Sleep. Creep. Leap.

                                                         Spring is a bloom in my garden!

There's a whole lot of leaping going on!

When I started my first garden in the spring of 2012, my sister-in-law, Bobbie, told me there's a saying about perennials that is helpful to remember. The first year they sleep. The second year they creep. The third year they leap. She was right on!

This spring is the third year and my perennials are leaping! Plants are blooming that have shown very poorly the last two springs, and color is abound. What a joy to see it.!

I love the shade of blue these clematis are!

 

To think I didn't have to do any work this spring to achieve this result. It was amazing when the green shoots first started coming up in March. But then to see this display of color so quickly, and in May!

 

                                                                          Red Poppies

Jerry likes these red poppies the best. I like the reddish orange poppies below. They're in the wildflower garden.

                                                                              Poppies

 

The orange poppies were here before Jerry and I moved in 28 years ago. And I've been delighted with them each spring.

 

                                       Mom's orange azalea presented a good show recently.

Last Friday I was in peony heaven. The delightful spot was in Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg where a small formal garden displays vestiges of a historic collection. It's a 50-by-75 foot plot of many varieties of peonies.

My love affair with peonies was discovered when my friend, Karla Dornacher, posted a picture of a lovely vase full of peonies from her garden. (See my posts My Little Peonies, May 18, 2010 and Peonies and Baby Leaves, April 8, 2010.)

When I moved into this house on the ridge, there was a peony garden down by the road at the entrance to our home. As I was not a gardener at that time, I had Jerry pulled them out. I think my sister-in-law took some also. All I could see were flowers with ants on them. I didn't have time in my life for flowers, growing them that is.

Now I love them! I have two peony gardens, one on the front side of the house, and one on the left side of the house in the back yard. This year their leaping! I'm thrilled.

Following are some more snaps from Seneca Creek.

So spring is alive on the ridge! Early mornings find me outside with the pups, sitting, enjoying the quiet. I'm thankful my enjoyment of gardening finally blossomed in my life, albeit at 63. And I'm thankful for perennials that keep blooming, year after year, like my orange poppies. Yes, they're leaping!

                                         A well deserved rest after some hard playing!

 

 

 

You Wanta do What?

Blues and purples in the garden

 

A young woman read my blog post last week and called to say USE ME!

 

The post was telling about my mishap with my knees and all the plants still needing to be planted. Just another post of the happenings in my life. But someone read it and said: "I can do that." Danielle came over last Saturday morning and planted my plants, weeded the gardens and moved around the dirt to present a clean appearance.

 



Danielle and me

 

It's hard to accept help from others. When I typed that post, the thought that someone would offer to help never occurred to me. When Danielle emailed me and offered her services, I was surprised.

 

We talked about people in need and how they don't want to ask for help. We decided when you know of a need, sometimes you just have to go to the person's house and do it. Thank you, Danielle, for helping me. My spirits were cheered!

 

This week finds me at my friend, Cindy's, home, dog sitting. I'm spending the night with two lovely girls who are calm and happy. Delaney, below, belongs to Cindy's daughter, Charlotte.

 

Sweet Delaney

 

Aspen, below,  is the girl I let out three days a week. She's very loving!

 

Aspen

 

That means Jerry is at home with the pups at night. I'm close enough that I come home during the day to take care of this and that. I'm glad Cindy felt comfortable enough to ask if I could help. Charlotte is a vet in Columbia, and has been taking care of Abby and Jo's first months with us. It's certainly nice to know a good doctor!

 

The lovely flowers below are from a tree in Cindy's front yard. I think it's Dogwood. Her home is also where I got the lovely Alstroemeria I posted last week.

 

 

"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."  Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) 

                                                          It's my ball. No, it's my ball.

Age Means Change

A nice portrait of Abby and Jo at 5 1/2 months

 

I didn't get just Medicare and two puppies when I turned 65. I've also been reminded that my knees are old and not happy toting me around!

Last Friday and Saturday mornings I walked around quite a bit doing this and that in the gardens, and out and about in Westminster. Late Saturday afternoon my good knee decided it didn't want to work anymore. Sunday I was using one crutch to help me get  around.

                        Although frost destroyed most of the blooms on my young magnolia tree,
                                                     I did get a few beautiful blooms!

It was when I retired that my knees really became an issue. I started walking Sam in the park each morning. Both of us loved it! We started out on flat ground for a few weeks before we started half way around the walk path. I thought we were doing well when my left knee went out. That knee has never fully recovered, and I'm sure knee replacement will be in my future.

                                      This candy tuft is a real bright spot in the spring garden!

But a few days ago it was my good knee that struck back! That's not funny. After all, I have plants that need planting. Wait a minute. That's when it went out. This is quite a dilemma! It's not like I can call Jerry over to take care of the planting. He's worse off than I am!

                     This Alstroemeria (Peruvian lily) is a beauty in my friend, Cindy's, backyard.

Yes, a lot of things change as you get older. I bet you're wondering what made me want two puppies at this point. Seems kind of strange, doesn't it?

                                        Enjoyed seeing this pastoral scene not far from home.

Over these last three months since the pups came home with us, I've decided two puppies are, indeed, better than one. They are so happy being together! Whether it's eating, sleeping, playing, loving or fighting, they are close buddies. They have someone to lean on at all times.

             Every year I'm delighted to see my baby leaves appear on the maple tree out back.

Yes, they did destroy my tulips this year, but my poppies started opening the other day! The little wire fence that isn't working has kept them out of the garden 80% of the time. All my other plants are healthy and growing!

My poppies say a joyful good morning!

                                 
Having two pups that want to snuggle in your lap is fun and heavy. Yes, I've fallen twice, with them at my feet, but thankfully, no damage was done. Although walking the pups has been delayed a few days because of my knees, both of them are calming down on their walks, and are so excited when I get down the leash. I do Abby first because she's more distracted and pulls more. Jo is still calm and slow.

Yes, age does mean change, but I'm hoping I'm up to the experience. If it wasn't for those old knees!

Abby hides in the dog house when Jerry gets the tractor out and mows.



At scrappyhappymom.blogspot.com I found this quote: "Happiness starts with a wet nose and ends with a tail!" I do believe that's true!

I leave you with a rainbow I enjoyed seeing yesterday from my backyard, rain drops were falling.

 

And There Goes a Sheep

And there were lots of them! It was a beautiful spring day at the Sheep and Wool Festival at the Howard County fairgrounds. We were there at the start of the day last Saturday morning, all three of us walking with canes!

The Maryland Festival is among the largest in our nation, and 50,000 were expected during the two day event.

Following are some of the sights we enjoyed:

I didn't see any small lambs, but lambs just the same. Hhere they were being judged.

Waiting their turn

I stopped and talked with this man and learned he and his wife came from California to show their sheep. I asked him what he enjoyed most about the show and he replied "meeting all the nice people who come to the show."

And this is his Mrs. caring for one of their sheep.



And the big guys were there too!



And there they are in the ring for the judges bidding



The sheep dogs were there, working on command.



Oh, did I say there were crowds. Thankfully, I took this right before we left. One advantage of getting to an event early - you can leave when the crowd arrives!



There were spinners and weavers . . .



and chair caning . . .



Soothing music to enjoy . . .



Second place for this painting . . .



a first place winter!



and shopping, shopping and more shopping!



No shortage of wool to purchase



It was an enjoyable morning of being out, loving the sunshine and eating chocolate ice cream for brunch (all three of us)! I leave you with this little one who didn't want anyone to see him . . .

 



Son, you must turn your self around so all the people can see how cute you are.