Twixing Tuesday

Glad that we went for our walk this morning as it is already 25' at 7:00 est.  It is quite sticky outside and very warm, with the sun breaking through a hazy sky to join the day.  Overnight was a heavy dew.  The squirrels and birds are all quite busy with their antics and chirping. 

Just potting about.

Managed to get a couple areas of the side flower beds weeded yesterday.  It is too warm outside for any garden work today will putter about in the house and get some much needed housework done. 

All I have accomplished in the house has been some odds and ends, no motivation to be inside so I keep popping out to the yard.  SHEESH it is hot!  I have planted some petunias and did some awl punching on two more candle holders made from tin cans.  I need to get more petunias as one can never have too many petunias.  I only get purple ones as they smell the best! 

I have been experimenting with painting wine glasses, it all began as a wedding gift and now I have some interesting designs - some I like - some not so much. 
Lady of the Oak

Muggy Monday

This was the sun rise today at 7:00am est.  It is going to be muggy today with a high UV index and hot. 

Calendula is a bloom.

Babe Robin in the neighbours yard.

 Updated tipsy pot shot.  It is filling in and if we get heat and or sun the seeds all about the garden would begin sprouting. 

A perennial that has popped up this year, not exactly sure what it is, there is a lot of it and still in the process of identifying. 

Strawberries are on the vine, just need heat and sun to ripen them.

Crazy huge Blue Angel hosta.

Lettuce nearly ready.

Daily SlVine photo

The garden is soaked after the heavy rain we had last night and rolling thunder moving through.  The rain was heavy at times and the thunder impressive.  The heaviness of the air this morning is early evidence of what is to come later today. 

Lady of the Oak

Sunny Sunday

In honour of the sun shining brightly in our sky today, as a tribute I am blogging in yellow to encourage our fiery neighbour to continue shining brightly. 

Just a quick post before heading to the flower beds at the front of the house.  On my morning walk about I saw yet another toad.  Small in size yet quick on his feet.  I heard Momma Robin cheeping before I went outside, I am taking that to mean that her baby is still in the yard.  Last I saw babe she was in the back corner near the composter behind the large Spruce.  The Silverlace Vine is continuing its journey of filling in the trellis and that is going to create a significant privacy area for our back deck.  The hedge is filling in along the driveway and that too contributes to privacy.  Once the climbing flowers planted in the laneway start their climb the area will be quite private from next door eyes. 

Goals for the day:
two full lines of laundry CHECK
front flower bed weeded CHECK
cup(s) of tea on quiet patio and a book
weed deck boxes on back deck CHECK and Planted with butterfly/hummingbird seeds/pansies, snapdragons and evening primrose
dig something out of the freezer for the BBQ  CHECK

I think that is a lofty list of to dos for a sunny Sunday. 

Thank you for your warmth and light Mr. Sun,
Lady of the Oak

Hmmmm, what to write about today

The weather today is not so Springy, more like really early Spring.  It is only 12'C overcast and very damp.  Digging or planting in the garden is not going to be very productive due to the heaviness of the soil. 

So, I think today will be housework and perhaps some painting.  I have glazed my glazing ball and need to wait 9 more days before it can go outside.  I think I will begin another pair of wine glasses, I am thinking of a tree and a flower using the entire glass, not sure how it will work out, but that is what I enjoy about it - the unknown discovery. 

Just saw the baby Robin that flew the nest on the back deck last weekend out in the back of the yard by the composter, so she is still doing well.  Have not seen the other two since the day they flew the coop.  It may explain why Momma is still cheeping when I am in the yard or on the deck. 

I pulled a piece of Clematis by accident when I was weeding last week and stuck it into my trellis containers in the laneway and hoped for the best and this morning VOILA it is all perky and wrapped about the trellis - quite good news on an overcast and cool day.  The morning glories are beginning to come and the sweet peas too, the nasturtiums are a bit faster than their counterparts. 

I still have some cans to bang and make more candle holders but that is not much fun to work with a freezing cold can and vice on a rainy day - unless I lit a fire in the woodstove - hmmmm...maybe could clean the garage too - but the house needs the TLC first me thinks.

Saw our young Mourning Dove up on the peek of the garage and snapped a photo or four.  She is venturing higher and higher - we are hopeful she will nest in our yard too so that we can watch her babies get their wings. 

Watched a Sparrow have a bit of me time...

The pictures are a tad blurry but I felt sharing them as cute as they are was a necessity. 

Enjoy the day and be sure to touch something green.

Lady of the Oak

Waiting and Wet

Waiting now till the soil dries a tad and then planting may resume of the second installment of onions, carrots, potatoes, beans, peas, and parsnips.  The tomatoe plants have yet to display 4 leaves one for each direction therefore, they have yet to be transplanted to the garden.  I pick up my sweet potatoe starters next week and they will be planted.  The sunflowers are beginning to get a good hold on the earth and the fence protecting them from Paul the lawn guy might be able to come down in a week or so.

A soon be pot of herbs close to the house for easy snipping for BBQ.

Rain drenched Calendula.

Daily photo of the Silverlace Vine.

Just snailing today.

A piece of the Manitoba Maple that fell across the street during the April 28 windstorm, I created a bird watering hole and the stump has sprouted leaves! I am so excited!

Bath time! Saw Momma Robin splish splashing one day last week.

So, for now I am working on a pair of painted wine glasses for a wedding next month and today is glazing day for the gazing ball I created from an old light globe.  I am excited to get it glazed and find a place for it safely tucked into the garden where I can gaze at it finally. 

So that is all for today, going to attempt to make some additions to the blog and organize it a bit.  Enjoy the day.

Lady of the Oak

After the Rain...

The rain has passed for now and everything is all aglow with the freshness that only rain can bring to the garden. 



Cathy's Hen's and Chicks playing peek a boo, she is with me just not in the same way as before...

 Even nature can create beauty with man made objects.  This Forget Me Not petal floating in the candlestick.

The Mountain Ash has finally bloomed.

 Momma Robin is sizing up the old nest again and eating well in the garden this morning!  I think she will nest again in the same place on the deck, which means moving our table again and the BBQ - although I may try and leave things where they are and maybe she will just get used to the movement. 

 Silverlace Vine is growing and beginning to have interesting twinings. 

The rain came and was very heavy at times, the satellite was out and in on and off until I turned in about 10.  The air is heavy this morning with the dampness of more rain to come.  The garden was still quite wet as I planted the next phase of onions and first phase of potatoes yesterday.  If some heat comes after the rain that will help the garden grow - the peas are close to budding but not enough heat or sun just yet to get them over the hump. 
Managed to get the quiet patio cleaned up and weeded yesterday, and the sidewalk swept out into the laneway.  After our lawn guy had cut the grass I discovered a broken tea cup that had been knocked off its perch with the teapot, the handle is missing I am going to look for that today.  No planting today - too wet will let the ground absorb the rain and drink in its goodness.  Friday is a business trip with hubby and then Saturday back to planting.  Enjoy the rainbows.
Lady of the Oak

Rainbows

Stormy weather brings beauty.
Lady of the Oak

Glass Towers

Glass takes about a million years to break down and disappear in the natural environment.  I am using my glass to create garden art instead of filling the landfills and my cupboards.  Here are some samples of glass art, some are not yet complete. 

The tower are old candlesticks and fruit nappies, along with a vase. 

This is an old glass globe from a light fixture.  I drew a design using a yellow highlighter and then traced the yellow with a black sharpie and then began filling in with paint.  I will spray with high gloss water sealer and voila a gazing ball!

A candle holder just add a bit of sand and you are ready to light up. 

 Same kind of jar different use.  Just add water and your favourite food colour and you have a reflecting light catcher.  I used an old hanger to create a loop as a handle. 

Lady of the Oak

Digging, planting, photography

The weekend was full of baby birds, planting and transplanting the garden and photos of the garden but mostly baby birds.  Our young Mourning Dove who has been dubbed Birdie by some young ones has taken to having her afternoon naps on the quiet patio near the garden shed.  Birdie is able to hold her own amongst the backyard visitors and is not at all concerned about my comings and goings.  Momma feeding the brood in the nest for one of the last times.  Not long after this they fled the nest.  We happened to be on the deck when they took flight and it was pretty amazing!  We did not know that they could fly right out of the nest, we thought they would hop about the branch and the deck ledge.  The oldest one is a male and he flew from the nest to the top of the peak of the garage.  Pretty impressive dude!

 This is the male, the other two are females.

 My flowering cabbage from last fall has the most delicate and pretty yellow flowers on it this spring.  I love the newness of spring and the colours that nature provides for us to enjoy. 

 

 The planting has commenced.  Age seems to be slowing me down this year.  But it will get planted by weeks end.

 New sitting area am hopeful the butterfly bush will fill it in it is dropped in a bucket in the ground. 

 Love watching vines entangle themselves onto whatever they can latch onto.  The clematis has returned yet again and it is filling in the trellis. 

 Decided we needed some greenery and colour near the entrance to the house, so the large planter is slowly being filled with colourful goodies. 

 The weekend was great weather wise and lots of planting was done in the garden.  The colours and the new leaves bring such joy.  The leaves right now have not hardened they are the soft newness of spring and so cuddly. 

Enjoy the day, and smile the sun is shining!
Lady of the Oak