August Departs

Today is the last day of August and I do not know where the time has gone. I hope I am not the only one trying to play catch up with the summer months and now fall is just around the corner.

So as August quietly slips into September I thought I would show some of the flowers still blooming in the garden.

The Dancing Pettticoats cosmos have become giants in the front garden.

The Rudbeckia have made sunny yellow splashes throughout the garden.

Echinacea (Purple Coneflower) are still producing their lovely purple/pink flowers.

The Rose 'Innocencia' has started to rebloom with the cooler temperatures.

Being away most of August has left me with a garden that very badly needs weeding, Sara Stein has a lovely quote about this situation...

`I appreciate the misunderstanding I have had with Nature over my perennial border.

I think it is a flower garden; she thinks it is a meadow lacking grass and tries to correct the error.`

Maybe I will leave it as a meadow for a couple more days and just enjoy

 the last blossoms of summer.

Take care and thank your for visiting!!!

Loch Lomond - Scotland

Hello Everyone, I hope all is well with you. I had a fantastic holiday in Scotland and have many pictures to share with you.

On arrival at Glasgow Airport we were met by our coach and headed for the Western Highlands, stopping en-route for a breath of fresh Scottish air and coffee at Loch Lomond.

It is a beautiful coastal village, where everyone gardens. 

The potscaping was exciting to see, so many different containers.

Mosaic Monday is hosted by Mary at Little Red House.

Thank for visiting and have a wonderful day!!!

A Rest is Needed!!!

I thought I would show you the deck make over.

This is what the deck looked like before. Terrible picture, sorry.

This is during take down. Hubby and oldest son.

Finished deck, we still need to add lattice to the end, but the peony is waiting transplanting.

 I am hoping to do that in the early fall.

We also renovated the powder room.

A new floor, vanity and mirror. 

Granite sink and oval mirror.

New artwork. I decided to frame four of my photos.

It has been so busy here, with the reno of the deck and powder room, new front door installed, 

wedding and all the preparations, that hubby and I decided to take a holiday.

So, I will be away for awhile visiting the highlands of Scotland.

 When I return I hope to have lots to share.

Thank you for stopping in and enjoy the weekend!!!

Mosaic Monday - Fractured Light

Hearing songs of light

Colours dance around you

soothing eye and souls.

Light dancing through bits of glass

singing praises to the sun.

~Suzanne Cooper~

While planting the new garden space from the cut down tree,

 renovating the powder room and back deck,

 plus wedding preparations a new front door was installed. 

(I now what was I thinking saying yes to all these jobs)

But, the sunlight creates beautiful patterns through the mosaics of textured glass.

Mosaic Monday is hosted by Little Red House.

Have a fantastic day!!!

What It Looks Like Now!

In early spring I posted about our Blue Spruce, here, needing to be cut down because of dieback. This photo was taken this morning after a day of rain yesterday, hurrah.

Trees and shrubs that are plated include: Pinus flexilis x' Domingo'(Pine Domingo), two Picea abies 'Nidiformis' (Nest Spruce), a Juniperus x pfitzeriana 'Aurea Improved' (Gold Coast Juniper),  a David Austin Rose 'Ausblush', a native St. John's Wort, and a Minute Weigela. Perennials include: Shasta Daisy, Iris, Basket of Gold, Lavender, Tree Peony, Purple Conflower, Phlox (tall and creeping). Right now they are all babies so I have planted annuals which include geraniums, alyssum, portulaca and cosmos. The cosmos seeds were from Renee's Garden and as you can see in the above photo some are as tall as the pine, which is 6 feet tall.

This cosmos is called Dancing Petticoats. It is an offspring from 'Seashells' which has dainty tubular petals, 'Psyche' whose semi-double frilled blossoms are like softly ruffled crowns and 'Versailles' the aristocratic florist cosmos with perfect form and rich colour. Dancing Petticoats comes in apple blossom pink, deep magenta, soft rose and pure white, some with deeper coloured centres. It is easy care and blooms non-stop.

A smaller variety Butterfly Cosmos called Little Ladybirds is also a carefree bloomer with semi-double flowers on short, open branching plants that spread as wide as they are tall.  The bright coloured blossoms come in crayola orange, clear butter yellow and rich scarlet. 

I am going to let some go to seed at the end of the summer and hopefully they will self seed next year.

Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful day!!!