A Kansas Prairie Garden

A murmuration of starlings

2012-01-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

This morning we watched for over fifteen minutes as thousands (maybe tens of thousands!) of red-winged blackbirds (or starlings) flew over our neighborhood in a ribbon that had to be miles long! They were headed northeast. I hope they get where they were going before our snow arrives!

Indian Summer in December??

2011-12-29T16:15:00.000-08:00

December is almost over, but today felt like spring! We spent an hour working in the yard, cleaning up the last of the flower pots and hanging new bought-half-price-after-Christmas lights under the deck railing.

2011-12-21T06:09:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a very blessed

and happy Christmas!

Winter skies

2011-12-03T16:31:00.001-08:00

One thing I love about winter is the gorgeous sunsets and sunrises. And there's no better place than Kansas to watch them in all their glory. These photos were taken on our way home from getting groceries, just as we pulled into our development. We oohed and aahed all the way home!

A new tree!

2011-11-28T14:35:00.001-08:00

November 25, we replaced a Korean Sun Pear tree that died this summer with a wonderful Eastern Redbud. I love the promise of a bare tree planted in the fall. Makes spring all that more looked-forward-to!

This is what we hope to see come April!

Autumn scenes

2011-11-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

This bright coneflower decided to make
a final appearance before winter.

It's the first of November! How did that happen?? It's beautiful here, but always a little sad because we know it won't be much longer before the long winter sets in.

The lovely views from our kitchen winow

The burning bush in the yard across the street is in its glory!

Diascia back in bloom!

2011-10-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of Diascia (Twinspur). This pot bloomed hard all spring until the worst heat of summer, but now, even after a beastly hot summer (spent in the shade of the front porch) this little beauty is back in bloom and covered with delicate pink flowers. I love it because it tolerates the shade and blooms at least 5-6 months of the year. I'll bring it inside when the nights get too cold and enjoy it for a few more weeks, but you can be sure Diascia will be on my wish list again next spring.

Maiden grass heads out

2011-10-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

The maiden grass headed out while we were in North Carolina mid-October. I'd forgotten how pretty it looks once the heads "bloom"––especially on a windy day like today. The Autumn Blaze maples across the street from us our gorgeous. The one in our own back yard lost all its leaves in September. Overall, our yard looks pretty sad, thanks to the hot, dry summer. : (

Mum is the word

2011-10-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

A late October cold snap took a few of our plants, but the mums offer pops of color on the deck. The dragonfly was a gift from our friends in New York. We spent a fun few days with them in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, watching a marvelous display of autumn color.

October rain

2011-10-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

I love the way the rain makes all the colors more intense. We had a wonderful week of mist and rain to welcome October. Much needed and much enjoyed. The grasshoppers, on the other hand––not needed and definitely not enjoyed!

September morning

2011-09-27T07:43:00.001-07:00

Another beautiful morning

2011-09-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

There's a tiny hint of autumn in the air and the mornings and evenings have been wonderfully cool. Have I mentioned I LOVE fall?

I love the way the morning sun streams in the windows this time of year.

More butterflies

2011-09-17T16:56:00.000-07:00

They're simply too pretty not to share with you again:

I chased this one all over the yard trying to get his photo with his wings open.

Morning and evening

2011-09-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

It's difficult to describe, but the light is so different in the morning in the garden than it is at evening. Both beautiful in their own way, but I love the evening light best. (The sprinklers are running in both these shots. Thanks to our well, we've been able to keep our lawn and shrubs green through this drought.)

Our front porch looking in

2011-09-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

For the third evening in a row, we spent over an hour working in the yard. This cooler weather makes me never want to come in!

We trimmed the Rose of Sharon away from the house and I just couldn't stand to throw away the branches with blossoms on them. They make a pretty bouquet, but it will only last a day. Still, too pretty for the trash can!

Yard work

2011-09-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

There was a time I would have said "yard work" was a dirty word. But not with the glorious weather we've had this first week of September! It's been a pleasure to be outside, and we've worked well over an hour each evening, weeding, trimming, watering, spraying. Finally the gardens are beginning to look a little perkier, especially with the beautiful prairie grasses starting to head out. Sadly, we lost a couple of plants to the heat. (I'm most sad about losing the Ninebark in the front yard.) But Spring is another "day" and we're glad for a chance to start over next year and see what all truly survived.

The view from the back garage door.

Sweet potato vine success!

2011-09-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

Remember that sweet potato vine I snipped off to root? Well, I planted it in the corner of a pot on the back deck (even before the roots weren't very thick yet) and although at first it looked like it would just wilt and die, it didn't! It took hold and is doing as well as the vines I started from last year's tubers.

Now I have another one rooting on the kitchen counter (alongside those beautiful eggplants our daughter grew in their Missouri garden). I'm letting this one get thick roots before I plant it. We'll see if that keeps it from trying to wilt the first few days. I wonder if these rooted plants will produce tubers?

The Monarchs are here?

2011-09-05T15:29:00.001-07:00

Early September, and at first glance, we thought the Monarch butterflies were passing through our part of the country. But after doing some research, we believe these are Painted Lady butterflies. Whichever variety they are, they love the Blue Mist Spirea near the birdbath! Some interesting information about identifying Monarchs at this link.

Seed pods...looking forward to next spring

2011-08-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite splashes of color in the backyard garden is the Butterfly Weed. (See below.) It's not something we planted, and we suspect the seed came in with some of the good farm dirt we brought in when we were first planting our gardens. Each year the orange blooms have spread a bit and this year we had Butterfly Weed in at least two different spots along the fence. Now that it's finished blooming, we're enjoying the interesting look of the seed pods (and hoping that as they burst open, each seed finds a good home right here in our garden!)

Oh, what a beautiful morning!

2011-08-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

August 28 and in spite of predicted triple digits again this week, for now it's a cool 72 degrees and the skies are just gorgeous!

The roses are back

2011-08-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

The roses have made a comeback here at the end of August and are far prettier than they were earlier this year when it was so hot. The Carefree Delight wild roses are having a new life too. It's nice to see a few things flourishing after a summer where many of our plants really took a beating from the 47 triple-digit days Kansas has suffered this summer.

Sundae's kingdom

2011-08-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

We are down to one cat in our yard now, but Sundae thinks she's the queen of the castle. We were worried how she would fare after we lost Frosty because they were such good buddies, but Sundae has become a much friendlier cat recently. (Sundae's momma, Biscuit, is a stray who bore us 9 kittens and then abandoned us! Biscuit still stops in for a visit now and then, but we don't know where she's living, and she's not telling.) If we dare to go outside without giving Sundae some serious love and praise, she bats at our pant legs as we're heading back in. It's pretty cute and pretty hard to resist. Here, she surveys her kingdom from a perch atop the arbor.

Sweet potato vine: UPDATE

2011-08-18T18:38:00.000-07:00

Not even 48 hours later and there are already 1/4-inch roots on the sweet potato cuttings! I'll keep you posted once they are thick with roots to see if they can be planted that way. Stay tuned...

Sweet potato vine!

2011-08-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Earlier this spring I shared the photo at left of our flower cart plantings. I was excited because the sweet potato tubers I'd saved from last year had sprouted and were beginning to produce a vine. Well! Just look how that turned out! I've actually had to trim it back a little. My pansies lasted clear into July, but finally between the extreme heat and the drought, they gave up the ghost and I replaced them with small geraniums. But the coleus and this wonderful sweet potato vine are the stars of the show. I'm definitely saving those tubers for next year. (That's another vine you see taking over the pot behind the cart near the steps.) I'm declaring this a huge success!

More rain!

2011-08-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

We are so very grateful for the rain we've gotten recently! As you can see from the rain gauge, we got another inch overnight. No wind, not much lightning or thunder. . .just a wonderful, gentle, refreshing rain. Thank you, Lord!

Perking up!

2011-08-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

The garden is really perking up, thanks to the rains we had recently. It was a pretty sorry sight for a few weeks. So glad to see the results of the quenching rains.

A new blush of roses

2011-08-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Carefree Delight roses are blooming again after going into hiding before we finally got our rain. The gardens have really taken a beating in this extreme heat, but they are responding to the rain beautifully, and hopefully, we'll have some prettier views this fall.

Finally! Rain!

2011-08-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

After one full month with nary a drop, we finally got our rain on August 3. Two-and-a-half inches of the stuff, if our new rain gauge can be trusted. And this morning, August 6, we got more. Haven't checked the rain gauge yet, but it rained pretty good for a while. Thank you, Lord!

Summer sunset

2011-08-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

Even though it's too hot to enjoy them for very long, we've had some beautiful sunsets these past few days of July and August. But oh, oh, in a heartbeat, we'd trade the most beautiful sunset ever created for a few rainclouds.

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore

2011-08-01T22:28:00.000-07:00

No, it's not our Kansas prairie garden, but I sure wish it was! This is the view along a stretch of Iowa highway we traveled last week to visit our newest little granddaughter. Isn't it beautiful? (Our granddaughter is, too! All 7 pounds, 10 ounces of her! Like how I sneaked that in?)

Finding a spot of cool

2011-07-28T04:58:00.000-07:00

Poor Sundae has trouble staying cool with that thick fur coat she wears. She's shed more of her coat than usual this year, but she still has to stretch out in whatever shady patch she can find to beat the triple digit temperatures we've had this summer. As July comes to a close, we're hoping for an unseasonably cool August! And we're still praying for rain!

Ivy covered tower. . .well, ivy covered shed

2011-07-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

The sprigs of ivy we planted beside the shed have taken hold beyond our wildest expectations. I would cover the entire house with it if the head honcho gardener would let me. As it is, this little pathway between the house and the shed is as close to a secret garden as I have. If we didn't need someplace to store the lawnmower and rakes and shovels, I'd clean out the shed and hang some pretty curtains in the window and turn it into my own little hideaway.

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus)

2011-07-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Rose of Sharon bushes are loaded with buds, but really feeling the affects of the extreme heat.

Oh, that these were rainclouds

2011-07-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

... but alas, they were not. Our well and sprinkler system are the only reason we have green grass and anything blooming at all. Like so many around us, we desperately need rain.

Back by popular demand: coneflowers!

2011-07-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

The coneflowers are beautiful right now. In spite of our hot temps and lack of rain, this clump in front of the rock wall is thriving among the false sunflowers.

Taming the Sedum

2011-07-11T05:29:00.000-07:00

This week we pulled out all the spent blooms in the sedum on the flagstone patio.
This is what it looked like all over the patio a few weeks ago. Pretty, but too overgrown now. I like the look of the new "haircut" and tamed patio much better now.

Different Perspectives

2011-07-10T07:12:00.001-07:00

I've gotten in a rut of photographing the gardens from the same spots, so I'm trying to think of new perspectives (while still keeping neighbors' homes, the electric meter and the BBQ grill out of the shots). This is the first view we have when we come out onto the deck.

Twilight

2011-07-10T06:38:00.001-07:00

The evenings have been cool enough that we can enjoy the west-facing deck again after sunset. We added twinkle lights under the railing and a lantern on the post. Add a few fireflies to the mix and it's altogether magical in the evenings at dusk. (If you click on the photo to enlarge, you can see the orange-and-white blur who also enjoys evenings in the yard with us.)

Purple Fountain Grass...Every Year

2011-07-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

It's always a surprise to see what comes up in the prairie grasses and flowers along the fence. What we plant in the pots changes every year, too. Maybe that's why there is one staple to our backyard garden. The Purple Fountain Grass that goes in the big green pot every single year. And it's never failed to be beautiful. (Sadly, Purple Fountain Grass is an annual in Kansas, but we've learned to buy the smallest size available because it always grows to fill the pot by mid-summer.)

Lawn games

2011-06-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

When we first moved in, my husband dug a perfectly good tree out of the yard. It was a bald cypress, and it was small, but still... But according to him, it was "right in the middle of the football field." So out it went, and as usual, he was right and I've been glad ever since. Here are some of the things we've done on the "football field" over the years.

Our newest lawn game is Kubb, which our son in Germany sent us.

Slip 'n' Slide!


Bean Bags and Bouncy Balls

Sometimes we just like to sit and watch the sprinklers run.

A three-and-a-half-minute tour

2011-06-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

I took a stroll through the backyard gardens just before sunset last night with my camera set to video. It's a little bouncy, and windy, but you can also hear the fountain, the chirp of cicadas, and the birds singing. In bloom during these last days of June are carefree delight wild roses, false sunflower, wild bergamot (beebalm), fleabane, Canada milk vetch, a few coneflowers, catmint and salvia. The hibiscus (Rose of Sharon) is loaded with buds that will soon pop, and in the arbor garden off the deck, sedums, Dahlberg daisies and purple wild verbena star, along with the purple fountain grass in the large green pot. The prairie grasses are beginning to head out along the fence, too. Oh, and sweet Sundae comes out to greet you at the end of the clip. : )

The first of the coneflowers!

2011-06-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

Coneflowers seem like the quintessential prairie flower to me. We have several different varieties of coneflower close to blooming, but these pretty orange-red ones, a gift from our friend Nancy's garden, were the first. They are back between the fence and the tallgrasses, so we have to work to see them, but there are others that will bloom above the grasses soon.

Coral Bells (Heuchera)

2011-06-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

The coral bells seem to get more beautiful every year. They have an old-fashioned look about them that I just love. These photos were taken June 20.

This year's flower cart

2011-06-18T06:19:00.000-07:00

We've had something different every year in the flower cart my dad built for us as a housewarming gift. We scaled back this year and planted sparsely, but I'm pleased with the fact that the pansies are still thriving and the coleus is finally getting big. A fun surprise: we saved the "spuds" from the sweet potato vine we had in pots last year, not sure if it would come up or not. It's coming in beautifully and helping to fill out the pot. We're eager for it to start trailing out of the pot, as the cart looks nicer with something spilling over.

Pretty in purple

2011-06-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

Two new things blooming along the fence line, both shades of lavender and purple. Wild bergamot is abundant this year. Only the southernmost stands are in bloom, but it won't be long before it all pops.
The leadplant is beautiful and larger than last year with more blooms. It's leaf pattern and color are distinctive even before it blooms, but it has one of the most unusual flowers of anything in our garden.

Blooming sedum

2011-06-14T21:54:00.000-07:00

We have sedums everywhere, all different varieties. I've lost track of what is what, but this one is in full bloom right now––tiny little white flowers. Just beautiful. But so much of it growing in the crevices of the flagstone patio, that we're digging it up and sharing with friends and family.

Knobby knees and Carefree Delights

2011-06-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

The Bald Cypress is getting huge, and putting out "knees" clear out into the grass. It's a beautiful tree all year long, and does well in this rather soggy corner of the yard.

The Carefree Delights are blooming later than usual this year––probably because we pruned them hard, clear to the ground this year. We've seen our local arboretum (where we bought these plants) prune their wild roses way back, and come back vigorous as ever. We pruned everything back hard this year, and the yellow roses have been disappointing, but I think we'll be glad that we pruned them next year.

What's blooming June 7, 2011

2011-06-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

Carefree Delight Prairie Rose

Every day we walk through the gardens and discover new things blooming. Above is Carefree Delight, a wonderful native prairie rose. Below the Butterfly Weed is just about to burst into bright orange blossoms. The yellow clump of flowers below is some form of sedum, we think. Can't find the tag for that one, and it's something we planted several years ago. The main thing blooming in the garden right now is False Sunflower, and it's shooting up all along the fence. Those spots of yellow can be seen from the deck and even inside the house.

Butterfly Weed

Thanks to our friend Susan, we've identified this one: Gray Santolina!

False Sunflower

The garden at evening

2011-06-06T18:49:00.000-07:00

Sedum: We love 'em

2011-06-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

We have loved having a wide variety of sedums in the gardens and they are really showing off this year, both in the rock garden, and in the pots (which we plant simply by digging up a clump from the ground and plopping it in a pot for the summer). When summer's over, we dump the pots behind the shed, and by spring we have a whole new crop to choose from. Sedums are a great bargain because the spread and multiply each year. Some of our varieties include: Stonecrop, Angelina, Dragon's Blood, Album.

Front entry in bloom

2011-05-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

The front entry is blooming with several varieties of dianthus, and Smoky Hills, with its gorgeous purple and white flowers.

Kansas sky, May 25, 2011

2011-05-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

A new tree

2011-05-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

An early birthday present: a new lacebark elm to replace a tree that died, and match the lacebark elm we planted here two years ago. Beautiful tree––with a birthday ribbon still on it.

UPDATE: The new tree inspired window washing and open curtains inside.

In praise of Thuja Green Giants

2011-05-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

When we planted these Thuja Green Giant arborvitae trees less than 5 years ago, all 7 of them came in one little box. We were underwhelmed. Now, they are *this* close to offering the privacy, shade and windbreak we envisioned when we planted them. They've been beautiful, easy-care trees and we highly recommend them. (We put 4 on the north end of the yard, and 3 on the south. Those on the north are slightly taller, but they've all done well.)

September 2006

June 2009

May 2011

June 2011

Perfect spring day

2011-05-21T10:27:00.001-07:00

Wonderful morning to take photos. The sky is overcast but the air is cool and everything is lush from a recent rain. Every year I forget how much I love spring until it arrives it all its glory.

Bleeding Hearts are back!

2011-05-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

After two years thinking we'd lost the Bleeding Hearts, we walked out one day to discover they were back and blooming beautifully! Such a unique plant. I'm glad we didn't really lose it.

What a difference mulch makes

2011-05-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

We spent a recent Saturday putting fresh mulch on all the flowerbeds and around the trees. We hadn't done that for a couple years, and it looks so nice! Hopefully it will save us some weeding this summer, too.

Peonies are one of my favorite flowers, I think because they almost always bloom in time for my birthday. This lovely bouquet came from the Smoky Hills in Ellsworth County.

Cinco de Mayo ~ more kitchen window views

2011-05-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

Sadly, this beautiful fuschia bought in Iowa did not survive more than a few weeks in the early heat wave Kansas experienced. It was an early Mother's Day gift, and I sure did enjoy it while it lasted.
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The view from our kitchen window

2011-04-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

There's a new pond in the meadow across the street, which makes for a lovely view––at least until the grasses grow taller.

Good Friday

2011-04-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Good Friday (and Earth Day) by planting our flower pots (and wearing this T-shirt).

What's blooming April 20. . .

2011-04-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

We came home from almost a week in California to find the garden exploding. Can't wait to start filling flower pots!

April 11 and columbine is blooming

2011-04-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

I love the way columbine fills in while everything else is just starting to grow.

The Lightpole Garden

2011-04-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

We have a tendency to name our garden plots and flower beds. It just makes it easier to discuss the garden. Well, Lightpole Garden caused a LOT of discussion from the beginning. Ken wanted to put a small flower bed around the street light pole at the edge of our yard so he could mow a nice curve and not have to weed-eat around the pole. I thought that would only draw attention to a pole we'd rather wasn't in our yard. But THE gardener usually wins these kind of discussions (because he's usually right.)

We killed (we hope!) the evil, stinky, invasive plant we had in the Lightpole Garden the last couple years. (I don't remember its name or I'd warn you about it!) This year we chose an annual (unless we have a warm winter?) Dianthus to replace it. The tag says it will bloom spring to fall and needs just the amount of sun that spot gets––and we could fill the bed for $9.47. I'll post "after" photos later this summer. Those beautiul rocks came from Ken's 101-year-old grandpa's pastures in the Smoky Hills of Ellsworth County.

April 7 and our first flowers of the year are in! Yay!

Blooms!

2011-04-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

April 5, and we have green, green grass, and almost overnight, the pear trees across the street are in full, beautiful bloom. We've been cutting back a few grasses each evening and are getting close to finished. Tomorrow night's project will be the rock wall. You can see on the right where we left off with tonight's cutting.

Our Korean Sun ornamental pear is blooming, but sadly half the tree appears to be dead. We have not had very good luck with our trees, and will be sad if we lose this one, too. For now we pruned some of the for-sure dead branches and are taking a wait-and-see approach.

We have green grass!

2011-03-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

March 24 and the grass is mowed and GREEN! We've been cutting back a few of the tall grasses each nice day (the ones in the first photo below got whacked down tonight) and everything is sprouting and greening up like crazy!

Hard to believe. . .

2011-03-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

That this:

Will soon look like this:

And this:

Will soon look like this:

The first day of spring is just three days away and we've had some great days for pruning and mowing down grasses getting everything ready to start growing again! We can hardly WAIT!

Springing ahead!

2011-03-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

It's the 12th of March and for the last two days, the weather has been nice enough that we could get out in the yard. We've been pruning shrubs and trees like crazy. I love cutting everything back because even though it looks barren and drab right now, the new spring growth can't be far behind. I can hardly wait to start filling those flower pots!

Best of all, Daylight Savings Time will give us some extra hours outdoors!

17 (seventeen!!!) inches of snow!

2011-02-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

A winter storm . . . and the calm after

2011-02-02T13:40:00.000-08:00

The first of February brought a winter storm with ice and snow and wind and below-zero temps. Today, February 2, it's still extremely cold, but the wind has died down, the sun is shining, and the snow is beautiful. Even the birds seem happy about that.

No words necessary

2011-01-13T16:02:00.000-08:00

Sunset, January 13, 2011.

Let it snow!

2011-01-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

A beautiful few inches of snow overnight and we are thanking God for the much-needed moisture!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T05:07:00.000-08:00

A beautiful crescent moon greeted me with the sunrise this morning, Sunday, January 2, the first "normal" day of this fresh, new year.

Pansies in December

2010-12-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

This is why I love pansies! These have looked pretty wilty with all the freezing nights we've had, but just a little warmer weather perks them right up and it looks like we'll have pansies blooming at Christmas!

Getting ready for Christmas

2010-12-16T10:59:00.000-08:00

December 16. The Christmas tree isn't up yet because our college daughter wants to help with that and she won't be home until Saturday, but all the gifts are bought and wrapped, there are Christmas cookies in the freezer and there's a wreath on the door. We're ready! Hope you are too!

A chilly Sundae morning

2010-12-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

December 8 and the thermometer says it's below freezing, but Sundae doesn't care. She's wearing the thickest fur coat in the county.

Putting the garden to bed

2010-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of an unseasonably warm day December 1 and finished putting the garden to bed. Rolled up all the garden hoses and rugs, emptied all the pots that don't winter well, pulled up the Dahlberg daisies and drained the fountain. It looks awfully bare out there, but nice to have that done since cold weather is upon us!

Sunrise, sunset, swiftly go the days

2010-12-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

We have some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets here in Kansas, and especially at this time of year, it seems. Too often we almost miss them when we're not outside to notice like we do in the summer. But this one didn't get away.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2010-12-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

No thanks to the gardeners at this house, but our neighbors across the street have decorated enough for the both of us! It's hard not to get in the holiday spirit with this view off the front porch every night!

Farewell, Frosty

2010-12-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

We said a sad goodbye to our faithful old cat at the end of November. Frosty joined our family as a tiny kitten (born August 1997) and was our beloved pet when we still had a houseful of kids. He loved being a garden cat, and in spite of being diabetic–and in his final years, deaf and blind–he always managed to work up a purr for anyone who paid attention to him. The garden won't be quite the same without him sunning himself on a rock, or on the back deck. We'll miss him a lot, but he left us a wealth of happy memories.

Frosty morning

2010-11-19T11:45:00.000-08:00

We woke up the morning of November 18 to a beautiful frost that edged everything in icy lace.

Our Sundae didn't think much of the icy deck. She tiptoed quickly back to the warmth of the garage. (If her coat is any indication, we have quite a winter in store!)

Rearranging pots

2010-11-14T05:30:00.000-08:00

We've been emptying out pots and putting them away for the winter, but a few are still too pretty to get rid of. There are little bits of sedum and thyme thriving in the strawberry pot and I replaced the frozen coleus that was in the top with some ivy from the side of the shed. The front porch is well protected and gets nice morning sun, so things last longer there than anywhere else. We try to eke every bit of color and enjoyment from our flowerpots before we finally admit it's winter and time to store them away.

The view across the street

2010-11-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Autumn's last gasp is always stunning!

Mid-November views

2010-11-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

We're starting to put the garden to bed, slowly emptying spent pots and pulling out raggedy flowers. Still, there is plenty of color in the yard and we're savoring the days before winter sets in.

Brrrrrr!

2010-11-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

November 5 and this is what greeted us on the deck this morning. Not ready for ICE yet! : (

November panorama

2010-11-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

Click on any photo to enlarge.

Front Porch Views November 1

2010-11-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

It's a stunningly beautiful day in Kansas this morning. These are the views from our front porch.

Pansies

2010-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

This basket of pansies has been the best $9.99 I think I've ever spent! They sit on the bistro table outside our kitchen window and they make me smile every morning.

October close-ups from the garden

2010-10-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

Dahlberg Daisies (and a moth)

Frond from Purple Fountain Grass

Blue Daze (Evolvulus)

Sedum

Carefree Delight

Red Twig Dogwood

Pansies

BabyWing Pink Begonia

Bringing the garden inside

2010-10-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

I always dread the time when the first frost threatens the potted plants. I usually try to bring in a few plants before that happens so we'll have a little color inside to enjoy into the winter months. Tonight was the night to dig the ivy "accents" out of the pots and replant them. Ivy loves the steamy atmosphere in the master bath, so that's where these pretty pots landed. The flower pots on the deck look a little empty, but I'm sure loving the way the bathroom looks!

The welcome mat is out

2010-10-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

We're gardening on a very small budget this year, so not going all out with fall decorations. I may still splurge on a mum pot or two when they go on sale, but this basket of pansies (from our favorite Stone Creek Nursery) and the impatiens and begonias that are still blooming like mad on the front porch are as festive as any mums we've ever had.

Camouflaging a shed

2010-10-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

The plantings around the shed (meant to "soften" the building, and hide the compost heap behind it) are coming along really nicely now in late October. Ken has already cut the English ivy away from the windows once, but I wouldn't mind if it covered the entire shed AND the house! Love that stuff. The pampas grass on the opposite side of the shed was moved from the front of the house. The grass and root ball weighed almost 200 pounds and had to be towed with the lawn mower, but it seems to feel right at home in this new spot and we love the way it looks there.

Autumn colors

2010-10-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

We've had such a lovely autumn and the weather has stayed nice for weeks on end. October 19, and we still see a lot of green, but slowly the turning of leaves is happening. Beautiful, and yet, I'm always a little sad when it happens because that means the long Kansas winter is right around the corner. [Enlarge the second photo to see Sundae surveying her kingdom.]

Red twig dogwood

2010-10-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Mid-October and the red twig dogwood has suddenly changed from green to red. It reminds me of how beautiful it looks in the winter against the snow.

Turn, turn, turn

2010-10-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

That's what the leaves are doing! We can almost see it happening before our eyes. This is one of the last few times we'll mow this season. To everything there is a season, but we sure hate to see this one end!

In the shadows

2010-10-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

Finding a spot of shade on the deck. Can you see TWO cats? One looks like a shadow himself––but he's there.

The view from the "football field"

2010-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love this view of the arbor garden from the part of the lawn the gardener calls––for obvious reasons––"the football field."

Autumn roses

2010-09-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love it when the roses are still blooming in the fall. The Carefree Delights are . . . well, delightful, and there's even an old-fashioned yellow rose or two still in bloom.

A rainy September day

2010-09-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

It's officially the second day of autumn, and we're having a rainy, windy day in Kansas. But I don't mind since I'm warm and cozy inside with candles burning, a fresh cup of coffee, a good book to read, and this view out my window.

First day of autumn!

2010-09-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

I love the colors of autumn! This coleus is perfect with the squash from our daughters' Missouri garden. They're delicious to eat, but we have enough to spare a couple for decoration. Sundae seems to like them too!

Kidnapping? Catnapping? Catnipping?

2010-09-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Our front porch cat (the mama of all those kittens we've raised) has been missing for a month – after disappearing two or three times for a week to ten days at a time earlier this summer. Well, guess who moseyed up while we were having coffee on the porch this fine September morning? Yep! Biscuit! Looking fat and sassy.
I called some neighbors, and so far no one seems to know where she's been or who she's hanging out with, but she's obviously being well taken care of. We're happy to share her with the neighborhood – as long as she stops by to see us once a month or so.