Edible PurslanesThere are several different kinds of Portulaca. Probably the most often grown by the home gardener is Portulaca pilosa. It's common name is Moss Rose. With a 25¢ pack of seed from a local dollar store, you can have a pretty, multi colored display of low growing, almost carefree flowers from Spring to late Fall.
My Mother's Yard (Redlands, CA)My mother's yard in Redlands, California comes complete with a long walk way, jungle style plants, fresh fruit, and a possum.
Luna Pink Swirl (Hibiscus Moscheutos)My main reason for this post is to share my first Hibiscus bloom of the year. It is born on a Hibiscus moscheutos. The name of this variety is 'Luna Pink Swirl'. Yes, I have many tight buds. In a few days, the plant will be covered with blooms.
Strange Watermelon VinesI live in a strange world. I could give you many examples. For now, I'll give you just two.
Moonflower vs Moonflower VineThe Datura has several common names. It is often called 'Angel Trumpet' or Devil's Trumpet'. Other common names are 'Jimson Weed' and Loco Weed. It was only after researching that I discovered the Datura has yet another common name, that being 'Moonflower'.
Domesticating A Wild FlowerI have several of these little plants growing wild in my vacant field. I've always mowed over them, thinking them rather insignificant. Today, I thought that with a little culture and TLC, they might at least be a bit more showy.
Hymenocallis Festalis (Peruvian Daffodils)Here is another flower worthy of mention on the ThriftyFun web site, because it is in keeping with the ThriftyFun spirit.
My Orphaned Garden FriendI have a small area on my property shaded with old maple trees. It's my summer hangout. I try to make it more pleasant by growing flowers beneath the trees.
Second Year PetuniasLast fall, when it came time to take this petunia plant down, I trimmed it back and placed it under the house, right inside the crawlspace door to see if I could keep it through the winter. Keeping a check on it, I watered it a little a couple of times.
Serenity Personified (Turtle Doves)I managed to catch these two turtle doves in a tree in our backyard. They were enjoying the sun and didn't even notice me. They looked so peaceful and calm, as if nothing could ever disturb them.
Wisteria at the WindowWhen moving to our old farmhouse we bought this wisteria as a tiny, single branch with the hope of seeing the beautiful flowers and smelling their lovely scent one day. Some doubted it would ever grow, but it has flourished on our old farm land, much to the delight of us all when we look out our window!
Nature's Beauty (Dandelions)Yesterday, I walked the road in our neighborhood and got the litter picked up. After getting back home, I kept thinking about how pretty this patch of dandelions was. I wanted a picture to use as a desktop background for our computer. Today I walked again and took my camera with me.
Growing Yellow Potatoes In Ice ChestI prefer yellow potatoes over white. They have more flavor. Most have a unique buttery taste all their own. They can't cost one cent more to produce, yet where I live, they're a dollar more per five pounds.
Bleeding HeartsThis is a picture of my bleeding hearts in my garden. A neighbor of mine let me dig them and other nice perennials up from her yard because she didn't want to deal with all of the flowers and plants in her yard.
Turkeys Visit BirdfeederI had to laugh when I looked out my window this morning to check the bird feeder and found three big turkeys enjoying the fallen bird seed. Guess it's been a long winter for everyone!
Growing Wax/Fibrous Begonias In WinterThe picture shows a wax or fibrous begonia. While there is nothing spectacular about this particular plant, I wanted to share a couple things I learned about it, this year.
Busyness of Nature (Pollination)I was excited to capture the science of pollination amid the nature of the garden at the Indiana State Fair back in August 2013.
Nest on a NestWe put up a little birdhouse and a local robin deemed it to be the ideal spot for building her nest.
Beautiful Butchart Gardens (Victoria B.C.)This photo was taken from a cabin at Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia. It is an absolutely amazing place and I look forward to making a return trip. I only wish my thumb was as green as theirs.
Garden Scene WoodcarvingThis is a relief woodcarving I made of a garden in China. The doorways are in the shape of the moon for esthetic value and are designed to bring about a peaceful feeling. They are so lovely, I think. I included my bonsai plant as well.
Path Garden Gift from VirginiaA lady from another neighborhood was walking her granddaughter through the garden. She said her daughter lives in our area and she babysits every week for her. She comes down the garden path a lot ...
Succulents in the Path GardenA friend donated this plant. I don't know the name, she collects succulents and has many. She doesn't know the names of all of them yet. But the flowers are so pretty and there were 6-8 on the one plant this year. Now they are growing so fast and I will move more of them around in The Path Garden and will have to plant some in pots for the "plant give away" next spring. I pray that we'll get rain this year. The Path Garden isn't doing well with out it.
Old Fountain into New PlanterOur old southwest fountain finally "bit the dust" and no longer held water. Try as we would, it could not be saved. So we decided to fill it with dirt and added some plants and a bird nest to add interest to the front yard. We always try not to add to the landfill.
My Serenity GardenAfter my 30 year old son and his 29 year old wife died a week apart, I felt like I was shrouded in death. The next spring, I decided to surround myself with life.
Clivias in Abundance (South Africa)Never before had our clivas grown with such abundance! Our garden was showered in huge patches of orange. The clivias in this photo grew beneath our huge pine tree and it was such a blessing every morning to walk past this beautiful sight on the way to work.
Miniature DaffodilsThese were "normal" daffodils until a couple of years ago. About a foot tall and large blooms. Then one year I looked out and this is what was blooming. They are only about 4-6 inches tall and the blooms aren't any bigger than the end of your finger. I have checked with many greenhouses, nurseries, and avid gardeners, and none of them have ever heard of this happening. They are perfect, just too small.
Sleeping Beauty (Angel Wing Begonia)I purchased it two summers ago, and it half-heartedly bloomed. I decided to look through the dirt inside the flower pot last spring, and found her dried-up little tuber. On a hunch, I placed it in a new flower pot with quality soil back outside, watered her when dry. Lo and behold, she started to sprout and grow and gave me these incredibly beautiful blooms!
Young GardenerTrue gardeners develop the passion early in life . . . and quickly become serious about their newfound reason to awaken each morning.
Escaping PumpkinsDo you think pumpkins know we want to carve them up? These three look like they did and wanted to escape from my garden! Ha ha ha.
Rose Of SharonThis bush was planted 17 years ago, when my grandparents built this house from the ground up. Every year in the middle of summer it blooms, and has tons of bees swarming around it (as you can see in the picture).
Growing Corn in a Container GardenI grew this beautiful corn in the corn box I made from wood. The box size is 4ft. x 8ft. x 3 1/2 ft. deep. I had so much corn I was giving it away to all my neighbors!
Salvia Guaranitica For HummingbirdsI was given this wonderful pass-along plant, Salvia guaranitica. I was told the common name was "Hummingbird Plant" and now I know why! This fabulous and beautiful plant has long, tubular blossoms that attracts hummingbirds.
Free SunflowerThis is a garden photo, yet a thrifty photo at the same time.:) I took my son to a local free carnival recently. Free food, free games, crafts, etc; a frugal paradise! They had a free "planting station" where the children could choose a seed and plant it themselves.
Flowerpot Gardener Taking a RestThis scenario takes place outside my patio door. When the screen door is in use, we can hear the soothing water falling from the watering can.
Keeping ContainedShrubs and herbs fluffed out with geranium and fuchsia cuttings from last year. Tomatoes grown from seeds recovered from last year's fruit. Upside down plant pots and kiddies' plastic chairs help create levels.
Black ButterflyOne day, this butterfly appeared inside my screened-in porch. I choose to believe it is my dearest friend, passed 4 years ago, returning for a visit. It was our favorite place to sit, sip sweet tea and chat.
JonquilThis is the photo of my jonquil. I just want to share with others.
My Two Garden HarvestersMy two harvesters in our home garden. My husband and our loyal cat Annie, who follows us everywhere on the property (our Guard Cat..lol) harvesting a bumper crop of Brussels sprouts, green beans, peas, zucchini, tomatoes, cukes, and more!
Sunny and Bright Canna LilyWe saw this bright and beautiful flower outside of a restaurant that we visit from time to time. I have never seen an iris this color before.
New Tenants in the BirdhouseThis is a deck garden with an ornamental birdhouse on the railing. Last summer it was claimed by a couple who used it to start their family! The close proximity to humans didn't bother them at all.
Recycle GardenOur 2014 garden is completely organic with a great crop (snap peas, Brussels sprouts, green beans, tomatoes, broccoli, green peppers, pumpkins, and more!) which will come in handy due to an "early unexpected" retirement for both of us!
Overgrown GrapevineThis grapevine has taken over my gazebo.
Bird's Nest In Garden ShedI noticed that each time I entered my garden shed, a house finch flew out. I was puzzled for a while. Then, I discovered just what was going on. Mother finch had built a nest in an old quart jar. After taking these pictures, I carefully repositioned the jar as I found it.
Squash Grown In ContainerThat dollar bill used for size comparison really washed out for some reason.
Cactus Blossom (Garland, TX)We were eating at a BBQ Restaurant and just had to take a picture of this beautiful yellow cactus blossom that was on their patio.
My GardenI'm grateful to all life and respect it deeply. My garden is an extension of my kids and I. Maybe others don't understand it, but we do. A garden is meant to be a traditional education for kids. Flowers and all food plants are wonderful to teach about.
Cacti (Arcadia, CA)Walking along the wash by my house one sunny day, I saw this cactus glowing underneath the sun.
Blueberry PlantI just relocated my blueberry plant to the backyard.
Asian Lilies (Stargazer)I planted these lilies in 2011. The first year they came up, but didn't bloom. Last summer I got this bloom. It lasted about a week. I also have yellow and orange day lilies and white Asian lilies. I can't wait for them to bloom this year.
Blooming Patio Peach TreeI received this tree as a gift three years ago. I have been given lots of compliments on how pretty it looks each spring.
Stargazer Lily and Russian SageThis is a photo of a star gazer Asiatic lily and a plant called Russian sage. Russian sage are beautiful alone, but are incredible when mixed with other plants, including butterfly bushes.
HyacinthHyacinth planted in my office.
Moon CactusSnapped a photo of these two colorful beauties that I had bought earlier.
Tomato SeedlingsAt this time, my garden is under snow and frozen slush. I love gardening, and this nasty weather can really put me in the dumps. I find the best way to lift my spirits is to get some plants started indoors.
Dragonfly (Hebron, MD)I sure got some great shots of some of the dragonflies in my backyard. We had all colors, red, gold, black, and white just to name a few of them. This one is sitting on my butterfly bush. If you look real close you can see the eyes. I enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed all of my butterflies.
Thirsty Bluebirds in WinterAlthough this is not a beautiful photo from a technical standpoint, it captures a sweet moment. During a bout of extreme cold weather, the birds in our yard appreciated our bird bath which is kept thawed by a simple electric de-icer designed for that purpose.
Pileated WoodpeckerI snapped this photo of a pileated woodpecker pecking at a fresh tree stump in my neighbor's yard.
Wild Birds at FeederI love feeding the wild birds during the cold months. I spend a lot of time standing at my kitchen window watching them.
Newborn Baby BirdsThese babies were born in one of our bushes in the front yard. We just happen to check on them while they were hatching, so I ran and got my camera. It was fascinating to watch.
December RosesWith winter being so bad in many parts of the country now I hope everyone will enjoy the roses that we have blooming in the yard. Some of them are as big as my hand.
Orange MothI was just walking to the store and saw this lil guy. He posed beautifully and after a few photos, I wished him well and went my way.
Tobacco Hornworm (North Carolina)I don't grow tobacco. It seems the Tobacco Hornworm likes a bit of variety in its diet. I found this devoted mother proudly supporting a clutch of eggs while munching lazily on my grape tomato leaves.
Moonflower Vine BloomSome time back, I submitted my views on how it was usually not necessary to soak or nick Moonflower Vine seed prior to planting. I added that I had a seed to germinate in six days without either.
Banana Spider (Marysville, TN)I captured these photos of one of the Banana Spiders in our tomato bed. This is also known as a zipper spider because of the zipper like pattern in the middle of its web.
Mandevilla CuttingsThis is Mandevilla cuttings being rooted. They root very easily and will root even in a glass of water. I prefer to take 3 to 4 inch firm pieces from the tips of stems and place them in a good rooting medium.
Albino Stink BugI just happened to notice this albino stink bug hanging out on a leaf in our sunflower and passion flower garden. It is so pretty. White with red markings and black eyes.
Elephant Ears and Patio Peach TreeMy elephant ears and patio peach tree are the same size. It looks unusual looking down from the stairs and seeing those giant elephant ears.
Angel TrumpetsThese beauties are called "Angel Trumpet". It is easy to see why the angels chose these. The plants are native to South America.
Beautiful Red Marsh Mallow (Hibiscus...I neglected this plant for several years by keeping it in a small pot with poor soil. It never bloomed. Last year I moved it to a larger pot with rich soil. As you can see, the plant is showing its appreciation.
Finch on our SunflowersI captured these photos of a goldfinch eating the sunflower seeds from our flowers in our front garden. I took the pictures from inside looking through our glass doors.
Parking Lot Garden (St Johns, OR)I created a garden out of a parking lot using coffee grounds from Starbucks and coffee chaff from Coffee Bean International. This is my window view as I work from home.
My HibiscusA gorgeous color hibiscus flower blooming in my gardens is a great additon to my gardens. The closeup photograph I took shows all the detail of this wonderful flower.
My First Iris 2013White is not my favorite color for flowers, but Iris is my favorite flower. I wanted to share my first for this season. I'm terrible at keeping my flowers properly labeled. I think this little beauty is Lacy Snowflake.
Summer Garden with Fish PondOur deck and fish pond was made out of items that were free. The rocks around the pond are from all over. Texas, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Georgia.
The Path Garden (Spring 2013)These are just a few of the new garden gifts we have found so far this year. An Eagle Scout brought a few friends to help in the garden last week. Some planted and some helped clean and trim.
Jacaranda (Pretoria, South Africa)October is Jacaranda time in Pretoria, South Africa. Then the streets is filled with this lovely lavender purple colors. Something you must see!
Last Leaf and New Spring Buds (Grand Prairie, TX)This is a picture of our oak tree with one remaining fall leaf hanging on and the new spring buds coming out at the same time. Fall and Spring, my favorite seasons!
Blooming Christmas CactusI have grown Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera) for many years. Living in a mild and temperate climate, I get blooms a few times a year, and the colors are magnificent.
Impatiens After the Rain (NC)After a dry summer, my New Guinea impatiens were looking rather sad. They turned into a display of beauty following a welcome rainfall.
Lily Pad (Pennsylvania)Raising a lily pad without a pond? It works good in a plastic or foam flower pot. Here's proof
Bees and Sunflowers (Maryville, TN)I captured these photos of the bees on our sunflowers busy pollinating the flowers.
Hillbilly TomatoHere is a really odd looking tomato from our plants. My son Steve is the gardener.
Bumblebee Pollinating Coreopsis (Maryville,...I captured this series of photos in our garden this morning (August 6, 2012) of a bumblebee pollinating one of our orange Coreopsis Flowers.
Dragonflies (Salisbury, MD)The last few days, I spent in my backyard with my camera chasing after dragonflies and damselflies. I like taking pictures of just about anything that captures my eyes, this time it's my backyard dragonflies and damselflies. I think they're beautiful, don't you?
Baby Birds (Williston, FL)Mama bird built a nest in my utility room. One day, I heard chirping and found these little ones. They were hungry and anxiously awaiting mama bird to come back with food. Soon afterward they found their wings and took off.
Potato PlanterI saw several articles on how easy it is to grow potatoes so decided to give it a try. These are in about 3 inches of soil and doing super well. I was so happy to see the first signs of them blooming!
Bumblebees (Maryville, TN)I captured these photos of this bumblebee busy pollinating the flowers on our Amethyst Myst Heucheras in our front flowerbed.
Blue Jay (Roan Mountain, TN)A close friend made this bird house. It is frequented by this darling little Blue Jay.
Peonies (Washington DC)I took this in mid-May 2012 as my next-door neighbor's garden had its best peony season ever.
Honeybees for the Honeymoon (Southern...When we arrived to our vacant honeymoon farmhouse in the wine country of France, we were shocked to discover this massive beehive attached to the window of our bedroom.
Columbine (Hillsboro, OR)Of the two columbines we planted last year, this is the one that survived. The burgundy and white flowers are really lovely and we are going to add more colors this year.
Mountain Bluet (Hillsboro, OR)We planted this flower in the corner of the garden last spring. It has turned into a beautiful addition to our garden. I love the blue-purple color and unusually shaped petals.
Monarch Butterfly (Santa Barbara, CA)Out among the flowers on a sunny day came this beautiful Monarch butterfly. He stayed awhile, adding his beautiful hues to the garden colors.
House Finch Nest (Santa Barbara, CA)This year, a pair of house finches have "set up housekeeping" in one of our front yard garden hanging baskets with geraniums. There are 5 eggs and they will hatch in about 2 weeks.
A Spring English Garden (Santa Barbara, CA)We saw many small gardens in front of houses while recently in England, and they were colorful and beautiful. We designed this garden patch of ours on a small piece of our back yard, hoping to "catch" some of that English beauty.
Spring In The Path Garden (Moorpark, CA)Here are a few more pictures of what is happening in the Path Garden now.
Pot People (The Path Garden)This is a work in progress for the Path Garden. We started the project and had to stop due to rain. We made a few mistakes along the way, but we're having fun in the meantime.
Wildlife: Mr. And Mrs. Cardinal (Summerhill, PA)Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal stopped off at my feeder here for a rare appearance together. They are usually separate eating while one watches. This time they were brave enough to be together
Cherry Tree Angel (Auburn, WA)The cherry tree revealed in this photo has a deeper presence. It seems that all throughout nature this entity is revealed, as well as in this little tree.
Bees Taking Flight (Oklahoma)My grandpa passed away last October, when he passed he left me all his honey bees for my aunt and the rest of the family to care for. Although my aunt takes on most of the responsibility, we all help out when we can.
Weeping Willow TreeThis is a very old Weeping Willow tree that I am fortunate enough to pass by every time I drive back to our town. We have to go out for everything.
Bumblebee (Upstate NY)Bumblebees love purple coneflowers so much they can't even be distracted by me and my camera getting really up close and personal.
Pink RosesHere are my roses. Gardening is therapy for my very painful illness.
Dove on Fence (Tri-Cities, TN)I found this beautiful dove sitting on the fence next door to our house. It was the first one I have ever seen with a pink chest. So beautiful, and he trilled for me.
Hollyhocks and Sweet Peas (Magalia, CA)This was outside my front door when I lived in California a couple of years ago. I love how the color of the hollyhocks matches the color of the sweet peas that climbed up the stalk.
Magnolia in Bloom (Danielsville, PA)This barn is on my daughter's property. We visited her last week and the Magnolia in front of the barn was starting to bloom.
Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (North Carolina)Spring is here and it will soon be butterfly time. This is a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on our Butterfly Bush. It is amazing how many butterflies are attracted to this bush.
Gnarly Old Weeping WillowThought tree lovers might like to see my enormous willow tree. Photos really don't do it justice. Standing beside it, however, is a truly humbling experience.
