Red Hot Pokers (also known as Torch Lilies or Tritomas, Kniphofia uvaria) grew like weeds along the stairs down to my mother's garden.
I have a couple of them in the yard that look a little ratty, but I love them just the same. I once suggested to a woman, I used to know, that she could plant some in her garden. She said she would never plant anything in her garden that was called a Red Hot Poker. I guess I shoulda said Kniphofia uvaria instead.
I'm half way through my vacation and have yet to pull one weed.
There are hundreds of honey and bumble bees in this tree. The sound of buzzing was what first caught my attention. Unfortunately none of them show up in the photo.
I was driving home from work and I kept spotting these amazing toadstools along the street. They are something right out of a fairy tale.
We have been having the most beautiful Autumn. I've been meaning to take some snapshots of the trees but these toadstools take the cake.
Isn't nature grand?
In the 1980's I lived in Berkeley. I worked for a man named Jeff, selling flowers from a cart. That was the first time I had seen or smelled lilacs. They were very expensive then too, a dollar a cluster. Now I live where they seem to grow everywhere. Funny how things turn out. For more photos of lilacs click here.
Skis! Excellent recycling going on there, huh?
This fence is brilliant.
This is a Sourwood tree. Last week would have been a better time to take a photograph, but at least you can get an idea.
The good part of the Fourth of July are the backyard get togethers. It's about summer and all the good memories from childhood. It's my mother's recipe for potato salad and slices of watermelon (with the seeds). It's fresh mowed grass and of course fireworks. My personal favorite besides the big professional displays (Seattle has 2 extravagant firework shows) are the little novelty variety. I buy them every year and sometimes just keep them on the shelf to look at. The friendship pagoda and the happy lantern are my 2 very favorites of all. Happy and safe Fourth of July to all.
It's spring and time to make some garden art. Get some 3/8" re bar - 6 feet in length or so. Many Hardware stores will cut it for you. Pound it into the ground about two feet with a hammer. Then stack thrift store lamp bases that you have taken all the hardware out of. Find a cool figurine as a topper.These are so easy and fun to make. Be the first on your block.
It's a beautiful day. Perfect for gardening and there is so much to do. My Dreamboat referred to my defunct flower garden as an eyesore when the dandelions were growling growing everywhere. Now that the taller weeds have taken over he says it just looks like an English garden, God I love that man. Think I'll head for the studio instead.