Geraniums and Hollyhocks

Last year I bought two Hollyhock plants at our local Farmer's Market.  They do not blossom the first year, but they grew and made it through the winter and this Spring they really started growing, and getting buds on them.  They blossomed starting last week and I am very pleased with the colors.  The (almost) black ones are a deep Merlot Wine color.  And the light ones are a (almost white) light pink with maroon centers. 
Also, my husband picked out a different-looking Geranium with bright pink petals with maroon centers.
I had difficult keeping my hands off the wet watercolor border :-)  Just klutzy, I guess!

Clematis Time

These are my Clematis--I have a pink one on the Trellis and below it on a smaller Trellis is a Purple Bell-Shaped Vine with loads of Purple Bells.   Around the side of the house I have a large flowered Purple with a white Star-type Center.  I think this one is called some kind of Etoile????  Love These bloomers right now.

White Petunias and Pink Impatiens

I love white Petunias--I think they highlight other plants of color.  I planted them among some other flowers that needed some "white."   I had an empty pot and white Petunias left over, so I combined these with bright pink Impatiens and planted them together today.  They are so pretty-looking.  I put them up on my brick wall so "everyone" could enjoy them. 

Spring Roadside Flowers

Here we go doing Roadside Wildflowers again....the Phlox are so pretty among all the green on the Road sides right now.  Even spotted a few Daisies on the way home today.  The Dandelions have come and gone (to seed) already. 

Hooray for Wrens!

Our House Wrens arrived today--constant singing and going in and out of the Wren House with twigs.  They were very, very busy (active) all day today.  This evening the singing and busy-ness settled down.  They were probably exhausted and needed to "eat."  I hope they are planning on using "our" little birdhouse because it is so fun to watch them tend to their little flock.  I'll keep you posted.
This is last year's wren house.....I bought a new one up in Petoskey, MI last summer and  the wrens seem to take to it right away.  I will post a watercolor of that one soon.
The Rose-Breasted Grossbeak also arrived today and I saw our first Hummingbird.  Didn't get much done today because I was focused on the birds.  :-)  :-)  :-)   Enjoy! 

PASSING THE TIME.....

This is the foot of the bed and my feet in hospital sox (with grippers :-) passing the time by watching the ballgame (Tigers lost!)  I spent 24 hrs. in the hospital, because on Saturday I responded to a "perceived" stressful situation with distress--and experienced a tightness in my chest area and throat.  Being of the
age that I need to pay attention to symptoms, I told my Best-Half about it, and he would hear of nothing until I went to Emergency to get "checked out."   You don't just get checked out in Emergency--you get "Checked in."  Then they do stress tests, blood work, etc., etc, etc.....     Anyway, I passed the stress test with flying colors (thanks goodness for the fact that we excercise regularly at the "Y")  and got to go home 24 hrs. later.   I spent a lot of time pleading my case to go home--and fast!   I happened to have a w/c brush, and a limited little box of paints (no yellow! :-(    and also a little w/c postcard pack in my purse--so I amused myself by sketching as best I could while watching tv.   

Lavender Azaleas

The Lavender Azaleas right underneath my Dogwood Tree are blooming now.  Such delicate flowers and a very pretty color.  My daughter Ruth ("The Gardener") gave me this bush several years ago for a Birthday gift.  Another one of those gifts that 'keep on giving.'