AT THE GARDEN CENTER GIFT SHOP

 I meant to share these back in April. I didn't buy anything but had a fun time looking around. At the garden center on each side of a corridor were the gift shops. You may have seen this post.  

I don't know what these would be called, but they were spools of decorative binding with different patterns. I especially liked the one with bees. They would look very nice on the end of a summer blouse or dress, or a tablecloth perhaps.

This design of an old postcard was on the front of a bag.

 

There were so many things I enjoyed browsing through.

I particularly liked the bunny. 

No surprise there!

And the frog!

and I thought these decorative butterflies were really pretty.

They were next to the ceramic froggy watering can.

And that's all from the garden center.

Thanks for looking and 

I hope your day is a great one.

BLANKET FLOWERS

A Flower is a Flower

I did not bring you roses

When you searched for something rare,

Instead I brought you daisies

And I hoped you wouldn't care;

And now I look behind me

With a wistful little smile - 

You would have taken dandelions

And loved me all the while.

~Linda Ori~

YESTERDAY WE....

took a break from painting the room and did yard work.  

Finally got round to planting the coneflowers.  We couldn't plant in the spot I wanted as Gregg found a big rock, that I swear if we dug down deep enough, it probably would turn into a huge boulder.  There are so many of these in our yard, we keep hitting them whenever we try to plant anything.  

I tidied up the roses on the end of the house while Gregg worked in the front.  I also did some weeding until he told me to knock it off. I had that focused look on my face that told him I would be there til way past sundown, and truth be told I was getting tired.  There is a spot in the back where the weeds are taking over.  I need a scythe!  Okay, not that bad but you get the drift.  We also have to be very careful because there is poison ivy out back.  We had a professional come in after one nasty episode after Gregg did the weeding.  He had to make a trip to the doctor and it has made us wary of tackling it by ourselves.  However, the dreaded stuff is starting to come back and it has to be taken care of.

Back to painting today and back to weeding tomorrow. It is going to be in the 90s this week but last night it was lovely and cool, and we left the windows open.  Nothing like that sweet breeze for good sleeping, and we both slept like logs.

Earlier in the day we were out and about running errands.  The home gardening store, the supermarket and a new sandwich shop for lunch.  The day went by fast, so nothing too exciting but it was fun to us and good to get out.  

My photos today were taken in the front of the garden center where there was a small pond. They only had three koi swimming around but they were very pretty.  One was a solid dark color that was hard to make out as it was in a shaded area, but it had the prettiest smoky white tail fin.  I like koi, a beautiful fish and so pleasant to observe. 

I hope you all have a great day today.  Thanks again for all the wonderful comments you leave.  

I WENT TO THE GARDEN CENTER

I have been looking at our garden again, seeing what I can find to attract bees and butterflies.  A few days ago we visited a nearby garden center.  

I found the pretty frame above on my PIP app, the same app as I used for the collage in my previous post.

Not being that knowledgeable about such things, all I had to do was look at what they had in stock, and which flowers attracted the most bees.  However, I only bought one plant, a coneflower in a deep orange, almost red color, still to be planted at the side of the house where it will get plenty of sun.  

This is called a Pincushion Flower - Scabiosa columbaria - 'Butterfly Blue'.

I also took photos of a lot of other flowers I would like to add eventually.  It is a lovely place and fun to browse around, I will be going again soon.  The pretty flower below is the same photo as the top one in the frame, cropped.

Gaillardia - Blanket Flower

This is Agastache - 'Black Adder'.

Coneflowers

The Blanket Flower again.

I either forgot to or didn't see an ID on these.  At first I thought they were Ox Eye Daisies.  Noticing the yellow tinge on the leaves I looked on line.  The nearest I came to identifying them was a Banana Cream Shasta Daisy?

Because I am very happy with the quality of photos from my phone (and sometimes my iPAD), I didn't bother buying a point and shoot camera when my last one stopped working.  Most of the photos I take now are with my phone, unless I need the other one with the zoom lens when I am trying to take photos of birds and other wildlife.   

I have a few more photos from here, but as they are of a different theme I will share them next time.

FLOWERS AND A POEM

I'll plant and water, sow and weed,

Till not an inch of earth shows brown,

And take a vow of each small seed

To grow to greenness and renown:

And then some day you'll pass my way,

See gold and crimson, bell and star,

And catch my garden's soul, and say:

"How sweet these cottage gardens are."

~Edith Nesbit, the poem 'Seed-Time and Harvest from the Pomander of Verse, 1895~