You're right, Mom...I did stop blogging for a few days.

I've been trying to take advantage of the break in the weather. So while I have not blogged, I have taken pictures.

Friday I completed mulching the flower bed at the front of the house. The squirrels were not only confused, but quite annoyed that we relocated the bird feeder with the sunflower seeds. It WAS in the garden; they would run up the rose bush and leap onto Mark Cullen's Choice Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder and feast until bloated. Now they run up a branch, right out to the tip and nothing. Run back into the bush, find a different branch and run to the end of that. Nothing! Of course, I have taken pity and regularly place small stashes of seeds at the base of their favourite trees.

And then I moved into the back yard to work on my circle garden. Before the two weeks of rain started, I was able to build my somewhat pathetic centre structure. Actually, these are recycled willow twigs. I bought a bundle of them from IKEA some four years ago that were meant to be put in some sort of vase indoors, but I was never able to find one tall enough. Instead, they were always hidden away and then went into storage for four years. I knew I would find a use for them eventually. Once the structure was in place, I was only able to plant my Sweet Peas around the North, South and West sides before we called it a day. And then the rain came. And boy did it. This is what the bed looked like when I started on Friday.
Here it is by the end of the day. The garden is meant to be a starter for my perennials, but I have interspersed a few annuals as well, just to add a bit of colour and texture. (Check out the SF's veg garden in the background. He has finished planting two of his three plots!)

By the end of this day, I completed planting the two inner circles and one quarter of the outer circles along with its respective corner. That's 21 different types of flowers so far.

After dinner we sat on the stoop watching Chubby-Cheeks the Chipmunk hoarding all of the sunflower seeds. When his cheeks could hold no more, he retreated for the woods but he must have sensed the Love Doves were going to move in on his stash. See that blur on the pavement and to the right of the black garbage can? I was actually taking pictures of the flower bed for the blog and caught him putting the chase on the two Love Doves. Apparently he does not want to share.


BRING ON SATURDAY.....

Circle Garden...Done! 36 individual flower beds planted. Now we just need to hurry up and wait....and hope that more than just weeds appear.

Then I headed over to my neighbours house for a garden tour. While these photos do not do her garden justice, this is her White Garden. White physotegia, iris, tulips and this posh Tree Peony.


...with dinner plate sized blossoms.

This sublime beauty is Solomon's Seal. Almost tropical looking, isn't it?




And of course, I captured the lupins that are on the boulevard between her house and ours. They just started blooming this week. Must have been all of that rain.

At least someone around here knows that you should ALWAYS take time to smell the flowers.

I'll be back tomorrow. For now, I must sleep. Hopefully this while tide you over until then.