Christmas Cactus In BloomMy Christmas cactus bloomed just in time for the holiday this morning. You can see another blossom ready to open, maybe I'll see it on Christmas morning. It is one of my favorite plants because even in the coldest days of winter I can still see the beauty of a flower.
Use Removable Inserts In BirdbathI have a lot of bird baths and most of them are made from cement and stone. They are very heavy and my biggest pet peeve about them is that they sit in the sun and they turn green with algae.
Sharing A Peony PictureI call the Peony 'The Mother's Day Flower'. That's because most people who grow them hope they are in bloom on Mother's Day and are thrilled when they are.
Flowering ThymeI've been growing thyme at the top of this strawberry pot for a few years now. I originally planted herbs in each of the pockets but they all got too dried out and didn't make it, except for the thyme at the top. I love the delicate purple blossoms. After they finish blooming, I will trim them all off to allow the thyme to put out new leaves for tasty cooking for the rest of the summer and fall.
Orange GeumHere are some photos of my geum in bloom. It's also known as Avens, part of the Rosaceae family. This easy to grow perennial has beautiful airy flowers in bright orange. Other varieties can be pink, red or yellow. The main part of the plant resembles a strawberry plant, and some varieties are know as "barren-strawberry." As the blooms fade, you are left with attractive seed pods. It's a great addition to your flower garden.
Creating Something and Watching It Grow'It all started with a seed, in a damp paper towel, inside of a ziplock bag. That was the start of my family's very first garden. The beauty in this is not about how big the garden is or how big and full the plants can get. It's about creating something of your own with things as simple as a handful of seeds, and watering them as they grow into an actual garden.
Texas BluebellsHere are photos of a few Texas Bluebells, a wildflower that grows every year in our front yard. Please know that I do NOT pick them, but this one had broken off, so I brought it inside. I want to let as many of them go to seed as possible.
Pretty RosesThis is my first time planting roses bushes and I've been pleasantly surprised at how well they are doing. What are some helpful tips to help keep them looking good?
Wedding Weed BouquetI was walking home one day in a not so nice area, when suddenly I came across this beautiful weed. It reminded me of a wedding bouquet. It was definitely a surprise worth admiring and taking a picture of. Beauty can pop up in unexpected places ! :)
DandelionBeautiful cheerful yellow flowers are a real decoration of every lawn.
MahoniaMahonia is a first sign of spring. It appears immediately after the snow. With its beautiful flowers and intense scent, it attracts bees.
Peach BlossomThe peach blossom is one of the most beautiful to appear in early spring.
A Weed or Not a Weed?As I was going around our backyard pulling weeds, I found these beautiful orange flowers growing through the lattice that surrounds our air conditioner. We never planted them, so I wondered how they sprung up there. Then I noticed the leaves on this "flower" and they looked exactly like the leaves of the weeds I had been pulling up.
Blooming Air PlantThis is the first time this air plant (Tillandsia) has bloomed. I love the beautiful purple flower. Afterwards, I believe I should be expecting baby pups. Snapped some photos to share with you all!
Praying Mantis SacsI discovered two praying mantis sacs in my backyard. The sacs are both relatively small so I wonder how many eggs are inside each. These praying mantis will be a great addition to my garden when they hatch.
Creating Your Own Botanical Garden During Shut DownThe year of 2020 will never be forgotten, with virtually no travel, separation from family, and many tourist attractions closed. It was time to focus more on what I have. I decided to make my garden more of a relaxation, tranquil, and fragrant place to hang out, during a time where going away wasn't really possible. I went with some upgrades to my garden, all the while this work was giving me a purpose, therapy of plantings and the great outdoors, that is free to enjoy.
Yellow ChrysanthemumsAlthough it was late autumn, this flower survived. All around him were dry, fallen leaves, and this flower, with its pale yellow color, attracted attention.
Butterfly MagnetWhile shopping in the lawn and garden section at a home improvement store, I was trying to decide on plants. This beautiful butterfly landed on the butterfly bush next to me. Pretty good sales technique, I bought two bushes!
Colorful CaterpillarsThese caterpillars are an unusual color, teal blue, and so are the bright pink and green leaves in the background. Very vibrant and colorful!
Christmas BeautyThis beauty was actually two small Christmas cactuses my daughter and I purchased two years ago at Christmas time. After Christmas was over that year, we put them both together in a larger pot on my porch and watched how it flourished. It has grown quite a bit since then and it's flowers are always abundant. Love always grows just like the love I have for my daughter.
Sunflowers in a Corn FieldThis beautiful sunflower sprouted on its own, surrounded by corn. All summer the birds came and fed on sunflower seeds.
Sweet CherryCherries are the first sign that spring has arrived. They look and smell wonderful. I photographed this in my brother's backyard last spring.
Beautiful ZephyranthesA beautiful Zephyranthes, my favorite flowers. I've had them for years.
Gulf Fritillary ButterflyA beautiful Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis Vanillae) butterfly enjoying an afternoon snack in the back yard.
Boo! (Tree)This is a picture of a decaying tree but it looks like the face of a ghost! Just in time for Halloween!
Flowers in My BackyardDuring the summer, I had beautiful sunflowers growing. I will seed sunflowers again next season.
Hide and Seek Bee in Esperanza BushThis large bush in our yard with yellow flowers attracts bees. I was watching the bees go in and out of the inside of the flowers, crawling to the center of the flowers to "hide".
Strawberry BedLooking forward to growing these in our winter garden.
Rustic Beauty IrisAmidst the rustic wood and wire fence, I found this pretty iris growing.
Praying Mantis on Passionfruit FlowerHere is another photo I snapped of this praying mantis hanging out in my backyard. This time it's a brown praying mantis oppose to green and relaxing on the passionfruit flower. Normally this brown praying mantis is camouflaged by the tree branches so I was surprised to see it here!
White FlowerThis picture is from May 2017. There have not been any more flowers in the last three years. I don't know the name of this flower.
Autumn Bloom (Dahlia)In late September, I came across this huge blooming dahlia during a morning walk. Positively luscious, it reminded me of satin ribbons. It truly was a last burst of summer's beauty before the seasons changed.
My First TomatoThe photo you see is my first tomato with my brand new camera! Best tasting vine ripe tomato because it was my first! The vine in the background is the plant I picked it from.
Field of ZinniasAfter riding by and seeing a garden with rows of zinnias in it that my Mama could not stop talking about, my Daddy decided that he could do better than that....and he did. That has been some years ago so the field of zinnias has become something that we all look forward too every year.
Half Circles in Longan LeavesHave you ever seen perfectly half circles bitten into your plant/trees leaves? I was so shocked but with a little research I found out leaf cutting bees made this art work. These leaf cutting bees won't do any harm to the leaves or plant/tree, but uses the collected leaves to make nest for their young ones. I found it very interesting and had to share!
Yellow Orange RoseWe had just gotten a bouquet of flowers, and decided to take a photo of them. My dad had gotten them for my mom, as a present. :) I really liked the color of this one, so I chose to take a photo of it.
House Sparrow EggsI was doing some yard work while we were under quarantine. I was cutting some bushes when all of the sudden, I saw this nest! It had four eggs in it. I didn't know what kind of eggs they were, so I looked it up and they were House Sparrow eggs. They were pretty small, about the size of a quarter, and blue with brown speckles.
Pairs of PearsPears ripening on a pear tree.
Beautiful Flowers at SunsetThis picture is of a tree right next to our house outside my bedroom window. It's beautiful and it blooms white and pink flowers every summer. I just had to take a picture of it!
The Sweet Smell of Flowers (Bird of Paradise)This is a picture of my sweet little granddaughter Cambria taken about five years ago just before they moved from Arizona to Idaho. Her outfit and her hairbow match the beautiful colors of nature right in our own front yard's Bird of Paradise bush! This was a fun moment to capture.
Purple Rhododendron (Hillsboro, OR)Here is the purple rhododendron that grows right outside my front door. I haven't ever seen so many blooms at once. I bought it at the farmer's market many years ago because of the beautiful flowers, which are a deeper and more electric color than the light purple rhodies you normally see.
Spilling Wheelbarrow Garden PlanterHere is a "spilling wheelbarrow" I made, using coleus. It was easy to make and can be used for years.
Recycle Plastic Tubs to Hold CuttingsI recycle margarine and ice cream tubs and use them to put my cuttings in. They will hold around four or five small pots. They are easy to transport and catch the drips when watering.
Revived Clearance RosesI purchased (2) sad 2 gallon hybrid tea shrub roses from Lowes for 50% off - originally $24.98 now $12.49 each.
Floating Flower Bed for the HummingbirdsWe don't have much area to plant flowers in our yard as it's mostly concrete everywhere and an in-ground pool, so we had an idea for our backyard hummingbirds. That was to give them some real nectar, from real flowers.
New Retaining Wall and Early PlantingsDuring the summer of 2018 we added a second tier retaining wall to our front yard. It improved the existing steep slope that was mostly useless, as it was difficult to water and slippery to try and weed.
Park in Spring (Rochester, NY)Flowering trees and scrub at the park in spring.
Sky High Artistry (Spiderweb)We recently had a large tree in our yard trimmed. When the work was finished it was sad to see tree standing there with no leaves adorning it. The morning after the tree was trimmed, I walked outside and saw that a spider found the tree to be an ideal place for her to display her artistic skills. The beauty of her web was an outstanding distraction from the bareness of the tree.
Waterfall of FlowersI think this is probably one of my best masterpieces in my gardens. I use waterfalls or ponds and turn them into plants and flower beds.
Robin's NestOur spring cleaning and repairs were temporarily interrupted when we discovered two robins making a nest outside our back door. They found our light fixture to be the perfect place. They got all sorts of material to make the base of the nest, including some shredded pieces of tarp that my son missed when cleaning up.
Winter Sown LettuceWinter sowing is a method of planting seeds in milk jugs and letting them sit out all winter. My lettuce did so well it was coming out of the jug and I planted it today. There is no need to harden off the plants since they have been outside all winter. Follow this link to a tip on Thriftyfun: Start Seeds Outdoors With Winter Sowing
Mr. Red in the Snow (Hummingbird)Snow in Las Vegas is so rare. It's fun watching the hummingbirds have so much fun in it. They've never seen or been in it before, so it's quite a treat for them.
Baby Sunflowers (Black-eyed Susans)Pennsylvania is beautiful no matter what time of year it is, especially near the mountains and farmlands. We were driving around with my Aunt's friends who were visiting from Georgia. We stopped a lot to take pictures of the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside.
Moonflower IllusionI took this photo at night using a flashlight to illuminate the moonflower vine. The result ended up looking like the white bloom was suspended in the air. The night sky as a background showcases the beauty of the moonflower.
Trimming Shrubs CreativelyI live in the city and I just wanted to try something different to help our city of Paterson New Jersey look a little better. Our city may not be the most beautiful, but having something cool to look at may take our minds off the ugliness.
Mr. Red (Hummingbird)This is one of our favorite hummingbirds, Mr Red, because he's the friendliest little guy of all the hummingbirds, I've ever seen.
A Big Bug? No a Hummingbird!I was sitting outside hand feeding my favorite squirrel. This usually keeps her out of my bird-feeder when I heard this thump and felt something hit the side of my leg. Looking down I thought, WOW, what a huge bug. I reached down to pick it up and throw it into the grass when I realized it was a hummingbird.
Relaxing Low Maintenance YardThere were actually no plants on the property when I purchased it. After the pool and fencing was done, I planted everything; 99 Areca palms, many fruit trees, mango, coconut, avocado, orange, tangerine, lemon, lime and figs. In 3-5 years, that's the payoff.
Bearded Iris "Velna"It's six in the evening. I saw an opportunity to get what I thought would be a good shot of this iris, and I took it. Turned out pretty well. The colors are gorgeous but I particularly like the angle of the shot.
Garden of Smiles - Painted RockWalking through a garden taking photos, I came upon this rock garden and this smiling rock caught my eye. Definitely made my day. Must be nice to be a rock!
Scenes from My HomeThis is my potting shed that is mostly made from re-purposed items along with my arbor and my wooden gazebo with the homemade bird house on top. I really enjoy creating me spaces and using and re-purposing old items.This is not all of my very busy cluttered yard, just a few of my spaces.
Potting ShedThis is a potting shed I made. It had a re-purposed wood ceiling. Re-purposed granite top tables made out of 2x4 and 4x4 outdoor wood and re-purposed shelving with a lattice back.
Annual Peace LilyI received this plant in 2008 when my father passed away and have lovingly cared for it since. I wait for it to bloom every year. It takes quite a while after winter starts, for its bloom to actually open but, when it does, I am filled with a peace that its name represents.
A Bouquet of EdiblesThree wonderful sunny days this week tell me that the darkest days of winter are behind us. The seed catalogues landing in my inbox and in my postbox are filled with possibilities to make even more colourful and tasty edible bouquets than the ones I created last summer.
Clear Bird Feeder VisitorsI got my father a clear birdhouse feeder because he adores interacting with animals, but he's now too old and fragile to go outside to play with them as often. I initially got it so he could watch the birds eat the food he left inside, but now it seems every creature visits.
Trivia About RobinsI was discussing the migration of the American Robin with a fellow ThriftyFun member. Together, we learned some interesting facts.
Happy Backyard Birds at ChristmastimeI love to share the holiday spirit with our backyard feathered friends too.
Monarch ButterfliesA male and female monarch butterfly released.
Busy Butterfly (Monarch Butterfly)I came across this beautiful Monarch butterfly on an early morning walk this September. Intensely feeding on nectar, and pollinating the flower, he did not seem to notice me at all! Quietly, I leaned in closer and closer until I captured him on film. Then I left him unbothered and continued on.
Pink FlowerI just returned from a vacation where I went to a magnificent garden. I took a walk in my neighborhood and passed this beauty. I'm not sure if it's a hibiscus.
Our PondThis is my pond. My Hubby built it because we live on a hill and I was retiring. He dug it all out by hand. It's very relaxing. Even inside our bedroom, you can hear the waterfall and the bullfrog while you are falling asleep.
Mockingbird's Unique BehaviorHave you ever noticed mockingbirds scurrying about on the ground while intermittently raising their wings? I believe when the bird lifts its wings and exposes the white bands to the very close ground, the white bands disturb and frighten insects in the immediate area, causing them to move quickly to avoid danger.
Watching this Garden GrowA John Denver Song comes to mind when I see how my garden has grown.
Blackberry BonsaiMy husband found this blackberry root, growing a new plant, up through a chunk of bark. The Himalayan blackberries are extremely invasive here and can literally grow anywhere! I won't lie though, I really enjoy picking berries in our backyard.
Flowering Weeds in My Yard (Erodium moschatum)I thought this was a pretty sight when I woke up this morning, despite the work ahead. We have just gotten back from a three day weekend late yesterday. We mowed early last week, but it definitely needs it again.
Frog Rock Garden PondMy Frog Rock Garden was an idea that came from renovating our front yard from a flower bed to a rock garden pond when we began collecting river rocks from my late sister's home in Arkansas. I collected ceramic and resin frogs to give the rock garden pond a whimsical look along with placing water pumps in two of the frogs to appear that the frogs were spitting into the pond.
Yoshino CherriesNow, here's something I bet most of you have never seen, Yoshino cherries. I think it's my first time, as well. Spotting these while deadheading a pansy bed beneath the tree has initiated a need to know.
Ragged Pansy BedEarlier, I posted a picture of some sunken beds I was preparing for pansies. I got them planted and now they are beginning to make a nice display. Shown is one of the five beds.
Pinata Rose ClusterSome time back, I posted a picture of Piñata roses. They were lying on a straw hat. It was a nice picture, well liked by members. It did nothing though, to show all the brilliant colors this plant can produce.
My Succulent TrollI saw this tip in a magazine. I bought my lovely troll on eBay then followed the instructions to plant succulents in her head. A good pull removed the ball of her hair to begin with. Then I packed the head area with some compost.
My Faithful BegoniasI grow a lot of begonias. To save money, each fall I bring some in to root cuttings. I'm behind this year. You can see in the picture what an unseasonable 3 degrees did to my plants. Guess I'll have to fork over much dollars for new plants come spring.
Amaryllis Journey to BlossomI received this amaryllis for Christmas this year and watched the transformation from the bulb to the green leaves. Now I am waiting to see the transformation of this bulb into stunning petals of beauty.
Storing Peruvian Daffodil BulbsHymenocallis festalis, the Peruvian daffodil, is a tropical, bulb bearing plant. When grown in the temperate regions, the bulbs must be lifted from the soil and stored indoors for the winter.
Encouraging Hedgehogs in Your GardenIf you have trees and shrubs in your garden, sweep up the prunings and leaves in the autumn into a hedgehog pile. It will give the hedgehogs somewhere cozy to sleep for the winter and they will thank you by eating slugs, bugs, and snails in the summer.
Growing Dragon FruitDragon fruit used to be a rare type of fruit. Now it is distributed and sold to our markets. This plant belongs to the cactus family. Based on facts I have read about dragon fruit, it contains various vitamins and minerals that prevent diseases like diabetes and joint pain. It contains antioxidants and more.
The Little Frog KingA worthless trinket, thrown out with the dead remains of an uncared for dish garden? To the adult who has lost their ability to imagine, probably yes.
"There's Fungus Among Us!"On a recent trip to a local plant nursery, my son decided to have a toddler tantrum. He refused to get into his carseat so I walked around the parking lot with him until he calmed down. As we were walking over by the dumpster, we saw an old wooden shelf that had this amazing lichen and fungus growing on it!
My "Odd" CardinalThis bird appeared at my feeder last year and I never could get a good look at it. It was bright red, almost orange, it 'glowed', it was so beautiful. It looked like a cardinal, but something was just not right. There were no black markings around the face and it was not the right color red.
Sugar Ants Beneficial for Peony BlossomsHere is my peony covered with sugar ants feasting. Although I don't like these guys crawling around my kitchen, their symbiotic relationship with peonies is well known. The peonies secrete a sweet nectar which you can see it in the picture. The little ants collect all the nectar, allowing the blossom to open easily.
Slug Heaven (Pansies)I've posted pictures of this tree trunk several times. One good thing about small beds devoted to annuals; you can have different flowers and different color schemes every year, or every season, if you like.
Earliglo (Early) StrawberryI just noticed; some companies offer strawberry plants/seeds with the name 'Earliglo', while others offer 'Earliglow'. I wonder if they're the same strawberry. And, I wonder what the developer of the Earli????, named his original. Well, for now, that's beside the point.
Our Very First Green PepperThis is a picture of our very first successful green pepper.
Orange PentasIn the tropics, it's easy to grow flowers year-round. The orange pentas is a favorite here on the islands. We use the flowers to decorate our home, for costumes, and for flower crowns. The plant is easy to grow and the flowers bloom year round.
Pileated WoodpeckersIt is not very often that both the male and female pileated woodpeckers come for suet.
Upcycled ScarecrowWe had lots of fun creating our recycled scarecrow from old pitchers to old handtools.
Container Gardening With ImaginationMy property presents challenges, such as mowing the half acre with a push mower. There are dry, shady areas where not much of anything will grow. I am experimenting with ground covers, such as ivy, in these areas. Until it becomes established, I'm playing around with little decorating ideas.
Rooting Hibiscus Moscheutos Stem...Many years ago (more than I care to remember), I tried to root stem cuttings of Hibiscus Moscheutos. Every stem died. I blamed it on the stems being so young and tender. I gave up on the project, figuring it couldn't be done.
BetterBoy Or TallBoy Tomatoes?These are BetterBoy tomatoes being grown in 5 gal. buckets. Silly me, after pulling all the ripe ones, I think of taking a picture. There are tomatoes at 5 ft., 6 ft., 7 ft., and 8 ft. At 9 and 9½ ft. there are blooms.
A Butterfly On My Butterfly BushHow terribly apropos.
Should Floating Seeds Be Saved?I have read many articles on saving seed. In most all cases, when cleaning and saving seed from pulpy fruit you scoop the seed from the fruit, remove as much pulp as possible, then place seed in a bowl of water. Advice is given to skim off all floating seed and discard as they will not produce plants.
Washing Machine Tub Tomato PlantersI recently took care of my neighbors' kitty and garden while they attended an out of town wedding. The tomato plants growing in these recycled washer tubs were doing so well I wanted to share this planter idea with the members.
Moonflower Vine In TreesI was thinking an alternative title for this piece might be: Can You Bottle This Stuff? I believe it's essence would make an interesting perfume. It would have to be 'cleaned up' a bit, though. It is nice and heady, but muddled.