Happy Spring!

Our warm winter is now a warm spring. Temps in the 70's this week!

I spent the last weekend trying to get my gardens cleaned up. Trimming and weeding and moving plants to places they will look nicer and be happier. At the end of the day on Sunday, I felt like I was 100 years old, everything ached. If you have a garden, I know you can relate to the feeling!

I saw this idea on Pinterest - planting strawberries in cinderblocks. 

I also planted a few varieties of lettuce, some basil seeds, pansies and zinnias.  

A little sprinkle this morning looks great on the plants. 

Lady's mantle above and a tulip bud below which kind of looks like a 

sideways face with the two raindrop eyes. 

An old and not so full hyacinth above, lungwort below. 

Flowers look so dramatic on black. 

My newest custom Painted Pony now on ebay for a few more day. 

Lucky will be entered into the Trail of Painted Ponies new design contest honoring the American Paint Horse. 

Happy Spring!

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. "

~Ruth Stout 

Garden Paradise

Longwood Gardens is the best place to chase away the winter doldrums...

(more on my Longwood Flickr set)

Coral Pea above, a tiny flower from a carnivorous plant below.

A type of beautiful kalanchoe above, lily below. 

(I used my new  macro lens, can you tell:)

A colorful, tropical Aechmea above, several types of orchids below...

Love these pretty salmon and pink primrose below. They had them mixed with a yellow Marguerite daisy and daffodils. Spring bliss!

"I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty."

Georgia O'Keeffe

Canada geese enjoying the sunny day on the lake. 

Owl update. Saw the pair over the weekend, they look happy and healthy.

 Even managed to get a few good photos.

October Butterflies

I am amazed at how many butterflies are in the garden this time of year. My two favorites are the common buckeye and the monarch. It's definitely a feeding frenzy around my butterfly bushes. Today I even saw a hummingbird. What are they doing still hanging around here? 

Pumpkin Pie thought he would play a little game with his squirrel friend this morning. 

No squirrels were harmed:)

Exciting!

When I opened up the September issue of Organic Gardening I saw my bunny in the lettuce photo that I submitted to their reader photo contest. I couldn't believe it (and still can't). OG is one of my very favorite magazines so to be chosen as a finalist is really exciting. To vote, click on this link:

Photo Contest

Some more exciting news... I have been asked back to Devon by Caracol Inspired Jewelry! My paintings will hang in their booth at Dressage at Devon Sept. 27 - Oct. 2.

And if your in South Eastern PA this weekend, I'll be at the Quentin Fall Show (hunter/jumper) on Saturday with original paintings, signs, Painted Ponies and more!

And now some photos from my garden this morning:)

Black and blue salvia above,

blue mist spirea (bluebeard) and monarch below.

This spirea is a bee magnet, I highly recommend this shrub for attracting pollinators to your garden.

Red dahlia below (given to me by my friend, thanks Hope!),

maximillian sunflower below.

Smokebush leaf above,

sunflower below.

Goldflame honeysuckle above,

mourning dove below.

One of my late summer favorites, the toad lily.

Looks like it's from another planet!

Happy Labor Day weekend!