Potful of herbs...

At the bottom of the back door steps, I have a large grey pot that I fill with annuals.  Of course, it has Johnnies during the winter.  For the summer, I usually try to do a red, white, and blue combo in honor of the Fourth of July.  (The white blob on the deck is Princess.)

This year, I did something different.   I used herbs.  There are four kinds of basil:  pesto basil (the variegated basil), African Blue basil (my favorite basil plant), lemon basil, and Thai basil.

I also put in variegated thyme and variegated marjoram.

I like the way the variegated Lirope looks with the variegated plants in the pot.

In the front is a mini petunia.  I think it is so pretty! 



Have a beautiful day!

In my garden...

So, here's some stuff blooming in my garden.

These three photos are all of the same balloon flower bloom.

I think it is so amazing!

My Venus Flytrap is still alive.

And it is blooming again!  I'm pretty tickled.

 
My Molineux, a David Austin rose. 

This is a cluster of blossoms on "The Fairy."   You can see part of this rose bush in the first picture in my post about Clover.

And last, but not least, a gorgeous hydrangea bloom.  This is "Mini Penny."

Have a beautiful day!

Prickly Pear...

On my neighbor's property, or maybe it is his neighbor's property, there is a clump of prickly pears growing underneath tall pine trees.  The clump is in the center of the picture below.

I am still fascinated by the sight of prickly pear growing here in North Carolina.  I always think of it as growing in Arizona or California.  But not here.

Obviously, it is very happy here under the trees because it continues to grow and spread out.

And this time of year, it blooms.

Prickly pear cactus is edible although I don't personally care for it.  I'd much rather look at it.

This cactus doesn't seem to have spines on it; just bumps where you would expect to find spines.

When I first started taking pictures of this bloom, there was an orchard bee or a sweat bee inside of the blossom.

Then a HUGE bumble bee flew in to collect pollen, too.  If you look carefully, you can see the orange pollen it has collected in its pollen basket in its back leg.

So intricate!

It seems to glow in the late afternoon sun.

Have a beautiful day!

Kitties on the rail...

This is how Clover sits on the deck railing!




Tiger came to visit her.




 Switching postures.

Just hangin' out.

Awww.



Have a beautiful day!

Clover...

Nope.  This post isn't about red clover or white clover.  Not the weed, clover, nor the cover crop, clover.  This post is about our kitty, Clover.  She is a little over a year old now.

 

My co-worker got her from a lady who rescued her.  When Clover got to be too much for the apartment she lived in, she came to live with us.   She was almost six months old.

 Obviously, she has adjusted very well to living outside in the pretty-much country.

She is a very cute kitty and is always doing amusing things.

Like sitting in a birdbath that I hope to one day make into a fountain.

Aren't her blue eyes pretty?

Have a beautiful day!

Mother's Day...

Here are the lovely gifts my lovely daughters gave me:

There are four small glasses that will be used for vases; they are from both the girls. The box of chocolates is actually from a house-guest we had this week-end, a friend of Kirstin's.  I love the Vera Bradly pens that Julie gave me!  Two of the colors, pink and green, are sparkly.  The black and blue pens are just pretty.

Kirstin gave me the Thomas Kinkade book,  "A Book of Joy."   Here is one of Kinkade's quotes:  "Decide that joy is the hue you want your heart to be.  Then start making the little and large choices that over time will paint your heart happy."

Julie did the picture of the hummer for me.  She is so talented!  This photo really does not do her picture justice.

This is the wallet size photo of the 8x10 that they gave me.  They are so beautiful.  And I love them so very, very, very much.

Kirstin found this teeny-tiny perfume bottle for me at a local antique mall.  I love the shape!  And, of course, the blueness of it!

Have a beautiful Mother's Day!

Surrounding Ballerina...

Ballerina Rose grows along the path to my back door.  And right now, she is absolutely gorgeous!

The kitties, Tiger and Princess, walking on the path.

The violas that I planted along the path for winter are still blooming as the spring and summer perennials are
filling in.  

Hmmm...... looks like I have a little volunteer color here.  

This is the combination I planned.

That is a Blue Hill Salvia with Ballerina and I just love it!

The blue and white iris is almost finished.  You can see how pretty it is with Ballerina, though.

I  love this picture.  The pink.  The blue.  Mmmmm.

 
This is a longer view, looking towards the humming bird garden, most of which hasn't started blooming yet.

I like the way this deep pink salvia looks with the pink of Ballerina.

 The deep pink Salvia.  I think it is HeatWave, but I can't remember.

 The deep pink Salvia from the other side.  The blue is Catmint.

One more shot.  (As always, you can click on the pictures for a larger view.)

 There is yellow Moonbean Coreopsis planted between Ballerina and the Lirope.  But the weeds make a nice yellow until the Coreopsis blooms. 

Have a beautiful day!