Spring Reflections

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Mominthegarden

Queen of the Night Tulip

I love spring! It is so nice to welcome in the warmer weather, the singing birds, and the colorful flowers. These are such simple pleasures, and all it takes is a conscious effort to stop and make the time to appreciate them. I genuinely LOVE these simple pleasures! This is what I hashtag #beautyallaroundyou. (Sorry, I can’t help myself!)

cherry blossoms and bluebells

It is also the time when I plan out any changes or additions to the garden. I add at least a few new things to the garden every year. I just like to have something new to look forward to!

New additions this year: Tulips Don Quichotte and Mystic van Eijk surrounding viburnum

Apple blossoms from our Arthur Turner (cooking) apple tree and our new tulips surrounding the viburnum

The viburnum in the photo(s) above isn’t new. I had it in a pot for two years. It was happy for the first year, and then it wanted more attention which I neglected to give it. So I hoped it would be happier in the ground, and so we planted it at the end of last season, and then added tulip bulbs around it last fall. The viburnum has lots of little blooms on it, but they are a light green still, whereas when they are in full bloom the flowers will be white.

a nicer view of the colors of tulips Don Quichotte and Mystic van Eijk

I have some (O.K., LOTS of) ideas for additions to the garden. I have to pace myself though, as it is a lot of work to take care of! I don’t use any chemicals, so that means there are a lot of weeds to pull! It also means that there are a lot of weeds I don’t get around to taking out, and that is O.K., too. I really enjoy working in the garden, but I want to be able to enjoy other activities, too, so I just have to be conscious not to over do it.

Parrot tulips

This garden needs some more tulips!

The above picture shows the bed which has the pink parrot tulips in it. They are near the end of their lives in this picture. But we have lost some of these tulips over the years, and I really would like to get more for this bed. The bright pink flowers in front are bergenia and they are doing great!

bergenia in front and parrot tulips in the back

I will be changing around our vegetable/fruit garden a tiny bit. I have been focusing more on flowers than food, and the garden just needs some adjustments. It is all part of maintaining a balance. Here’s a look at some of the fruit that looks great right now in the early stages!

blueberry flowers and a bee

teeny tiny pears

cooking apple (Arthur Turner) blossoms

eating apple blossoms

But my favorite bed at the moment is the one that has our Japanese Maple. It took us nearly three years to realize our Japanese Maple was extremely unhappy (we had different issues with it along the way). But I think we’ve managed to finally get it right with this tree, as it looks beautiful this year!

side view Japanese Maple garden

I find it peaceful and rejuvenating when I get to spend time in the garden. Oh, and I also LOVE to take pictures! Lots and lots and lots of pictures!

Bluebells and Japanese Maple tree

I hope you also get to enjoy some time in the garden! But either way, I hope you enjoyed your visit to my garden. 🙂

In peace,
Dana

In a Vase on Monday: Parrot Tulips and a vase of misfits

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Mominthegarden

Parrot tulips

Given that I had a vase of flowers from the garden, I could hardly let my Monday go by without contributing to Cathy’s meme “In a Vase on Monday”! Thank you Cathy, of Rambling in the garden https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2015/05/04/in-a-vase-on-monday-in-your-own-hands/ , for hosting such a fun meme! Pop on over to Cathy’s blog to see some great ideas for creating arrangements from what is in the garden now from gardens all around the world!

up close

These parrot tulips are new flowers for me. We planted them last fall, and they have provided a lovely pop of colour in the garden.

front garden with parrot tulips

They are rather unusual, or shall I say “sloppy”? Yes, I’m sorry, I think they are rather sloppy the way they open up and seem to almost hang with their arms wide open! I still like them, I just find them rather … odd?

different backdrop

Their petals have a fringe to them, too, just to make sure they are completely different looking to other tulips! 😉

My second vase is filled with flowers that were either on the ground, or I cut them because they were on their way out…

what a stormy sky for a backdrop

Lovely colours, even if a bit tattered looking!

miscellaneous tulips

I’m loving that I had enough tulips to cut for a vase. I *still* struggle with cutting flowers from the garden! It’s not so bad if they are nearly gone though.

view from above

I’ll finish with one more look at a most unusual tulip…

Parrot tulip

Happy Monday!

Dana

Having it all… and a garden, too.

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Mominthegarden

Garden by the Playhouse in the springtime

I have had this title floating around in my head for quite a while now. Isn’t “having it all” what everyone strives for? I think most of us probably do have it all, in one shape or another – it just depends on how you measure “it all”.

misty morning (up too early to drive my daughter swimming before school…)

Over the years I have learned to not wish for anyone else’s life but my own. Oh I used to think about all the other people who I was convinced had it better than I did! It is so easy to think ‘doesn’t she have everything?’, or ‘doesn’t he have it so good?’. I think there is a story to tell in everyone’s life. Some stories are much harder to read than others, but everyone has a story.

a view from above (foxtrot tulips)

Recently I had the situation where I really thought I was having a bad day. But then I learned someone else’ story that day. Yeah, my day was a walk in the park compared to her day. Sometimes you just never know what is going on in people’s lives. If only we could all be a bit more patient, kind, understanding…

Ballerina tulips with our playhouse as a backdrop

My life is quite full just with our three kids and their activities! Then add in my coaching swimming, working, trying to keep the house looking like a hurricane hasn’t passed through (too recently), gardening, and balancing life with my husband and kids. I’m sure everyone’s life is equally as busy and full and rewarding!

weeds are just a part of the garden

Life is so full that time in the garden is precious these days. Precious and rare! Our garden is where we find peace and enjoyment, despite the amount of work it takes to care for it. For me, time in the garden is how I recharge. I’m in the process of learning how to just sit and relax and enjoy the garden after a full day. “Just sit” doesn’t come easy to me, so it is a learning process, but I’m getting there.

Parrot tulip

How about you? Can you “just sit” and relax in the moment? I hope that you too, have the “all” that you need in life.

Peace,

Dana

a not entirely stormy sky

Mom in the Garden

Enjoying life. In Ireland. With my family.

Tag Archives: parrot tulip

Spring Reflections

In a Vase on Monday: Parrot Tulips and a vase of misfits

Having it all… and a garden, too.