Lush July Flowers

My flowers haven't suffered too much in the heat that we have had in Michigan this year.
There really haven't been a lot of very hot days yet and I hope they don't come at all!  I also haven't
used any fertilizer at all this year except what came in the soil that I planted them in.
I think they look nice and lush for all the things I didn't do. :)

Every year I try to feed them liquid fertilizer through the hose, but just haven't had
the time and we have had a LOT of rain so I didn't need to either.

They have come a long way since I planted them back in May.
I can grow nice flowers outside , but can't grow anything inside to save my life! HA!

The fern is HUGE and so green. I always get it at the same place every year.
I have tried Walmart in the past and did not have good luck so I stick with
our local greenhouse.

I have an old wooden white screen door that I would love to replace this one with, but
haven't taken the time to measure it yet. Hopefully it will fit. It has spindles on it and
I got it FREE several years ago. Wouldn't that be nice if it fit just perfect??

I adore WHITE flowers...don't you?

I can't wait for my Sweet Autumn Clematis to flower this fall. I love it that it is
a late blooming plant so I can extend the beautiful floral season a bit more.

How is the weather where you are? Hot, rainy, cold, snowy? EEK! Snow
will be here soon enough.

Blessings~

Sharing my hydrangeas

I truly think the right name was picked for these hydrangeas!
I wonder how they come up with the names? They never ask me, I know that! lol

INVINCIBELLE SPIRIT...perfect fitting name for these gorgeous flowers!

From the day I planted them they have grown leaps and bounds every year.

I purchased them on clearance a few years ago for $5 a bush instead of $24.
I wish now that I had purchased every single one they had.

{Click on this link to read a great article of how these flowers came to be}
It is very interesting!

They grow tall and lush for me in my black Michigan soil.

The sun was really bright on the above photo thus it looks washed out.
They really are as bright as the previous photos.

Do you see a running theme in my flowers?
Lots of PINK...I love pink flowers.

I hope you are having a great week. The temps here are gorgeous for the next couple
days. Not too hot and not too cold. Just perfect.

I love summer when it isn't scorching hot!! I am not one for liking hot weather
at all. I guess it is a good thing that I don't live down south.

How are your flowers doing? I would love to know.

Summer in Michigan!

Please come up on my front porch and sit awhile if you so desire.

I love decorating outside just as much as I do inside so it spills out onto my front porch every year.

This year I wanted to add a bit of blue/teal to my decor without it being totally blue and I think I pulled
 it off.  What do you think?

I love vintage plant stands and have had several over the years. This is one that I hung onto
and I use it ever year. The flowers in my urns are just coming back after a nasty run in
with a raccoon! 

I always add impatiens to my porch in either pink or white. They are very easy to grow and this
gal LOVES easy. 

Front porch view from my yard. I am wanting to do something to the floor. We have lived here for over
 33 years and it has stayed pretty much the same. I either want to put a wood floor over the cement or get a
 nice big sea grass rug. I also want hubby to enlarge the porch posts and put some decorative angled trim
around the top and maybe the bottom. Hopefully we can get that done this summer.

One of our kitties are always photo bombing! lol

This is reality living in the country. I got up one morning to this mess! I never did get the large
terra cotta planter replanted. The plant was broken off with no roots left. ugh!

Doesn't this look like a fun clean up?  At least all these still had the roots attached so I could replant them.

As I said earlier, the flowers in the urns are finally coming along nicely. I hope we don't have any more
run ins with raccoon's. Hubby caught one so hopefully that is the only one around. ha!

The plants growing in front of the cement are tall white phlox, but they don't bloom until late June or July.
I love their fragrance. Also, the plant growing on the arbor is a Sweet Autumn Clematis. LOVE IT!
It has gorgeous white flowers in the fall.

This is also another flower I purchase every year and they are getting harder to find. I don't
understand it and neither do the growers because an IVY GERANIUM is the easiest flower
to grow! Makes no sense. 

 For the past several years I have had a tall white wicker table
in this space, but I wanted to mix it up this year. First I had this bookcase sitting the "tall" way and I
just didn't like it. I turned it on it's side and loved it. I want to put numbers above the openings, but
haven't gotten that done yet. I can change out the decor in the cubby holes anytime I want.

I hope you enjoyed your tour of our humble abode. I love living in the country...in Michigan...
in the Summer...without the raccoons!! :)

It's Peony Time!

Are peony's blooming yet where you live? They sure are here in Michigan and
I took the opportunity to do a couple photos shoots. I think my camera is on the way
"out", but I am trying to nurse it along and hopefully it will last for awhile yet.

I had to include some AQUA because I think pink and aqua are just meant to be
together!

I think these photos with the books are off color. The flowers look more lavender to me than the true pink,
but they are pretty anyway...that temperamental camera again. OR it could be the photo taker??? 

Every time I notice that a few more flowers are out in full bloom, I run and pick them and stick them all
over the house. I just LOVE peony's! Can you tell?

I am including a couple photos of my old fashioned roses also. The smell from these is just
heavenly! They have been on our property for decades and I have dug up several starts,
plopped them in the ground and they grow wonderful for me. These photos are from starts
that were planted.

Hubby picked these light pink ones for me along the roadside a few days ago.

I had a plant exactly this color , but it didn't survive so I need to find another one.
I think it was called Sarah Bernhardt and my bff gave me a start...hmm...maybe
she has another one. You never know. :)

I love mixing all the shades of pink from very light pink to dark. I would also
like to get some white peony's to plant...someday.

I hope you have a wonderful upcoming weekend. My oldest granddaughter turned 16 yesterday and I
will be going to a masquerade party for her. That should be FUN! The older I get the more I
enjoy doing fun things and I am really looking forward to it. I may not look young, but I can
still party. ha!

Treats for Valentines Day

... and now abideth faith, hope and LOVE, but the greatest of these is

LOVE.

I Corinthians 13:13



Are you ready for Valentines Day?

I think I am.

This year I decided to make cupcakes for our neighbors.

I have never done this before {not for this many at once}  and I decided it was time to

spread the love!

There is so much heartache and brokenness in the world today that a little kindness

goes a long way.

 I have been making cupcakes for the last two days and enjoying every minute of it.

I packaged them up and delivered part of them last night and hubby delivered the rest today.

I always try to keep cupcake boxes on hand. The ones I purchase hold four cupcakes so it is a perfect
gift for two people. 

It is also nice to have these cupcake holders for a single person.

I don't have a specific "recipe" that I use. I just wing it.

SO...

Make your favorite chocolate cupcake and let them cool.

Then make your favorite butter-cream frosting and add in a couple tablespoons of
Smucker's Simply Fruit in seedless Red Raspberry flavor.

It makes it so yummy and  it also gives the frosting a pretty pink hue.

Next, take a chocolate candy bar and use your carrot peeler to make some
sprinkles or curls...Top with a fresh red raspberry and wa la...you are done
and you have a beautiful and delicious gift!

SO YUMMY!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!