My Everything Corner

American Avocet Spotted Sandpiper Moon on the evening of July 4th. Spreading Dogbane Anenome Female Red-Winged Blackbird It's not the greatest photo, but I finally got a shot of the baby  American Avocet. Such fancy plumage. A Wilson's Snipe- I think...

Here are a few photos to give you an idea of how I've been spending these early days of Spring. I've been able to take walks before breakfast again. Transplanting seedlings has taken up a fair bit of time. I've also had some time to get creative with succulents I've overwintered. Exploring the garden for new growth is a daily surprise.

I found violas and crocus up in the garden today! There's not much else yet, and the rest of the blooms in this post came from the grocery store.  But flowers are flowers and I wanted to share them with you to wish you all a very Happy Easter!

Harvest has been going very well here and has actually felt like it has been running at a fairly relaxed pace, but that feeling was swept away this morning by the new forecast of imminent rains. We may not get done what we would like to before the skies cloud over, but we can hardly complain when we think about what our neighbours are going through with Hurricane Irma.   Love and prayers to our Southern friends.   There are still plenty of blooms out in the fading garden.  Cosmos mix with marigolds, and the bees are still humming. My mixed gourd patch always has a surprise for me.  This year it is in the form of a min-gourd.  They are grit-your-teeth-together cute.  

July is flying by so fast, it is making me dizzy! I've been having fun learning about my new camera and enjoying Instagram a whole bunch. I like that I can use it from my phone which I almost always have on me and that it is super quick. Mostly though, I've been enjoying the weather, my gardens and having my kids at home. They're older now, and mostly prefer to do their own thing, but I love "dropping in" now and then to see what they're up to and just having their happy voices fill up our home makes me lighthearted. I do hope you're all having a fabulous July! Here are some photos, mostly from my morning walk with my dog. An America Coot in its nest. I get a kick out of these guys and the noises they make. A lovely pair I passed on my morning walk. Seemed like a sad little birdie. My black kitty Sooty, getting some love from Georgia. This is one of those shots I thought I didn't get. It's my current favourite and I wil...

We've had a cold spring, but things are starting to fill out in the garden now. Here are a couple shots of the place I call home and some pretty flower photos. Oh, and I'm on Instagram now as aostaj! Oh

Rainy days always get me down, in a good way. Rest is what I need and with the outdoors being windy, rainy and the heaviest of greys, it is easy to allow myself that rest. Oh how I love that pair... The photos I'm sharing today are ones snapped yesterday.  I've been busy planting and I can hardly wait to show you photos in July when all of the annuals I've put in have filled out. Blooming right now are the irises, of which I'm growing two types - Japanese and Bearded.  They are short lived, but oh so lovely. I adore the blooms on the Bearded type while the foliage of the Japanese lends itself better as a backdrop for the entire growing season. Coral Bells are great in that they keep to themselves.  They stay compact, do not spread, and their foliage is lovely.  Most are better suited to dappled shade, but the type I'm showing here does very well in full sun. Ninebark, you gorgeous thing...I love you in all your forms. I have seve...

I'd like to share with you today photos of what has been taking up all my time lately. Pretty much everything you see growing are perennials. The annuals will all go in this week and next. I'll be transplanting petunias, dusty millers, snapdragons, portulaca, marigolds, globe basil, coleus, begonias, hens and chicks, osteospermum, sage, sweet potato vine, and sunflowers. Most of these, I've been taking care of since I started them in April. I can't tell you how pleased I am how well have everything is growing this year. Most of my vegetable garden is in.  I'd show you photos of that, but right now there are just sticks in the dirt marking the rows. But I did put in several rows of flowers among the veggies this year, so that will keep things interesting.   I add more rocks every year. 2 little fish in an ocean of creeping thyme.  Beautiful creeping phlox.  More thyme.  I just love how it crawls over the rocks.  Nothing lik...