Choice Morsels

Three Garden Pics Today: First: Siberian Iris & Shasta Daisies These are in a bed along the front side walk. I can grow any kind of Iris except the German Iris, which has a rhizome root. Siberian Iris just has regular roots. So it grows.  I like it because it's on the dark blue side, though Siberian Iris does come in a rainbow of colors. I collect blue flowers in particular, though. Also it spreads. Over the years, it has turned into a whole row!   Next: my Louisiana Iris in my backyard rain garden. I have 2 colors: First this pretty purple with touches of yellow. And then this more solid purple one, called Black Peacock. Backlit by late afternoon sun like this, it looks more purple. But in the shade, it's a deeper purple one could almost call "black."

I'm going to be a Guest Blogger next month at Katherine's Corner !  It's something I've never done before. The series I'll be Guest Blogging for is called "Between the Lines," and features women bloggers all over the age of 50!  The interview questions & posts will be centered around what it's like getting into blogging as an older person and what we're blogging about.   My post will be featured on Tuesday, May 10th! And here's the best of this week's batch of "Between the Lines" posts: Paper Seedlings The Interior Frugalista Between the Lines with Marilyn's Treats To read the full interviews of this weeks participants, go here ! For today's Garden Pics, I've created a collage of all 3 kinds of Iris that are currently blooming in my garden: Being in Florida, I've learned certain Iris like this climate and perform magnificently!      Yellow Flag Iris: This one likes bogs and the e...

  Here, where I'm typing on my desk top computer, there's a window right next to me on my right. It's a south facing window and, since it's nice fall weather, it's open a few inches every day to let in a little breeze and fresh air. Laying behind me, on a cat-scratch platform that's even with the window sill, is my cat, Sunni. She naps or suns herself, content to be a quiet companion while I'm working. She doesn't constantly sleep, but often enjoys peering out the screen. There are interesting things outside for her to see, such as squirrels or birds or even the neighbors cat, whom she can't stand. Earlier this week I noticed that she was rather intent on watching something outside.  So, I looked, too-- and lo and belold, I saw something I've never aeen before---a baby box turtle, strolling right into my strawberry bed, which happens to be right under that window. His shell was only 2 inches at most! I excitedly grabbed my camera and dashed...

I missed my window of opportunity to mow. It was sunny, but I was diddling about on the computer. I saw it was starting to look cloudy, so I went out---and wouldn't you know it---thunder and sprinkles. I did stay out a bit edging some beds, planted a couple of fresh squash seeds, trimmed a bit of skirt the 1 pampas was developing and dead-head a couple hibiscus. My window may return later in---I could see bright clouds and a sunny blue sky to the north, beyond the storm cloud. Or it could remain stormy and gray. On the Gulf coast it's a feast or famine thing. As promised, the Garden Pics of the Day are two front flower bed shots in the rain: First up, a shot of the our parking slot. That tall, leafy plant in front of the Pampas grass is the bi-color Hibiscus. Interestingly, it's actually illegal to park vehicle on the street you see in the back ground. Though, of course, everyone parks extra vehicles on it all the time and it is a dead-end street, so no traffic. Howeve...