Back home after being gone for 10 days....I am delighted by the growing garden! [Vase above, backlit, has hydrangeas from the yard....posing as I do a watercolor.]


This pink lily was only buds last week! Here it is in the morning sunshine! (BTW, the orange-colored pollen is intense and will stain fabric!)

In the same flower bed, after 4 years of waiting, I have my reward! "Endless Summer" hydrangea in bloom at last!

They are so beautiful, but can hardly hold their heads up! I think I even have enough (some blooms are hidden) to cut and display (maybe paint-watercolor, acrylic???) inside the house.

In the backyard, raised beds are still in the shade. Everything has grown. The tomatoes were trying to escape their cages! LOL! I'll have to get a trellis or stepladder in there for the zucchini to climb.

In the other bed, my cool weather crops are still going gangbusters! Lettuce for every meal now! The cilantro has already bolted and I plan to let all of these crops bloom, go to seed and then hopefully, I will have more of these in the fall from those seeds! The French marigolds are volunteers from last year and will do wonderfully through the heat! I threw in some cosmos and snapdragon seeds a couple of weeks ago, so this may evolve into a flower bed too....

Now, I'm drinking green tea ice tea and can either work on art down in the studio...or read "The Double Comfort Safari Club", by Alexander McCall Smith. Set in Botswana, featuring the #1 Ladies Detective Agency.

I did both some reading and a quick watercolor sketch of the flowers. A good day!

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I could also recommend a cute movie with Amy Adams, "Leap Year". Filmed in Ireland, a girl on a mission who encounters a romantic Irishman. It reminds me of a more current version of the classic, masterpiece, "I Know Where I'm Going" which was set in the "wilds" of Scotland.

A good friend, of many years, had a birthday this week. I had made this little English cottage quilt block with her in mind several years ago. It has now become one side of a tea cozy for her.

The other side has a little Kate Greenaway girl embroidered on it. I think it came together very nicely. Now for that pot of tea!

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I am working on some watercolors of pears and peaches...they are so gorgeous I have to paint them before I can eat them! Also copying some Mary Oliver poetry in long hand to use as collage backgrounds.

Our garden has lots of green tomatoes. I harvested a cucumber and large beefsteak tomato this week. I have planted some beets...a few only came up...and some turnips...lots of those came up. We will see if they produce any wonderful beets and turnips for me to watercolor! [There is always the farmer's market here!]

This is my day off, I really feel like hibernating with this cool cloudy fall weather we are having.

Perhaps just read a book, or do a collage, or cook something to go with the tea!

Pictures from the garden this morning.


The near corner has a pink geranium in a container along with one of my "treasures", a broken "Thistle" mug from Scotland.
The far corner has a container with the "Lemon Sugar" daisy which I love!

Snap dragons, "Merlot" lettuce, marigolds, and radishes all freshly watered and mulched. I am leaving town for a couple of days....so mulching will keep things fine until I'm back!

More of the garden, with fresh mulch around the lettuce and tomatoes. A "Martha Washington" geranium sits in the middle (herbs should soon be coming up around her). I also added some verbena (flowers not "lemon verbena") in the borders...I also sowed some seeds for leaf lettuce and basil.
So far we have enjoyed some of the "Merlot" leaf lettuce in our salads....no other harvest yet...it has been cool. I do wonder how our local Hmong farmer/gardeners get so much lettuce ready for our farmer's market when the weather is so cool! They are wonderful gardeners!

Our overnight guests last night....because my sister never travels alone!
We loved watching them romp in the backyard yesterday evening. SO CUTE!!!
Now, they are on their way to new homes, my sister being an English Shepherd breeder.
[See my sidebar under family webpages] It was delightful to enjoy their antics and then send them on! The garden was protected by portable fencing during their time here!

Possible project for today...

McCall's patterns are on sale at Hancock's so this one came home and may be sewn into some comfortable lounging pants with batik fabric from my stash. I could try out the "new" Genie sewing machine which arrived a day or so ago.

I am heading, first, to our local farmer's market on the square downtown. There I hope to find local honey to use, hoping it will alleviate my on-going allergies.

I would also like to visit the botanical gardens, in full bloom right now...but maybe that is more pollen than I need!

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These are going into my oven in a minute....

BAKED ITALIAN MEATBALLS
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tbsp. parsley
1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs
Mix all ingredients well. Form into small balls and place in glass baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes, turning after 6 minutes. Add to your favorite Italian sauce and pasta.

Enjoying a lovely day in rural Clark County Arkansas!

My sister-in-law's green thumb and recycling genius are in evidence here!

[Besides the flower and vegetable garden, chickens are a big part of the outdoor scene.]

My SIL says that these wonderful canna lilies are for the hummingbirds!

While our eyes are feasting on the flowers, (and "yes" I will be painting some of these!) we are feasting on fresh produce from local garden patches...summer squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, okra. Life is good!

Mom and I are off to see these botanical gardens!

The Full Moon bridge below is one feature of Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Arkansas which I have long wanted to visit.

Daffodils should be in bloom!












I'll be back later to telll you more about it!

Happy Easter weekend!

This tiny bunny is an antique card from Dover Publications...(you can send ecards from their webpages)