the magic of peonies

I am loving life in my garden.  Everyday has new surprises and joys.  It is fun to see the peonies blooming, after several looong years of waiting.  Their sent is one of the most magical to me.  Calming and yet invigorating!

This summer, thought it has only just begun is going by much too fast for my liking.  There is always something that needs to be done.  I just want to sit by and enjoy.  So I take a little time each day, to smell the roses peonies, and enjoy all the beauty around me.

growing iris

A lovely violet colored bearded iris, complete with orange beards.

Bearded Iris are one of my favorite flowers.  They grow in almost any soil, whether dry or damp.  They thrive without attention, for years at a time.  At my grandma’s there was a couple of clumps growing out behind some out buildings.  No one could recollect who had planted them out there, and though the clump was growing on top of itself, still it grew.  Grew and bloomed, with lovely blue flowers.

When I first moved to this home, I ordered up a bunch of iris from a garden supply catalog.  I also ordered a set of mixed iris and a set of cotton candy pink iris.  Eighteen bulbs in all.  They came in the fall, just as the first snow was settling on the ground. 

I planted them in my garden, hoping for a rainbow of colors come spring. 

That first year, nine of the mixed colored ones bloomed.  I had an assortment of yellows and purple/white ones.  Lovely, but non of the colors I had hoped for.  Only half of the pink ones came up, and I called the company for replacements — which never came. 

Then next year, they did better, but it was then that I discovered that the cotton candy pink ones where not pink!  They were a lovely shade of peach.  Something I never would have ordered, and still, of the three that had grown, only two bloomed.

That fall, I had to move the iris.  I was glad I had noted which plants were which colors, so I could replant them in clumps.  Upon digging the iris, I discovered that my 18 original bulbs (minus those that never grew) had turned into 150 bulbs!  In just two seasons…

When I replanted, I carefully clumped the colors I was sure of, and placed the mystery bulbs along one edge.  There where two colors of yellow, a rich gold with brown beards and a smaller light yellow with yellow beards.  The purple ones and the peach ones.  This spring, the dark gold ones never bloomed, and I couldn’t tell where they were suppose to be, but this purple, which I had never seen before, took it’s place.

little bird

When the baby robins flew their nest the other day, this one stayed behind.  The boys watched and waited for several looonng hours, until it was obvious that the parents weren’t coming back, to take ownership of this fine little fellow. 

They fixed up the butterfly barn as a cage, and padded a coconut shell for the little robin to sleep in.  He ate worms and ants, readily accepting his new ‘parents.’  My boys couldn’t have been prouder!  In the morning, he woke them up with his chirping.

They were glad to have an ‘alarm clock’ that didn’t require batteries.  That day they played with him when ever possible, carefully handling him, carefully feeding him, carefully letting him fly…

He was starting to get the hang of using his wings.  He would flutter from one boy to another, then to the computer screen.  He would fly onto the bunk bed and back to a boy. 

The boys began making plans to keep him.  They wanted to buy a bird cage, so that we could always have a robin in the house. 

I told them that I did not like this idea. 

Wild things should be free. 

Take good care of this one, and when it is time, let it go. 

There will be more creatures for you to care for, if you do well with this one. 

They didn’t like my ideas.  “What if this birdy never really flies?” 

I told them, “Only time will tell.  Now, lets enjoy this fellow while we have him.”  They agreed.

That evening, we ate supper together, the bird secure in his cage.  After supper they gathered more worms, and found the poor little birdy dead.

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I don’t know why such things happen.  They tried so hard.  The bird looked healthy and seemed happy.  It sang the prettiest little songs, especially when with the boys.  The house was plenty warm, though not too hot.  The little birdy should have lived… but he did not.

My boys were heart-broken.  They didn’t know what to make of it.  They wanted so much for this birdy to live.  They had been willing to spend their hard earned cash to provide a home for it, not to mention their time and attention.  They had done everything they could… isn’t that what love does?

a new delight

Looking out my front window today, I spied these little flowers that I have never seen before, growing where we transplanted all sorts of things a couple of years ago.  It seems that our hard work is finally paying off, because there are many new little plants out there. 

I found roses, of a variety other than the wild ones that grow so abundantly around here.  Something with a strong stem and large glossy leaves, standing 6″ tall – it may be a shrub or a tree.  Raspberries are coming up too.  It seems we will have the wild garden we dreamed of, in this little patch of yard!

hen and chicks

From under the protective wings of the mother hen, little chicks do peek.  Growing larger every day, until they are ready to be on their way.  Out in the big ol’ word, they will roam, but never too far from home.

my favorite onion

Egyption Onions are delightful.  They are nearly imposible to kill.  They reproduce by bunching and growing sets or bulbs at the top of the stem, instead of flowers, so, unless you pull and use every onion in your patch, you will always have more avalible. 

 The young onions can be used like scallons.  The bulbs can be pickled, added to soup, or used any other way that pearl onions are used. 

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little wonders

While baby bird may be ugly, they are delightful to watch grow.  The boys stand at a distance, just watching the parents care for their young.  Most of the time, one of the parents is sitting on the nest, and when disturbed, scolds loudly. 

It has been three years, since we have had a robin nest into our yard.  They usually try to build the nests in areas where the wind blows all the materials away…  I am glad this one was different! 

We also have a handful of swallows nesting in out bird houses.  Early every morning, they fly in formation, collecting mosquitoes.

another small victory

Okay, so I am bragging again.  Please indulge me for a moment! 

When I returned home from my recent trip, the house was a disaster.  I set to work cleaning it, but was fustrated and unmotivated to get anything done.  I had imagined coming home to a house that was at least as clean as I had left it, since my husband always tells me he is the neat one… Anyway, a new article was born out of the fustration, and it has been well recieved! 

Yes, that’s right, people love it.    See for yourself:

It made it to the #1 hot spot, in less than 24 hours, and that makes me very happy!

Would you like to read it?  7 Insiring ways to Keep your House Clean

feeding the ducks and geese

Migrating birds are one of the many joys of spring, and this spring has been no exception.  We have enjoyed many species of birds in our yard, and the children have fallen in love with their visits to the river.  The first Sunday we went, we just wanted to spend some time alongside the water.  We were not expecting anything other than a little R&R.  Little did we know that we would be greeted by flocks of hungry birds. 

Down to the water’s edge, for a better view, the boys went.  The hungry birds flocked to their hands.   “What can we feed them?”  They cried, in wonderment. 

“Well, I do have a bit of bread in the car,” I told them. 

“Yea!”  They cheered, running for the vehicle.  They returned with all the bread they could find, armed and ready for the feeding frenzy.

At first, the birds were careful to keep their distance, but then a white duck, and escape from some farm, began to nibble from Benjamin’s hands.  A Canadian Goose soon followed suit.  Next thing I know, they want to bring some birds home! 

“Mom, I’m sure I could catch one!”  “See, Mom, they like me.  This one is eating from my hand.”  “Please!?!”  

Of course, I understood, but still had to say “No.”  After all, “Where would the poor ducky live?  We don’t have any water in out back yard, and the ducks like to have water.” 

But boys are full of solutions.  “We could turn on the hose for it,” Adam suggested.  “I could make a pond for it,”  Caleb declared.  “Mom, this one really likes me.  I know it would be happy at our house, even without water,” Benjamin persisted.

Still, I held my ground.  When the last of the bread was gone, we said our good bye’s and headed home, with promises to return another day.

a visit to the farm

This last month, I was very blessed to be able to take a visit to my parents farm, where I grew up.  While there, I attended two graduations for cousins of mine, butchered a beef, visited with lots of relatives and really enjoyed the time.   I was able to meet my brothers new girlfriend and talk to my youngest sister, who has estranged herself from the family.  It was a real blessing.

While I was there, I realized that I had completely lost sight of why I had begun this blog, and realized why it had become such a chore to even look at.  Now that the focus is restored, I hope to do some rearranging and share more often. 

Have a blessed Sunday.