The Garden Buzz

Bare Dirt and Borrowed Blooms

Don't you love what I've done with the yard?

Our home is finally finished on the inside. The outside is another matter. Mother Nature is on a rampage and I'm not too happy either. She seems to be thwarting every chance I have to start the landscape this year. Relentless snow and rain stalled the exterior work while I have waited patiently to begin gardening. And then this past week an epic storm hit the heart of Minneapolis uprooting and snapping off huge trees all over the metro. Power has been out for over 600, 000 for many for days and the cleanup will take a long time.

So mostly I am thankful we didn't have any damage and were on the lucky side of the street that didn't lose power. It was great to see all the outstretched extension cords over the streets of our new neighborhood lending electricity. Next time we may be the ones without.

Meanwhile I'm getting impatient. I've missed more Garden Bloggers Bloom Days than I can count. So once again I am roaming around "borrowing" blooms to blog about. This time instead of the easy pickings in nearby yards or public gardens, I grabbed iPhone shots of the wildflowers blooming on my walking path around the lakes.

Feel free to help me with identification.

 

Some kind of water hemlock perhaps?

 

Golden Alexander

Tradescantia or spiderwort

The purple blooms have me stumped. A wild pea or some vetch?

 

Spot the yellow goat's beard or Tragopogon dubius, and below its beautiful seed head

 

Someone seems to have planted these domesticated posies on the trail

And with all the rain mushrooms are blooming too.

And as for my gardens? I'm anxious to share the landscaping process. Maybe next week...

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Quick Trip to Birmingham: Blooms, Bubble Planters and More

Quick Trip to Birmingham: Blooms, Bubble Planters and More

Just a quick post to prove I haven't fallen off the face of the world. Nor have I plunged down one of the many surprisingly steep ravines that link the neighborhoods of Birmingham, Alabama where I'm helping my daughter find a place to live while she's at Southern Living magazine.

No sooner had we hauled all of our earthly goods into our new almost finished house than I had to start thinking about another move in the same two weeks.  In case it wasn't already complicated my son is also moving tomorrow, heading to Omaha for a co-op job in conjunction with his engineering studies.

We've absorbed lots of Birmingham history, both good, bad and interesting while learning the lay of the land. Topography. Who knew Birmingham was so mountainous? It feels like we've been starring in our very own version of "house hunters" while the Vulcan statue looms above the city. 

In between apartment hunting I've managed to see lots of lush, colorful plantings all over the city, the humidity agrees with them more than it does my hair. We did quick stops at a couple garden centers...down here in Steve Bender country. I almost expected The Grumpy Gardener himself to jump out from behind the rows of potted azaleas and ask me just what I thought I was doing on his patch.

Leaf and Petal in picturesque Mountain Brook caters to the sundress and pearls crowd serving up gorgeous container combinations but also has great little houseplant offerings. Check out these unique vessels...

Loved all the driftwoody textures with ferny foliage.

Succulents!

A green roof of sorts

And don't miss the chickens and that cute coop.

Last night after a tasty dinner at the Little Donkey we came upon Sweet Peas Garden Shop on Linden Ave in the homey section of Homewood. It was closed but my-oh-my look at that MG filled with flowers. It might have been the sangria but we got pretty excited about this oversized herb sign too.

Flower Power

I hear Charlie Thigpen's Garden Gallery is legendary, but it will have to wait until my next visit.

Meanwhile back in Minneapolis, I may have the beginnings of a landscape and veggie beds soon on the bare plot that is my future garden. Hopefully I can get my hands in the dirt before it starts snowing again! Pictures soon.

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The "Golden Hour" at P. Allen Smith's 2013 Garden2Blog