Prairie fire

April 11, and again this year they are doing a controlled burn of the meadow behind the homes across the street from us. It's always startling to glance out my kitchen window and see fire! Tonight it made an especially beautiful contrast with the Bradford pears in full bloom and everything springy and green, and flames licking the meadow floor.

Seasons of prairie grasses

Some shots of the back fence line through the seasons:

Late March - April
May - early June
July - early August
September - October


Spring blossoms

April 6, and the first blossoms of spring are popping out in earnest. Almost overnight, the forsythia is in full bloom and the Bonfire Dwarf Peach tree has sprouted "bottlebrush" blooms. Left and below, what the tree will look like in September, barring an April frost.





Cleaning up

Three days after the first day of spring, and a beautiful day to work in the yard. We got about half of the grasses in the backyard cut down...can't wait to see all the new grass come up!


Before......and after.

One month from today. . .

With spring just a month away, we wanted to share some favorite shots from seasons past.

The magic of snow and sun

January 29 and the creator of the garden captured the work of the Creator with his camera. It was the prettiest winter morning I can ever remember.

Frosty, foggy morning


After a week of bitter cold, sub-zero temperatures, it's a balmy 21 degrees this morning, heading toward a high of 50 degrees tomorrow, January 13. When we got up this morning, it was foggy and the moisture had formed hoarfrost over everything. Beautiful!

Merry Christmas!

Our garden has been put to bed for the winter, but we still enjoy the glimpses we see from our windows, and on this shortest day of the year, we dream of the day next spring when things will start coming back to life in the garden! Meanwhile, we want to wish you all a very merry and blessed Christmas!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

December 8, and we're getting our first real snow of the season! Isn't the red twig dogwood beautiful against the white?
Fortunately, all the birds have flown south for the winter.

This moisture is so great for the trees and grasses. Love snow...as long as we're watching it from inside a warm, cozy house with the fireplace blazing.

Close-ups

It's a foggy morning in late November and we went out to the garden with our cameras and captured some beautiful images. You really have to click and enlarge to appreciate. (And yes, there are still a few roses blooming on the arbor!)

Sunday sunrise

November 22, and I'm sad that the autumn leaves are already gone. But it does mean that we have a clear view to the eastern horizon and this morning the sun is a huge red ball in the sky (and as always, this photo doesn't come close to capturing the beauty of it. But I keep trying!)

Time to bring the outdoors in

We had our first snow flurries November 15 and brought the last of the flower pots inside for the winter. Hopefully I can keep them going until spring. But even if they don't survive the winter, it's nice to have a few bright spots of color in the kitchen window as it grows darker and browner outside day by day.







Indian Summer

Beautiful early November days. They can't last much longer but we are savoring them while they do. Here are two views of one of my favorite trees in the yard - a bald cypress.

October's last gasp

There are still a few things blooming in our garden on October 26, including a few perfect roses on the arbor! But we spent about an hour outside tonight cleaning out pots, draining and rolling up the garden hoses and pulling a few final weeds. In a few weeks we'll roll up the outdoor rugs on the deck and call it a season. It's been a lovely one!






















Three magical minutes

I glanced out the kitchen window tonight just as the sun was going down. The view took my breath away! The sunset had lit the trees on the east side of our street on fire. They "blazed" for a few magical moments while we snapped pictures and tried in vain to capture with a camera what only God can paint on the canvas of His creation. Amazing!

Autumn Views

October 21 and autumn is here in full force. Already the wind has stripped the Autumn Blaze in the backyard, and my beautiful coleus pots are history, thanks to too many chilly nights. But there are plenty of other trees in the neighborhood dressed in their autumn finery, and the carpet roses still provide splashes of color. Here are the breathtaking views from our windows.

Autumn leaves


The third day of October and the trees look like they've been dipped in the first hues of autumn.

Brrrr!

It's October and the air is starting to feel like it! By the looks of the forecast we'll have to say goodbye to our coleus before long. They don't like those low night temperatures. I hate to lose the potted flowers each year, but my basket of mums will help ease the loss. Autumn has its own beauty and we look forward to the lovely russet and gold and orange of fall.