Summer Days

This summer is turning out to be glorious!

The lilies are just beginning to open

the photos don't do the lilies color justice...

the potted plants take my breath away, 

these are just outside of our indoor dining room

in our outside dining area :)

our plants have been taking a beating

from the recent hailstorms and hard rain

over the last couple of weeks;

the hastas are a little shredded,

but they're pushing out flower stalks...

Ken made the Adirondack chair from scratch!

 and from the street side (what passing cars see)

Happy Canada Day!

(July 1st)

Today...

Busy morning, but oh so beautiful!!!

I needed to take a trip to the market. I got a few sale items...thought it would come to about $30-40...Ha! Over $50, sigh. On the way back home I decided to stop at a landmark that I pass often and always say to myself: "One day I'll stop there and take a look". Today was that day.

That is the main monument where the "last stand" took place in the

Battle of the Longwoods

...and the beautiful wooded area behind the monument

men fought here bravely...

...this plaque tells the story of the events that took place here

...and a close up of the British casualties brings up a familiar name

When I got home, I saw a little friend, and was able to snap a photo with my phone:

taken through a double-pained window

the effect is a little blurry...

can you see him?

Hope you are having a beautiful day as well!

Spring Things

Last weekend we were really busy. Because the weather is finally more springy we've been getting a bit of gardening done. Weekend before last we put in some perennials along the side of the house

There is a path at the front of our house which my hubby says he will extend to wrap around the side, linking the paths that are now at the front and the back of the house, and give a frame to our planted areas...but that won't happen until next year, so it'll look a little messy in the meantime. Our plants are doing so well that we decided to add color with some annuals we found on sale

The bright red flowers are New Zealand impatiens. I'm going to try to bring them into the house during the winter, as well as the geraniums and the begonias in these next planters:

I got these little starter plants at a really good price. By the time I got to the garden store the nicest plants had already found other homes. There wasn't much left to choose from, so I got an assortment of odds and ends of what was left. They were a bit beat up, and only one or two six-paks of each kind to choose from, so I have a bit of a hodge-podge. This is how it looks from the street:

We just did it this way for a quick temporary fix

Next year the planter boxes will be at the bottom of the picket fence, and it will be a more sturdy construction

We also got some plants that weren't on sale:

These cost a bit more but the effect was worth it (I think)...I wasn't so sure about the black petunias, but when we put it all together it worked out very well. Hubby said "I told you so" :)

The bright red flowers at the front and rear of the bicycle are the same type as in the previous picture of the front of the house; New Zealand impatiens. I had a couple left over so I put them in with our perennials. I also had a few of our bargain flowers left over, so I put them here:

Aren't the hastas beautiful!!??!!!

That's where our sidewalk ends for now, but it will wrap around the side...hopefully next year.

Now that I've gotten so much spring gardening and cleaning accomplished, maybe I'll be able to spend a little more time blogging.

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