Oh My Bloomin' Begonias

Sharing today the still lovely Begonia's that my dear daughter and grandson gave me for Mother's Day.

Yes

I said Mother's Day

I've always wanted a Christmas Cactus.  I guess this is the next best thing . . . 

Please don't notice the dead tomato

The weather has been so nice here they were still growing when we had a cold front a few weeks ago so I brought the pot into the 

glass room/green house.  

Yesterday I decided to try cutting them back to see if they would last. . . 

They look nice in my kitchen window

I love my kitchen window!

It may sound silly but I haven't haven't had one in 10 years!

I should have mentioned it in my Thankful post yesterday

         

To show you how beautiful the weather is right now

A little cloudy but the sky is blue and the weather couldn't be better. 

This year I'm not wishin' I was on that beach about now. 

I'll have to get The Cowboy to help me take a better photo of the flag! 

Have A Good Day!
The Fabulous January Linky Party has started over at Our Holiday Journey

Click Here

Outdoor Wednesday-Shopping In The Neighborhood

Mostly Wordless . . . 
Yesterday I ran to the local hardware store to mail some postcards
for the swap over at the Paper-Swap Blog.

Here's an example. . . 


Awaiting me outside the Hardware Store/Post Office was this






I want the sign!  I love having my phone with me when I shop!

  I hope you'll come over and link at the Fabulous Fall Party.
It's over here at my other blog.  

Linking at these fun parties:
The Fabulous Thanksgiving Party,  Wordless Wednesday, Create With Joy, Amanda's Books and More, Imaging, How We Roll Wordless. Outdoor Wednesday. Imag-ing, , Share Your Cup,
The Homemaking Party

Flowers On A Fence

The other day when I was leaving work I noticed the prettiest
flowers and . . .
 
This pod was huge.  I've never seen anything like it.

I think it makes this . . . 

I think it might be the pod that makes these pretty flowers on a trumpet vine.  But I've never seen one up close.

In this shot you can see a few more pods.


It was sharing space with another vine with these pretty purple blooms.  (Sorry it's blurry)

When I came home I logged on and starting looking at Pinterest and found this . . . 

                                                     Source
The pods are similar.  I've never seen this plant before. 
This one is called Angel's Trumpet.
Then I found this one . . . 

                                     Source
This site was Trumpet Flowers(dot)com.  Wow.  A whole site
dedicated to Trumpet Flowers!

I spent awhile reading all the information.  Really cool site!  
There are some beautiful photo's.  

I wonder when I go back on Friday what I might find to photo?  

              Have you ever seen a Trumpet Flower?    

The Art of Homemaking, Share Your Cup,  Create with Joy,  Grace At Home
Wake Up Wednesday,  The Homemaking Party, Friday Features
Simple Sweet Fridays,  Outdoor Wednesday and Flower Friday

Flowers Around My Community

Spring has come and gone.  And boy is it hot around here.  I've been collecting a few photo's of the beautiful plants and flowers around my community  . . .


Have you ever noticed what beautiful flower beds are round fast food restaurants?  Early in the spring I captured this lovely pansies and lavender kind of looking plant.  Not sure exactly what it is.   I think there is some lambs ear in the upper right.  This was a beautiful bed in the spring.


We've had a lot of rain this spring.   I thought this was really interesting.  The school where I used to work apparently had some damaged from an earlier rain.  I drove by and saw the church steeple in the parking lot.

A few days later I managed to catch at the right time when it was put back.  It was another day with rain.

My grandson had surgery at Scottish Rite Hospital in January.  He has to go back for check ups.
Flower beds around the parking lot were so pretty!



Not sure what the flowers are but they are pretty.


Our neighborhood Chick Fila has beautiful vinca.  The beds are full.

This bed is at the entrance to our apartment complex.  I love the combination of colors and plants.

The subdivisions around our community always have beautiful entries.

I wish I had the budgets!

And next not such a pretty site but really interesting . . .

I've never seen red toadstools.  This is in the 'green space' behind our apartment building.  We have a really nice apartment but they keep up the entry way much better than the rest of the property.

And a couple more  at my favorite Mexican restaurant . . .

I never tire of eating at Mexican Inn . . .

The have a lovely welcoming entrance and the food is yummmeeee!

Have you seen some beautiful flowers in your community?

I love taking photo's of plants.  I can't wait till the weather cools a bit so I can get out with my camera.

Linking with a new party at Pieced Pastimes.  And  with the regular parties.  Check out my parties page!

My Blue Balcony Garden/Dreams

Many of you've seen a few of my balcony garden posts.  The patio is in transition.  Sharing probably one of my saddest looking shots . . .                                
I'm doing some changes.  I wanted my entire patio color theme to revolve around this Blue and my thrifty dumpster dive chair. 

 I love it. I know it's sad looking.  Someday I'll recover it with the same bright Blue.  I also need to paint it.  

This chair has some history.  We I did find it in a dumpster. Actually beside the dumpster . . . 

The Cowboy did drag it home complaining the entire way.  Put it on our patio.  Still complaining how dirty and ugly it was.  The next morning we found this in the chair . . . 

It became Rascal's chair.  The Cowboy didn't want to bring it when we moved but I had to remind him that Rascal needed it to sleep in on the patio!  The chair came.

I love that shade of Blue but my color theme wasn't coming together because I needed something to put pots on or in. 

 In or actually out to the came the vintage red wagon.  Also another 'freebie' The Cowboy found it in a trash pile.  Originally it held the succulent garden that we bought with a Christmas gift card from The Home Depot.  Most are dead now.  So the wagon recently held some of the zinnia's, tomato seedlings and carrots.  But I just wasn't happy with the red wagon.  I love vintage and all but it just wasn't speaking to me.  

Last week I added a few Blue pots from Dollar General to go with the terra cotta pots.  

And then I found a few  'newish' ideas on Pinterest . . . 

                                                            Source
I probably won't do this since I have no place for stepping stones. 
But I love this Blue version.  Would be perfect for my theme.  

But this I want to do!

So here's my idea.  Take a few of the terra cotta pots I have and cover with beautiful Blue jewels/stones.  I have a few from Dollar Tree.  Tomorrow I'll see what I can find at Hobby Lobby.  
 
This idea was also found in the same article.  Love this.  I doubt I would tackle it but who know's. 

 I've found a complete service of 12 set of dishes by the dumpster.  Maybe I'll start looking for cool mugs!    

                                  Stay  Tuned
Linking with Blue Monday, The Art of Homemaking  Outdoor Wednesday and Share Your Cup,Garden Tour at Art and Sand

Simple Sunday

                                

                                               Have A Blessed Day

Sad Follows Beauty--Garden Update

              Hello welcome to my garden update  
     Open the garden gate/door and  come on in . . . 

                  
                                                                             Source
This really isn't my gate or my garden but I love this door leading in. Mine would have a 'Welcome' sign. I found this lovely gate on Pinterest.  I included a link to the post.  The original post I found didn't share a credit for this photo.  Hope I don't get into trouble. Hehe. 

Better show some of my own photo's and stay out of trouble!

It was super windy when I took this shot.  The Salvia is almost laying down because of the wind.  Normally it's standing straight and tall.  I took the photo anyway because I wanted you to see how much the Sweet Potato Vine has grown. 

Here's a shot only a couple of weeks ago . . .

The Salvia is standing at attention. 
Another shot of another pot from a few weeks ago . . . 

The plants are young but healthy.

Here's a little better shot  . . . 

You can see how much the purple grass and the sweet potato vine has grown.  This is before I added the Salvia.  And the pot by the door is before I added the Lantana.   Both the Lantana and the white plant are very sad looking now . . . 

The white plant has some sort of white spots on the leaves.  And the blooms are gone.  I kinda wonder if the yard people sprayed something on it.  

I kinda hate to show this next shot because I moved a pot and realized there was dirt all over the porch from the pot.  But you don't mind do you?  

Because I know you want to see my new treasure!   

I brought this charming little plant stand home from my mothers. 
Free is good!  I stopped at Walmart and bought a couple more Sweet Potato Vines and some beautiful deep purple Salvia.  
They are going up stairs I just set them on the little stand to show it off.  

I wonder what the Cowboy will say when he gets home and sees it.

You can see beyond the little the dirt by our door.  We have no grass.  We've been begging for 3 years for new grass.  Our landlords refuse to plant any!  


I got the new plants planted in my brand new pots!

On more shot.  This is the whinny part of the post.  

If you look beyond the lovely little tomato on my plant you can see across the parking lot beautiful green grass.  

Looking down.  You can see the ugly tacky dirt by our door!  

Maybe I should end with something pretty.  You think?

Well not exactly pretty.  But Heart Warming!  He's running! 
Don't tell the Cowboy I showed you his white legs!  
      A year ago our grandson was in a body cast for 6 months!
             
                           We smile.  We run!  God is good!

Linking with Outdoor Wednesday,  Flower Friday

Simple Sunday Blessings

                        
                                                          Have A Blessed Day