggling between the daffodils in the North garden.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Daffodils in Bloom!

Beehives in the background. Green grass of a wet spring pre-lawn mow. I love the change of seasons!

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Welcome Crocus Flowers

This weekend was gorgeous and my crocus flowers are here to herald spring.

These beauties are right outside my front porch steps.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

First Day of Spring 2008

Wow, if the rest of winter looked like this, I wouldn't have minded. Oh, yeah! It's the first day of spring today. No wonder everything is so pretty!!

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Winter Snow in March

We had a snow that started Friday morning and didn't stop until about 11:30 on Saturday night.

Although I shoveled and shoveled, you can see the wind keeps blowing it back in. We still have work to do now Sunday morning to be able to get out of the driveway.

So, I only have 20 days before crocuses? When are the daffodils? This is what I remember:

Tulips April 22?
Lilacs May 5.
Narcissis May 10.
Poppies May 28.
Iris June 4.
Lemon Drops June 20.

Man, I'm having a flower jones with all this snow. Hard to believe that they will bloom again... and soon!!

This is the time of year I love to look back at May and June on the blog!

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Friday on the Farm

Last Friday was gorgeous and I got the chance to spend some time in Hartville at my friend Kathy's farm. Sheep, chickens, a lamaa, dogs, cats and of course, horses! Anyone who knows me, knows that I love horses. Each of these photos really makes me smile!

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Cold. Cold. Cold.

Winter on the Green in Hudson, Ohio 44236.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Happy New Year -- 2008

The weather has blown in a cold snowy 2008. I didn't leave the house on New Year's Day except to shovel the steps and part of the driveway in anticipation of trying to get out of the driveway today!

Three New Year's gardening resolutions:

1) to plan out my garden while it's covered in snow. What do I want to move? Separate? Plant? Mulch? Eliminate? And what order will I do it in? I know I want to use more purple, yellow and red in the side garden next to turn around

2) to buy some pruners, sitting stool with wheels, and new little fence to try to keep the dogs out in March/April.

3) to add more compost to each of the gardens, but especially the one next to the turn around. The ground has so much clay in there and it's my newest garden.

So while I'm waiting for the snow to melt, I may as well hang out in the house, read my new gardening book from Christmas and dream about being out in the garden.

Or I can win the blogger's contest to get Orville Redinbacker Popcorn & a Netflicks movie every week during 2008! It's a contest only open to bloggers. The rules are simple: you just have to mention the contest in a post by Jan 11 (this one qualifies!) and then link back to Roni at http://weightwatchen.com and to Orville http://orville.com. The winner gets picked January 11th, so I don't have to wait too long!

Maybe I'll rent "the secret garden"! Whoot!

Monday, December 24, 2007

Windstorm & Wet Ground...

Last night we heard a weird sound & when I looked outside one of our trees had fallen across the road.

Big winds and wet ground makes a bad combination for trees!

Luckily it didn't hit any cars when it dropped. My husband and a driver cleared the tree off the road quickly so traffic could resume. I only cleared off a couple of broken branches - they were working quickly!!

Although "My 2 Cents" is supposed to be about the backyard, this tree was actually in the side yard and maybe even not on our property... right on the line.

Meanwhile, in the back yard, I've got a lot of seed pods right now. Maybe tomorrow I'll go around and gather them. The little tree is Rose of Sharon seed pods and the weedie looking thing next to the deck are these beautiful little baby black eye'd Susans.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Ice Storm Hits Hudson

Mother Nature laid down a sheet of ice yesterday. Even the dogs were slipping on the deck.

Lots of Deer!

Wow. This was taken a couple days ago on my way home for lunch, but everytime I drive by here there are about 20 deer. Usually there's some on the other side of the street as well as this side.

Even more ever time I turn around. Not shy either!

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Cooking Light at Christmas time

I know, I know. I just posted about cookies.

But now something about cooking light at Christmas time. I discovered a great cooking blog hosted by Roni at GreenLiteBites, who has 2 videos on how to cook light

1) Cutting up one of those pesky butternut squashes: Click here for the butternut squash vlog.

2) Creating a delicious snack of Quesadillas: Click here for the quesadilla vlog.

I also tried her salmon and veges recipe last night and it was great.

Hopefully this balances out the fattening cookies links!