Flower Blooms, real and applique

 Some housekeeping: You've probably heard by now that Feedburner is going away soon. Feedburner is the whatever you want to call it that sends my blog to you by email. If you want to keep reading this blog, my suggestion is to sign up using bloglovin'. On the sidebar of this blog, there's a way to subscribe by clicking on it and then entering your email address. 

And now back to my week ...

 

Flowers are a big part of my life! The colors of this year's blooms are so beautiful. I didn't know what to expect after our freezing weather this year but it seems to have made the colors more intense. This iris was one of many iris plants my mom asked me to dig from her flower bed and replant in mine when she went to the nursing home. Purple and especially lavender was her favorite color.

 

The peonies were hers too and this year they have outdone previous years' blooms.

 

This photo was taken yesterday. Today we're getting some much needed rain and the blooms are water logged and bent over even though I provided support around each plant.

 

One of our cats trying to send me a message that his food bowl is "empty".

 

And lastly, my applique project progress. My sprigs blocks for the quilt guild's Opportunity Quilt are all glue basted and the two lower blocks have been appliqued. I stitch on this project when the weather doesn't allow me to be outside digging up Bermuda grass. Its my summer exercise program!

Until next time, Mayleen

Sunflowers - fabric and real

I found the sunflower fabric to use in my wallhanging! Pictures coming soon if all goes well. No pictures means hand piecing the wallhanging is not going so well.

The birds helped plant my flowerbed this year and real sunflowers are blooming in it! Here's a little tour of the side yard while its still relatively green and pretty.
These petunias were struggling to stay alive in the direct sun and heat on my west porch so I've moved them to the deck. They're doing better here but I don't expect them to last too much longer because of the heat we're expecting for the next week.

Beginning today, our high temperatures will be over 100 degrees for a week. We haven't had rain for awhile either so its very dry and if I weren't watering my flowers and trying to keep the lawn alive, most everything would be brown. The weeds, however, would be green. Is it only me or have you noticed that weeds thrive with very little moisture?

The vine climbing up our deck is Autumn Clematis. Looks great, does its job of blocking the wind, heat and dust but its also invasive. We cut it down every other year or so and it always grows back as long as you give it some water. It looks quite lush on the picture but the leaves on the other side of the vine are already turning brown.

This morning, I cut enough rhubarb to make 2 pies but again, I don't think the plants will be able to stand the heat for much longer. This is the green rhubarb which was given to me by a friend so I don't know what variety it is. Green rhubarb is supposed to be more sour than the red kind. I chop and freeze it to bake rhubarb pie, muffins and bread later.

The hibiscus flowers are wonderful this year and the bees seem to fight over the flowers! I'm glad to see the bees around because it means somewhere there's honey for someone.

Its time to move the sprinkler again so until next time, Mayleen