It's Bloomin' Tuesday!

Welcome!
I'd like to thank all of you that are joining our garden tour. I love seeing all your blooms and garden art!

We are still hurting for rain in Western New York. This first shot is of some astilbe and my blue hydrangea in the darkest corner of my shade garden. Even tho I've watered almost every day these plants are shriveling up. We are supposed to get rain today but none so far.

A close up of the 'Twinkle Pixie' Phlox from last week.
The middle garden is busy with bloomin' cone flowers. There is always lots of bee activity around these blooms.
The heat doesn't seem to bother the perennial Sweet Peas that climb up the lattice and around the window frame on the side of the walkway.
The peachy day lilies have also decided to show off this week.

I finally got to dead head the lily border while the girls were outside playing. I don't go out much in the heat and humidity we've been having.


The trumpet vine is full of buds and blooms. I saw some humming bird zooming around the yard today. I'm trying to show them to the girls but they are just too fast and the girls don't really know what they are looking for.
There bright orange blooms on the deck should attract their attention

Another view of the middle garden with the 'Candy Stripe' Phlox in the front.


The heads of these phlox are huge this year but they aren't standing up very well.
That's it for my heat hardy plants this week. If you'd like to join our garden tour, add your name and permalink to Mr Linky and put a link to this post on your blog. Then sit back with a cold drink and take a tour of gardens from all over the country!

1. Racquel 2. A Season for All Things 3. Suzanne in Colorado 4. ~~Rhonda 5. Anne Fannie 6. daisy 7. Zoey in Michigan 8. Rosemary 9. Debbie J

10. Corner Garden, NE 11. Roan 12. PuteriFauziah 13. Around the Yard 14. Mary in Calgary, Alberta 15. Carol Samsel 16. Dorothy in Metro-Detroit 17. Beccas Southern Garden 18. CosmoGirl Carla

19. Filters...or lack thereof 20. Fishtail Cottage 21. Bella's Rose Cottage 22. Finally Flowers!! 23. Princes and Ladies 24. Linda's Lunacy 25. Deborah Jean

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McCoy Vase

Some of you may remember my post about this vase I got when my Mom passed away.Several were in 'want/need' of one. It is a McCoy vase from the Rustic Line, made in about 1945. You are in luck! I found one like it at a sale and bought it for my Etsy Shop. I just put it up for sale if you are interested. Click on 'jaosmith' under the Etsy pictures on my side bar to go to my shop.

Favorite Things Friday

Loosestrife!

(Remember to click on the picrures to enlarge) Many years ago, when I was just starting to garden, a customer brought me some plants. I don't remember what the others were but my favorite was the yellow loosestrife. Loosestrife is an invasive plant but that doesn't bother me, in fact I like invasive plants in my 'wild' garden. Several years ago I found some purple loosestrife, Lythrum Virgatum. This plant is planted on roadways because of it's ability to spread. Mine is planted among the yellow and the yellow is definitely more aggressive! Last year at a plant sale at our local Audubon I found what I believe was labeled red loosestrife. I wasn't really sure what I was getting but I bought is anyway. The 'red' also has yellow flowers but the leaves are a nice soft burgundy that looks great with all the green around it.

As I shared last week, I traded some yellow for some Gooseneck. I have been looking for this for years but it's very rare to find any loosestrife at garden centers because of it's invasive nature.

I was very excited a couple weeks ago to find a new loosestrife at Lowes! This may be my favorite! The Beaujolais Loosestrife has graygreen foilage and large dark burgundy blooms.

I only bought one pot but may look for another so it will spread faster.

If you are looking for a colorful plant to fill in a large area, Loosestrife is a great choice. The only problem you may have is finding it. If you see some in a yard stop and ask for a shovel full. I'm sure any gardener would be glad to share. Better yet, take a trip to Western New York and I'll share mine!

Wooden Bowl/Wheelbarrow

I found this vintage wooden bowl/wheelbarrow at a sale for $1.25. I bought it not really knowing what I would do with it. Once I came up with an idea, I drilled a couple holes in the bottom.

Then I dug around in my gardens for some succulents.

This is what I came up with.

I love it on the wicker table on my deck.

It's Bloomin' Tuesday!

Welcome to Bloomin' Tuesday! I'd like to apologize again for not posting last week. I usually post every week for BT.

I worked in this garden beside my neighbors garage for a few hours on Sunday. Instead of separating plants, I just enlarge the garden, where possible. I expanded this one about a foot all around. Right now there are blanket flowers, false sunflowers, tickseed and perennial sweet peas blooming. I did need to remove some of the sweet peas because I couldn't see the rusty wheelbarrow at all.

This area is on the house side of the walk way. These Mullins are among my most favorite blooms. The pink phlox, pixie twinkle, is blooming behind it. The 'wild' garden on the other side of the walk is continually getting wilder! I'm excited to see the gooseneck loosestrife blooming for the first time! I traded with a lady that came to the garden tour last year for some yellow. I'd been wanting this for awhile but since it's invasive, it's not usually sold here.

The cone flowers and the red corcosia are just beginning to bloom.
At the bottom of the 'wild' garden it's blue! Blue bellflower, sea holly and light blue camponella are all going strong. Cone flowers are just getting started in the center garden, too. The false mallow, party girl has joined the party also. She does spread around quite well!
I like the punch of color the blue hydrangea adds to the shade garden. I moved this a couple years ago and wasn't sure if it would bloom again. The hosta blooms and pink and white astilbe
help brighten up this dark corner.

The day lily border has also come alive! I never did get a shot of the Stella D'ore and now there are 2 shades of yellow and a peach here and there. The yellow always seem to bloom first but by next week there should be a couple shades of peach.

I only have a couple clumps of this yellow throated burgundy and they don't show up well because they are shorter than the others. Maybe I'll remember to move them this year.

There's a lot of bloomin' going on in Western New York and after all the spring rain, we are wishing for more! I need to water the newer plants most every day now and the weeds are getting harder to pull.
I'm anxious to see what you all have going on in your gardens! Just add your name and permalink to Mr Linky and add a link to this post on your blog to join the tour. Just a reminder, I try to have this post up by 9 Monday night so you can sign up then if it's easier.

Happy Gardening!

1. Bella's Rose Cottage 2. My Tomato Garden {Frilly Details} 3. flowerbed 4. Oregon Lavender Festival 5. Donna's Designs 6. Zoey in Michigan 7. daisy 8. PuteriFauziah 9. Darla, North Florida 10. Racquel 11. Happier Than A Pig In Mud

12. Blues in the Garden Beth 13. Gardening Journal at Extraordinary Life 14. Deb 15. Around the Yard 16. Cindy@OldTimePickers 17. Lisa @ My Omaha Garden -- first post 18. Carol at Our Sears Kit Home 19. Rosemary 20. Through My Garden Window 21. Jennifer@threedogsinagarden 22. Corner Garden, NE

23. Fishtail Cottage 24. Suzanne 25. Nell Jean 26. Deborah Jean 27. ~~Rhonda 28. Nayana 29. We Have A Greenhouse! 30. Roses and Gargoyles 31. Our Country Home 32. Lavender Garden Cottage

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Favorite Things Friday

Monarda

Petite Delight

Marshall's Delight

Blue Stocking

Gardenview Scarlet

Do you love Bee Balm?

Demo Treasure!

My daughter and I went to a couple sales last week. We went into the garage (One of my favorite places to shop!) and I spotted a shelf in the corner made with 3 old posts. It was marked 10 dollars and was 50% off! Of course, I had to have it! I was told that if I wanted it I had to remove it from the wall. A man had purchased a vice that was attached and wanted the shelf too but couldn't get it off.

My daughter backed away and said "You should never say that to my Mom!" The only tools left were a couple small hammers so I grabbed them both and started working. Another worker came and watched.

As you can tell, I got it loose! The second worker carried it to the car for me and when I thanked him he said it was worth it to watch me remove it! The other worker said she couldn't wait to see the man that tried to remove it earlier and tell him about it.

I was going to tear it apart but Laurie suggested I try it in the garden all together first. I dug around in the shed and basement to come up with some 'stuff' to put on it. I'm lovin' it! How about you?

Sorry about Bloomin' Tuesday this week! It was a busy weekend and I just didn't get to it. It will be back next week.

Favorite Things Friday