The Artistic Japanese

Touring in Rockford, Illinois today I paid my second visit to the Anderson Japanese Gardens.  My first visit there last year was on a pouring rain day in July.  Exquisite!  My second visit today in May was a sunny day.  Exquisite!  I could go anytime and do plan to go in a Fall and Winter also.

Lovely, serene with waterfalls and an authentic Japanese pond strolling garden among other delights!  Not to be missed if you can get there!  In my pictures here do notice the three leg ladder used for pruning.  Wish I had one!

Bon Bon The Gardener

My son Bon Bon, you know the one.  That little ball of white fluff I keep around for set decoration.  Well, as any dog lover knows; once an owner has bonded with their child...I mean pet...the owner knows that their pet wants to be involved with everything the owner does.  In my case this means Bon Bon helping me garden.

So, I explained to Bon Bon what the task at hand was to be.  We would be removing a cold frame set on the south side of the greenhouse and then planting that area with mums in colours of white, pink, rose and red.  In between the mums we would be planting white, purple and lavender alyssum to fill in (they grow rapidly) and be in constant bloom until the mums started blooming in the Fall.

And so we set about our gardening task.  Bon Bon watched me dig a hole with my trowel and saw me set a mum in place where upon I then added soil around the plant and pressed the ground down.  After seeing my efforts he said, "Mama, I can help you.  I know how to dig holes!  Just watch me!"  He then proceeded to dig a hole and he didn't come up for air until he was finished.  Here are the pictures....to prove he did just that!

Well, how do you think my dog looks in black face?  His legs and paws match his face too by the way!  So proud of what he accomplished in a few minutes time, he walked away saying, "No problem, call me any time!"  As Voltaire said, "Cultivate your garden."  Bon Bon and I intend to do just that!

By the way, here is a picture of the finished planting.  I will leave you here laughing in stitches and will post a Fall picture of these mums when in bloom.

What a little helper!  I can't wait until we garden again!

My Beloved Tree Peonies

Tree peonies are SO BIG in bloom, seven, eight, nine, ten and more inches across that when first you see them you think you are in some more tropical climate....and not in Wisconsin.  But, you are in Wisconsin here in my backyard.  I love them.  I love their colours.  I love their dainty charms.  I love their perfume.  I love to touch their ever so soft petals.  I love their super size buds.  I love them...and they know it!

I have six of them in colours of red, pink and shades in between.  They grow bigger in shrub size every year.  They make excellent cut flowers (later today I plan to pick some for an indoor bouquet).  They are quite hardy for as you know, they grow in the mountains of China.  Their cultivation is easy.  But enough!  Let's get on with the pictures!

This picture is a bonus!  It's my lone surviving a Wisconsin winter pond frog.  But, not to worry!  Look closely at the right side of this picture and see newly hatched tadpoles swimming on a lily pad.  And, in the next picture too!

The Robin Family

Remember in April I posted a picture of a Robin's nest in the pergola just built?  Well, that family has come and gone!  In the short space of less than two months three Robin blue eggs were laid, hatched, fed and taught to fly.  This nesting site was just one of three in the yard for the Robins that come back each year.  The other two nests still have mothers sitting on their eggs.  But, I promised I would blog the first nest from beginning to end...so here it is!

And, that's the end of this story!

The Rock Garden

On  the south side of my home is a Rock Garden I and my husband created back in about 2003 or so.  The site is on a slope which is a natural for this type of garden application.  I did not want my husband to have to mow grass here because of the slope and the difficulty of a mow.  So, I proposed a Rock Garden which he agreed to do.

First my husband added additional soil from another excavation site on the property.  Then he and I made field trips scouring the surrounding countryside for large rocks that we hauled back (three at a time) in his van and added to the slope.  I also purchased three identical very large hollow faux rocks that are made by a Wisconsin firm that also created faux rocks for the Milwaukee County Zoo.  The faux rocks look very real and I positioned the three of them in different poses so as they don't look alike at all.  Of the field rocks we collected, one has a huge chunk of quartz attached and another has a hollowed out natural seat.

At this point my husband stepped back and I completed the scene.  I selected rock garden plants that spread, that grow an average of 6 to 7 inches high, various colours, drought resistant, in short easy to no care required.  And, so the plants have grown together forming colour blankets over the rocks.  All plants are very hardy in Wisconsin winters.  Take a look!

From all directions this Rock Garden looks fantastic!  A few of the plants have not bloomed yet for example, the miniature pinks that smell so devine!  And, all who see this garden assume it has taken mega years to establish...but YOU know better!

Another Banner Day For Bon Bon!!!

Cross your fingers.  That's how close my little dog Bon Bon and I have become.  In the space of five months we have bonded very tightly and are almost inseparable.  He sleeps on the bed at night, curls up in my lap when I read, stands on his rear legs and puts his front paws on my leg when he wants to be picked up and, follows me everywhere.

Well, me his mama has been reading that it's not so good to have your dog sit on your lap when driving nor is it good to have your dog sit on the passenger seat.  Why not?  It's because of the air bags that now drop from the front and the side.  They explode with such force that they probably would kill your dog.  And, a step up in crate size that I had purchased for Bon Bon....well that crate really doesn't fit on the seat well.

So, what's a mama to do?  Why, go baby...er, ahem...I mean go dog new equipment shopping!  And, that's what happened today.  You know how it is when you go shopping.  You go in for the thing in your mind and leave with all kinds of other stuff you now know that you need too!  So, Bon Bon had another Christmas Day.  Gee, how do I top these Christmas Days when the real one comes around?

First off I see an oval padded bed not very deep that I know he will be comfortable in on the rear seat.  Into my cart it goes.  Then I realize that he is going to need a harness that attaches to the car seat's belt and to the dog to keep him safe and in place on the not very deep padded oval bed.  Into my cart that goes. 

I round the corner in the store and see that all this  past Winter's doggy clothing is now marked down to $2.50!  Wow!  I see the same blue turtleneck sweater I bought for him December last.  I quickly find the next size up (of course, my puppy has grown).  Into the cart!  More rapidly now I select a red plaid turtleneck he can wear next Christmas, a mid tone blue padded vest,  a short pink vest, and a brown tone raincoat with hood.  Way to go!  Into the cart!

In the next aisle I spot a cloth doggy carrier with hand and shoulder strap for me his mama to carry him in.  Hmm, hmm, I think...this would also work well on the back seat 'cause I can put him in it and put the seat belt around it.  Besides for air travel (we are not planning anything right now) I do take him to the vet, and other places where it would be very handy to carry him this way instead of having him in my arms.  Into the cart!

At this point different sales associates are coming up to me and either giving glances into my cart or are asking me if I need any help.  I say "No" to them and I say "Yes" to myself.  How to you stop buying for your kid???

This aisle also has doggy treats on sale, a shiny gold collar (he needs a new one), a red ball (he needs one), a handy rubber lined travel tote with a food pouch and water bottle (a travel bag for a dog is a new way of saying a diaper bag for your dog), and, last but not least a new slighly larger dog bed for the house so if I am gone for more than two hours he has a very comfortable, consoling place to be (I plan to put a piece of my clothing in it so he will feel that I'm with him).  All, into the shopping cart!

Oh well, I tell myself.  He will use these things.  And, some of them are on sale.  He knows I LOVE him and I guess this is my way of showing that besides all the hugging and kissing I do with him. Gee, I hope these sales associates don't peg me for a big spender!

Once back home I bring in the slighly larger dog bed for the house and plop it on the kitchen floor.  Bon Bon who knows I'm home with the sound of the garage door opening runs into the kitchen, sees the new bed and makes a dive for it.  He curls up in a corner...the same way he curled up in my lap when first we laid eyes on each other!  And, he never left my lap either that very first time even though his brother and sister kept walking around the room.  It was as if he had told himself, I'm getting adopted and I'm GOING HOME WITH HER!"

Anyhow, enough with this story.  Here are some pictures of Bon Bon in his new raincoat with hood, his new carrier and a picture of him at a local park which is another story I will save for now.

And, there you have it!  Bon Bon's sweet life with me! 

Greeting Cards

I am also planning on adding some greeting cards in my shop soon.  They always will be blank inside so as people can write whatever they please.  Quite a few of the cards are featuring photos I have taken of my garden and, some of the cards will feature reprints of my original watercolours of my flowers.  Take a look!

The cards contain some glitter, some stamping, some three dimensional work, some ribbon, and even some of my embroidery such as the dragonfly hovering over my painted waterlily.