August 11, 2017, posted by Gina – Mother Nature is taking over the blog this week and sharing some of her marvels with you. Let’s take a look, shall we?
| NO FEAR DEER |
It’s not often you see deer without them scattering immediately. We took a drive out in the country and these two were unimpressed with our truck. They did not budge and even let us take their picture.
| FEATHERED FRIENDS |
Take a look at this snooty woodpecker! These regular, everyday birds just love my home and visit me very often. For anyone new here….I tried for years to attract hummingbirds with no success. I changed to a regular bird feeder and all types of feathered friends visit me daily.
This feeder sits outside one of our windows and as you can see the birds do not detect my presence and so I am able to see them up close and personal. For anyone interested in placing a bird feeder in your yard, this feeder is a Squirrel Buster Birdfeeder. It is such a joy to be able to watch these little creatures.
| RAIN, RAIN, DON’T GO AWAY |
Do you ever plant flowers or plants and think they really aren’t growing very much? Well, I think this quite frequently. Recently, we have had a lot of rain and our plants have loved every drop. Let’s look at a few before and after photos to see what a difference a few months makes in a garden.
PURPLE RAIN
These Sunpatiens were planted in early May. We had to “baby” these plants and even had the owner of the garden center look at them. He even called the grower. They just did not seem like they were going to make it. We had planted Sunpatiens the year before with none of this drama. Upon investigation, it was determined that I had the perfect growing environment for these plants. I was pretty sure I did but it never hurts for the experts to take a look. It was decided they just needed a little more time and some extra careful attention. I stood vigilant with these beauties and months later we are reaping the benefits. I am not sure I will have this kind of patience (ha ha) again but they sure are pretty.
CUTTING GARDEN
You may remember that in April I decided I wanted a cutting flower garden in my yard. I mapped out a plan and decided to give it a try. Some things made it and some things did not. I really felt like I had not made much progress that is until I saw these before and after photos. The true test will be next Spring to see how many of these flowers return.
JASMINE
This confederate jasmine has taken much longer than I thought to crawl its way along this trellis. I feel as if time is standing still in this area of my yard. Alas, in these before and after photos you can see some thicker growth. I finally can see the light. For the record, this vine is 3 years old for any of you considering growing one for yourself. Patience is a virtue…. right?
SUNFLOWERS
A few weeks ago, Mr. GDFC and I visited a fabulous sunflower field in Memphis, TN. I shared one of the photos on Instagram (if you aren’t following us on Instagram, please start today! CLICK HERE to check us out). I thought it would be nice for you to get a feel for how large this field actually is. In the first photo, we see the whole field and honestly this photo does not do it justice. In the second photo, we see these gorgeous flowers up-close. And finally, we see how many people were at this field with cameras in hand. It was quite a site to see.
Enjoy your weekend and enjoy some nature of your own. We will see you next week!
