Sunday, September 6, 2009

Flowers and Stuff

Way back when my husband and I bought our first home, I wanted to do something to the outside to "spruce" things up. And having come from a home life where my mom didn't mess with flowers too much, I had little experience to go on.

So, wreckless person that I was,(ok, maybe I STILL am at times...) I just winged it and planted a whole bed full... and I was hooked! 3 houses later I am still that way-It could be the artist in me, I don't know...but I have to have a multitude of color in the front and sides of our house or I feel bereft.



My flowers seem to attract all kinds of interesting things- grasshoppers, (and here in Illinois you will find THOUSANDS of them! I was scared this one was going to hop up at me, but I bravely took his picture...)



hummingbirds....(I have seen big fights over the feeder here)



...butterflies of all kinds... and toads. My son will pick the toads up and hold them, (Ewww!)



But while I think toads are kind of cute, don't put one on me unless you want to hear a middle aged lady scream at an ear piercing decibel that may cause you to lose your hearing...I don't think the toads are there in my flowers for the flowers themselves- but the banquet of insects that are there in huge numbers.
(Which is one reason I am reluctant to do my weeding as I should...)

Well, flower planting is just one more way for me to use my artistic side- the blending and choosing of colors is therepeutic for me- one of many ways to appreciate the simple beauty in this world!

3 comments:

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Your flowers are so pretty. I love them too. Here in the desert we have to plant in the winter months. I can hardly wait. I feel really starved for some flowers. Hugs, Marty

Joanna Home and Life said...

I love gardening too, it seems that this summer, my garden 'got away without me'. I have been playing catch up for the last few weeks!. Your garden is so beautiful, and the toads will help it along. They always startle me when I see them too!

Anonymous said...

I,too, love my gardens and my flowers. We've had an unusually high number of hummingbirds and others show up this year. I've taken some really great photos.
You may have grasshoppers(we don't) but I think I'd rather have them than earwigs...hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them. They've eaten my hostas to the point they are ugly...hostas shouldn't be ugly.