Adding "Native" to the Gardens

We went to the Prairie and Wetland Center this afternoon.
Their open air nursery is a butterfly haven.

We bought seven plants to begin our Native Rain Garden.
We have a plan. We shall begin a ditch nectar garden. The butterflies and Hummingbirds will love it. We can add plants easily from this close to home source. We are starting with drought and heat tolerant, native to our area, prairie wild flowers. We will add grasses this Autumn.

Seeds

My Husband invited me for breakfast and an outing to City Market. We have shopped here for many years. I always need seed. Planters had Seed Savers' seed half price. I bought 33 packets of different seeds to grow now and for Winter Sowing.
They also had this gong. I already had the perfect place for it by the front porch. I could have waited for gift time but it went so well with the seeds. A,"Please to have".
I did not buy any produce, we are surviving on tomatoes, squashes and potaotes.

I did find a Butterfly Bush for half price. It was on the list of "needed bushes".
My friend has one in her yard and she has Hummingbird Moths visit daily! She is working on figuring a way to bring one to my yard. Now I have a plant for it. Hummingbird Moth is my insect for August. I will keep little bush alive on the porch until it cools down a bit and rain is coming in. I have a spot by the deck I think it would look ever so pretty and be in the full sun it requires.
They do grow rather large.

Oh My! Oh My! Oh My!

She stayed for awhile and posed for a few snaps.


I am gifted. 

Putting up Tomatoes

The tomatoes are ripening at a faster rate now. The recent rain and somewhat cooler temperatures are helping. We eat one or two a day. The rest I put up for winter. It is so easy. I just core and chop them up. I remove any "bad" spots. Some of today's picks had a few splits.
Blend them up.
I pour the tomatoes into freezer bags and freeze. Easy, quick and yummy this winter. I did three bags today. Took me less then 15 minutes.
Spent an hour outside playing with the bugs and the flowers!

Putting up Tomatoes

I went out to the gardens to pick tomatoes and was waylaid by the flowers and bugs. I have waited three years to see this perennial hibiscus bloom. I winter sowed some seeds from a plant at my Dad's house. He was so thrilled when he grew his. I am thrilled to have one from his plant. My tribute plant to him.
The yellow sedum is blomming and these little Phaon Crescent butterflies just cover it in August.
Marigolds attract all sorts of garden helpers.

Hummingbird!

He did not stay long! Usually I see them when I am without the camera. Tonight I was on the deck, camera at the ready. Thank you Hummingbird!

Double Delight

Afternoon Delight

Male Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Being Observant

In Yoga class we learn to observe our bodies and our surroundings so we can take our pose deeper. I find I am becoming very observant of all that is around me. I am listening with my heart. The natural world is teaching me.
Sunflower bee clock inspired me. A gift from Nature.


I needed a candle holder so I could do my "Flowers and Flame" for the coffee table.
I cut out the center of a spent sunflower and added a tea light. I harvested more spent sunflowers and made potpourri. Once they are dry I will add essential oil.

Spent sunflower heads are showing up all over my house. They are beautiful.

At twilight last night a storm was on the way. We went to the gardens.

We planted seeds. We are optimistic people.

The swifts were flying.

The green bean, sunflower, and spaghetti squash seeds all received a nice watering in from Mother Nature. A gift I am so grateful for.

We have a break from the dry and the heat.

I am so very grateful.

Venus Rising

I awoke when the fan went off. It was 4:52 am. The electricity had gone off.


Morning gifts: Venus rising


Sunrise over the Pines

Praying Mantis on the kitchen window frame.

I fixed ice coffee for our morning beverage.
I lit the candles and the oil lamps.
The amber glass candle inserts were a thrift store find yesterday.
I found four.

I brought out the "Power Out" journal. My husband went to check to see how far reaching the outage was. He saw power company trucks fixing a transformer. We would have electricity before long.

I dressed by the sunrise. Within the hour the power was on.

Another hot day is forecasted. Watering has begun.

Yesterday's gifts were many. The thrift store had this dipper gourd someone had made into a lovely scoop. Our dipper gourds are forming. I see how to make scoops.

The Obsidian necklace and earrings came yesterday. It is my stone for August. My daughter and I shopped together for this. The swan will remind me to keep my neck back!

The birds planted sunflowers and now they are blooming.

Each day has so many gifts!

For Harvest Day, my husband dug the last of the potatoes. I read Rosemary can help keep potatoes fresh and help to delay sprouting. I picked nine tomatoes. Some I picked a bit green. They will ripen on the counter and avoid splitting.

A basket of yellow squash finished our celebration of Celtic Harvest.

Lughnasad, Celtic Harvest

Happy Lughnasadh!

Our friend, Sprite, told us about this Holiday! I have done some research. So fun to celebrate old and new Holidays. Thank you Sprite! I will fix potatoes for supper.

It is August!

When the pollen falls from the flowers I am so charmed, Fairy dust!

Sunflowers are gracing the August tables. We are having another heat wave. A water main broke a couple of blocks away so our water pressure is very low. I have two sprinklers going so the birds and the plants are getting drinks. The heat and the dryness are so very hard on all of the gardens. I am trying to keep the mums alive. I am staying cool too and drinking lots of water. Harvesting the heat would be nice and storing it for winter.

Each Day is an opportunity to give. Each day I receive gifts.

In August I shall be ever so aware of the gifts. In August I shall write down, in my journal, the gifts that come to me.