Butterfly visitor 2012

I had to share this beauty... We had just come home from playing Sunday.. we were walking up to the house from the back driveway when this little beauty fluttered around and caught my eye... I was able to get in the house and grab my camera for a couple of pictures. =)

I have only seen one little dragonfly this year so far but this pretty makes up for it. =)

Flowers 2012

 Last year I planted a little "window" box of Lavender and placed it on the little gazebo in the back yard... Here's a small sample of what bloomed this year... It has an absolutely wonderful smell... I love sitting in the back yard in the gazebo and smelling the lavender and gardenias... I planted some honeysuckle this year also...it's not very big yet...but it will be~

Here's one of 10 fushia baskets I have hanging in the yard! I finally was able to successfully "winter" some baskets from last year (completely by accident...albeit a happy one!) so I ended up with way more baskets than I usually have.. hopefully next year I will be as lucky!!

This is the wisteria that we planted in 2007... it bloomed for the first time this year!! I was sooo happy! This was literally a stick when we planted it...really... no root ball...no dirt... just a stick packaged in some sawdust... and now after 5 years of waiting it finally bloomed. =)

The camelia in the back yard. This one used to be in the front yard but we moved year before last to the back yard.. I wasn't sure about it since last year it didn't do very well... but this year it's covered in beautiful flowers.. so it must be happy enough.

Here's the little patio that George did last year... complete with my little swing and some pretty hanging baskets... I love to sit out here and drink my morning coffee on the weekends...or in the evening just relaxing... it's one of my little happy places... 

Fun night around the Fire Pit

 So.. after talking about these fire pit/ chimney things for the last 3+ years we finally decided to break down and buy one... So after a bit of assembly by George... we had our first fire in our new wonderful fire pit... in the rain.. well... not quite rain, but sprinkles... We set it up in the front driveway so we could hide at the entrance of the garage just in case the skies really opened up... but it wasn't really needed..

and there was fire!! the first time lit!

This may not literally count as a sunshine break..due to there being no sun...but sunshine really is a state of mind... so I think it counts in the metaphoric sense.. it made my brain feel sunshiny.. =)

Our friend Lydia came over to try out the new fire holder... and make smores.... Yum!

Bandit wants Smores.... he's feeling left out! spoiled dog any way!!! =)

Magnolia tree

Well... I know it's gonna be hard to believe.... but it didn't take 2 years to plant the magnolia tree.... LOL!!!

We got this done today... George as usual dug the hole and I plopped the plant in... looking forward to watching this become a "real" tree... it's a baby and it takes time...

dragon's cave of serenity....

Here is my new place of serenity.... George put this gazebo/ arbor together for me in the back yard... it's still a work in progress....but I LOVE IT already!!! up til now the swing has been my favorite spot in the yard...and I still love the swing... but this I envision lots ot things for... maybe an evergreen clematis growing on it....some evergreen baskets so it's not sad looking in the winter... some cushions....and if I can make up my mind some solar string lights....all in good time... but... Oh...yes...definately a work in progress.... =)

at some point I'm hoping there will be a fire pit... and a small stone patio... just under the arbor itself... to help level it out... I love to go barefoot so I don't want to let go of too much of the grass!! See I wasn't kidding when I said I envisioned lots of things for this corner!! LOL!!!

It's got a great spot for a window type box... I've got it planted with several types of lavander and a really pretty fragrant thyme...

2011 Trees...

So here is our wedding tree.... we planted a California Mountian Liliac the year we got married.... it's looking pretty good now... it was a little scraggly that first year! but flowered beautifuly this year!!

we finally got the Japenese maple planted! we bought it the year we got married (2009) and it's been patiently waiting for decisions to be made on it's permanent place of residence in our yard... I think it looks very nice here and hope it finds lots of happiness in this spot... other wise George will be digging it up!!!

Now this is the next dear little baby to plant... a magnolia tree... hopefully it has a shorter wait than the maple did.... =) although as long as it turns out as great as the maple it doesn't matter!

Flowers of 2011

so here is this years flowers that are currently making my porch a happy place.... =)

George found this gorgeous dragonfly pinwheel... wind spinner that is sooo cool!!


bought a bunch of diffent lavander plants haven't gotten around to planting them quite yet George is wanting to make some window boxes that will mount to the porch railing... looking forward to them!

some of my pretty irises are blooming already... can't wait for the rest of them to join in!

SPRING??!!!!

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Well the much anticipated fushia week has arrived!

This is practically a holiday at our house, mostly for me but George humors me with it.

I drug George down to the store to do my yearly purchase of fushia starts.... and a few other flowers that sometimes jump in the cart...ok ..ok...always jump in the cart.

So here is me having fun with all the little plants. I have made 6 hanging baskets so far but I have to go back on monday after work to see what the truck brought in(new shipment) since the kind that George really likes wasn't there today. I'm hoping that it comes in on the truck tomorrow.

So take a break from the rain, and the snow and the grey clouds and enjoy the pretty flowers I'm working on this year.

SUNSHINE BREAK

winter in oregon can be a bit dreary, the rain can get to a person so i felt like sharing some pictures from my garden this last spring/summer in hopes of keeping some of the winter blahs away! hope you enjoy them.