Happy Birthday to Me

Edited to add B-Day photos....

Yes, it's my Birthday!!! It is a glorious day in the Garden State..blue skies, sunshine,cool enough

to work in the garden, but warm enough to sit and do nothing.

Farmer Dad surprised me with a depression glass pitcher in amber..with

some weird colored flowers in it this morning.

My brother-in-law and his wife and daughter

stopped by for pitcher of bloody marys, they gave me a gorgeous pair of earrings as well and the kids played outside all day except for when

they took a ride to buy my b-day cake with Farmer Dad.I took the time to sit with a favorite book and a cup of tea I have been swamped with love over here, as the e-mails and phone calls keep coming..heaping birthday wishes and love all over me.

I will post pictures soon from today, in the meanwhile..here are some pics from around our little corner of the Garden State from this week....

There is one piece of chocolate cake left...

sitting on his vintage melmac I scored off freecycle....so cheery to me!

Golden Raspberries,Lettuce and Peas, Oh My!

A view from my kitchen window...

Begs you to get out to pick these...

That is pretty much what our weekend was filled with.

Along with mowing the overgrown lawn, weeding the flower beds and garden.

Deadheading the flowers. The rain has everything looking soggy and sat upon.

We did have a small yard sale this weekend, while we weeded and all that.

It was pretty good for last minute, and we cleared out some much needed space.

I have big plans this summer, which is right around the corner, and I need to make some room.

We were able to harvest more lettuce, beet greens,swiss chard,some herbs, and the first of the

golden raspberries and peas. Snow peas and pod peas. Yum!

I have about a billion mosquito bites in places no bug should be, and Princess

and Farmer Dad? Not a one. He claims it is all that British "Blue Blood", I guess mine

is more Sicilian Marinara, cause the bugs sure LOVE me!
Can't you just feel summer coming closer when you see this cone flower getting ready to flower?
I am not sure how these roses still had petals it after the hard rains we had here.((hugs))KateinNJ

Some pictures from the last sunny day here

The rain has finally stopped, but now everything is soggy, so I bring you some
photos of blooms on the last sunny day..enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by to visit our little corner of the Garden State.

I am hoping to hit the Community Plots this weekend, I'll post pics of that and the peas

when I come back inside. (hugs)KateinNJ

Watching the flowers grow

Sorry we were gone for so long, Princess fell off the computer chair, into the computer

desk, knocking teeth loose. Fortunately, they were baby teeth.She is recovering,

but needing a bit more one on one care than normal.

Here are some photos from the last couple of days around the yard.

Many of the roses are flowering, the "pink lemon aid" honeysuckle too.

This Cecil Brunner (sp?)rose is spreading across the fence on one side of the yard,

Farmer Dad was not a fan, dumped it there, and despite him, it is thrivingit fills Princess's windows with cute pinkness!We also have some

flowers from Farmer Dad's childhood home,

Things in pots that were purchased at Lowes last year right before they went into

a dumpster, for about $.35...yes..that cents!

Some old horse radish in the garden is flowering too


I missed the azaleas, but here is one of the rhododendrons

It is the smallest one on our property, and the only one of this color.

What's blooming near you?

Rainy Days and Mondays....

The little Bosc Pear tree we planted last year does not mind at all.

The cherry blossoms are coating every surface...

The hostas are also benefiting from the rainfall...

There are blooms in every corner now, including the azaleas...

Sometimes, you need to make your own sunshine...


Hope you are enjoying whatever nature is dishing out near you.

Return of the Pollinators

Caught in the act!

The sun is shining

and all the plants are outside for some fresh air.

It is warming up enough to open the windows

and walk outside without a coat. The greens are enjoying it,

and the crocuses are out.

Yesterday was still gray and snow covered.

But the cardinals were at the feeder, and that always brightens my day.

The same could be said of this lovely Paper white sitting on the kitchen table.

The living room will have a bit of bloom to cheer it soon as well.

These plum branches are just about ready to open up.

We might have been inside keeping warm, but ,George, the "cat next door"

was hard at work, patrolling the grounds. Don't fear for the birdies, he is not a bird cat.

He takes care of any rodents, the doves and other birds don't mind him a bit.

Maybe, because he has birds in his house, he does not bother the wild birds.Or, maybe there are enough rodents in the neighborhood to satisfy his need to hunt.