New Little Visitors

Our yard is beginning to green, a nice transition from the sandy soil from building.

We seeded about a month ago and under a careful, watchful eye of my husband, we're seeing grass.

You know what's next, right?

Mowing.

It's kinda funny, isn't it? 

You seed for grass,

water,

watch it grow,

then...

you mow it down.

It's a funny world.

Anyway, about the same time as seeding, we put up bird feeders. 

We see and hear quite a few birds flying around, but none were venturing close to the house for a snack.

...until about a week ago...

We now have a family of cardinals that visit a couple times a day.

(This picture was taken with my phone zoomed all the way...it's a little fuzzy. But I was so excited to actually see a little visitor that I ran over to the window and snapped a picture!)

Now, I'm not an expert birdwatcher, but it appears to be one male and as my husband says, 

"...the male and his harem."

really.

I'll bet there are about 7-8 female cardinals that fly in with the one brightly colored male!

Unless they are young males and just haven't brightened yet.

Hm...we'll just have to see.

And guess who else has found our feeders?

Yep, the acrobat himself,

Mr. Squirrel.

It's hard to tell, but he's upright, hanging on to the left feeder with his front paws,

 and then still attached to the main pole with his back paws. 

He's very limber and very smart.

Here is another shot:

Mr. Squirrel, a female, and Mr. Cardinal.

They seem to be friendly,

sharing the snacks...

and all the while just chirping and chattering.

Before I close this post, I had to show these flowers, Purple Cone Flowers.

They are blooming and enjoying their new spot.

It's such a joy watching them grow and change.

Just look at these,

...this is one plant! Can you even believe it!! I'm so excited!

Just look at the different stages of their growth!

(I know that was too many exclamation points but I'm just super excited about these flowers.)

As an "adult", the flower almost turns inside out.

The "button" transformation is my favorite part.

And guess what I saw today?

A hummingbird.

Guess what attracted him?

The button part of this flower.

Guess what else?

I had an "artificial" hummingbird feeder for him and guess what he likes better? 

The natural nectar over my sugar water.

really.

Ha! Imagine that...

Lovely, lovely nature...

often imitated, never duplicated.

Thanks so much for dropping by and reading about my little visitors.

For those of you with mature, beautiful yards, I know this is all silly news.

But for me, with a brand-new-yard, I was just too excited to see all the new developments,

I just had to share!

Spring!

It's officially SPRING!

Yea!

I love this time of year, well, Fall too...

hm...and the beginning of Winter...

and...

well, beginning of Summer too!

Oh heck,

I just love them all,

except for the extremes.

Ok, Ok, back to this post...Spring is here in Texas.

It's in full bloom,

Our azaleas and lilies are showing their colors

and 

it's just beautiful.

These lilies are one of my favorites.

They are off-shoots from great stock, my grandmother's lilies.

About 25 years ago I took a few bulbs and planted them in my yard. They thrived and multiplied.

So pretty.

Then we moved..

and I took about 10 bulbs with me to this house.

I made this bed for them and they are really happy to have their own special spot!

They just keep producing new crops and each one is just as pretty as the one before.

And guess what...?

I'll be taking them ALL to my new home. 

Yep, I'm going to leave the bed nice and clean,

ready for the new owners to put in their favorites!

Happy Spring to You! 

Tommy's Roses

Today, I'm sharing a variety of roses.

They were grown by a very special man named Tommy. 

He loves his roses and is one of the most experienced growers around.

He loves to share his roses with  friends, family, and his church.

Growing such gorgeous flowers takes a lot of tender loving care...

...and Tommy does just that...each day he lovingly tends to his roses.

He even names them after loved ones...

... and develops new varieties...

...always under a watchful eye.

The different shades are just amazing.

...and the colors are just gorgeous.

{This one reminds me of the Franciscan pattern of Desert Rose.}

Looks like peppermint, doesn't it? They are very fragrant!

Some with just a hint of color...

...simply breathtaking.

They look like velvet and feel like silk.

From the tiniest buds...

...to full open blooms.

Even though they have their own names...

...they will always be known as Tommy's roses.

Tommy and his wife are neighbors and good friends of my mother. It's always such a treat to visit my mother and see what Tommy has blooming in his yard.

Thanks Tommy, for all the roses that you've so kindly shared!

I'm joining Susan at  A Southern Daydreamer for her Outdoor Wednesday. Be sure to stop by for amazing outdoor shots.

Green thumbs...

My grandmother was a master gardener. She passed on her skills to her children, and my mother passed on things to my sister and me. I guess you could say that we've all liked to dabble in the dirt.

My grandmother always had special concoctions that she used on her plants. I seem to remember hearing about egg shells, coffee grounds, pickle juice, and newspapers. I'm not sure which plants she used these things on, but rest assured, she had the most beautiful yard around.{Her flowers were even used in her childrens' weddings!}

My mother has a large lush yard that is very well manicured. She has help but she's the landscape designer. Each day she goes out and "plays" and is always adding something new.

My sister and her husband also have a large yard, but their space has more of a tropical feel. They have a gorgeous outside space with sitting areas, a pool, and kitchen. There is no need for them to travel to exotic places, they can simply walk outdoors!

Then there is my yard. I live in the heart of suburbia and have a postage size yard. I'm OK with it because it's just my size. Large enough for me to handle but not too large. I've been inspired by my family and have made it a goal this year to make it lush and welcoming.

All this to say, I have something to share today...amaryllis lillies. About twenty years ago, I took about seven bulbs from my grandmother's home and transplanted them to a side bed at my home. Each year they seem to multiply and now I have quite a showing!

The stems are so strong, sturdy, and about 18" tall!

I think it's so neat the way the petals curl.

...amazing vibrant color....

...amazing detail...

Simply amazing!

I'm linking with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for her Outdoor Wednesday. Be sure to stop by for amazing outdoor shots!

Thanks so much for visiting!

Enjoy your day!

Almost that time of the year!

It's almost the time of the year to see these beauties again. I can hardly wait!

I've reposted a few of my favorite shots.

Enjoy!

The weather is finally a bit warmer, the sun is shining and

as I walk around my yard, I do see a few surprises:

...new little shoots...

This guy is going to get really tall...

he's an amaryllis.

 Many years ago, I brought 7 or so bulbs from my grandmother's garden. Since then, they have multiplied into quite a few. They seem to like their spot, each year they bloom around Easter.

Then to my surprise, my camilla had a bloom!

I thought all the buds had frozen...

...you see they all looked like this:

...kinda burnt...

...but as I looked closer, this one looked promising.

As for now, I'm still enjoying my one bloom.

I'm linking with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for her Outdoor Wednesday. Be sure to stop by for great shots!

Thanks for visiting!

Enjoy your day!