Is spring getting close in your backyard?

I was going to blog about something else tonight, another room in my house, but lo and behold, I didn't have any pictures in the computer of that room. Hard to believe. And I'm thinking that it would be too much work to scan them tonight. 

I looked outside my window and wondered if it is really possible that spring will ever get here. I see a few patches of brown in the front yard, but the back yard remains a vision of white.

The cooper kettle off of my deck tells the story.  

 October 27

November 15

December 2

January 1 of this year 

 March 22

 Today! I guess there has been much progress in the last two weeks!

May 15, last year. Will my cooper kettle look like this in just over one month?

Not likely, since I won't be back from Africa until May 19. 

Maybe the hubby will surprise me . . . 

Snippits

Many years ago, back when I did rummage sales to raise money for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, one of our team members brought over this huge copper kettle to sell. I thought it was terribly cool, so I threw five dollars into my own cash box and put the kettle on my front stoop. Where it sat for many years, not being so cool anymore.

This spring, I hauled the kettle to the back yard and parked it next to my deck. My wonderful husband drilled some holes in the bottom for drainage and filled it with dirt.  

The rest is a story told in pictures.

May, just got the dirt in the kettle.

May, just got the flowers in, pansies and Gerbera daisies.

June

July. I don't know how I missed August.

September

October. I guess we are done til spring

I am taking a diversion in my usual blogging schedule this month. Instead of sharing the many fascinating (not!) stories of my life, I am going to blog only short snippets of where I am at in my writing. I have a lot of accomplish in the month of November. I hope you will be a part of it, but I understand if it becomes boring. I just pray you come back to me when things get exciting again. 

How does your garden grow?

“Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.” Luke 12:27

New Living Translation

Every spring I purchase too many potted flowers from the greenhouse. I plant these tender buds in various flower gardens about my house and then pretty much ignore them. My philosophy, with both flowers and vegetables, is that if they are not tough enough to overcome the weeds, then – oh, well. Most of the time, the weeds take over.

This spring I started yet another flowerbed, this time in a huge old copper kettle which had been sitting empty on my front stoop for many years. My husband dutifully drilled holes in the bottom of it and filled it with a mix of top soil and potting soil. I purchased four Gerber daises and five pansies to fill the space. And then, as usual, ignored them.

Perhaps it was the fresh dirt and fresh spot, but these little flowers have done quite well. I look off of my deck each evening and eye the splash of color which they grace me with. On days when it seems as if God is so far away, all I have to do is look at these little flowers and know that He is right beside me as always. 

May 

June

July

If you want to read and see more of my gardening adventures, click here and you will be directed to my other blog.

What's your "ah"?

“Have you noticed how the pebbles of the road are polished and pure after the rain? And the flowers? No word can describe them. One can only murmur an ‘ah’ of admiration . . . One should understand the ‘ah’ of things.” A master of Zen Buddhism

My freshly-planted flowers sure have their “ah” now. Give it a couple months for my brown thumb to turn them into “blah”.