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Thursday, May 29, 2014

A Mothers day treat.

So where does a mom who can not be with her children go on Mothers day... Well, if she is a gardener she goes to a garden!
I was lucky this year as Bear was actually working up in Chicago so I got to go up for the night and head over to the garden early.
If I can't be with my girls or the back of a horse off riding in the mountains... The garden is where you will find me. I was mesmerized by how much further along Chicago was then Holland. Colour galore 
 I love bold groups of colour like this. How can you look at this and not smile. You can't right? It just cheers me up instantly.
 Smart phones are wonderful as I was able to talk to two of the girls while sitting in this garden and enjoying the day. I found a wonderful quiet place to sit and gaze out on the gardens beauty while we all caught up on our lives. I actually was at the garden from 10 till 6:30 that night!
 Later that afternoon I was able to facebook with the middle daughter. Life was grand. No it doesn't replace actually being together but they are a text or facebook message away. When I left home it was to be a young army bride over in Europe. It was good old snail mail back then. Funny enough one of the places I always feel my mother is in a garden. My mom loved her flowers and was a fantastic vegetable gardener.

 Although my Magnolia is pink.. I can not wait for it to get this big!

This was also an information gathering trip. The Chicago Botanic garden is very educational. There are information signs every where as well as the tags for learning what shrubs or trees you like.
Seeing the large Imperial Crowns made me smile because a "happy" client just gifted me five from her garden. They didn't like being transplanted this spring but they will bloom for me next year.
They actually look like a plant out of a Doctor Seus book to me.
But arn't they beautiful and look how they the yellow primula look
as a fore ground to them. I'll have to take that in to consideration and think about where I put mine in. I believe they are in between some big yellow daffodils along the rock wall.  I may just have placed them in a very pleasing settling. I guess we will be waiting till next spring to find out.
Hope you liked this techno colour walk. I know I sure did. 
How did you spend your mothers day? 

thanks for stopping in and checking out whats going on ...
we will be back at Frog Hollow next post so I hope to see you there.

Kate :)

Ohhhh its been such a long time but I think I will link up with my friend out in Edmonton Alberta.... Hows it growing Tootsie.

ff
This Blog is always entertaining and inspiring.
Tootsie time.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

May 8th...just a little late!

 Tulip time in Holland Michigan is a festival.. not just a time when the Tulips are blooming. Its a time to celebrate everything that the people of Holland are rightfully proud about their Heritage. The Tulips of course are the huge attraction.
 As the festival began even the early blooming Tulips were scarcely open. However as the week went on with increasingly wonderful weather the rest were quick to catch up.
 In the Mermaids garden everything sprang to life with the warmth of the sun. Im pleased to say that the diligent weeding of last year has minimized the spring weeds. Although I should knock on wood because it doesn't take them long to get out of hand.
 The start of something sneaking up inbetween the vibrant red and blues....
 Some of the dwarf Iris have made their way over in to this planting and again I love the work that mother nature does...
 After the long months of winter the colours seem particularly vibrant
 Although the grass is looking very green here I am worried because we do live on pure sand. There is a value broken on our irrigation system and so the irrigation has not been turned on yet. We have been getting pretty much nightly showers though so it isn't as great of a concern as it could get to be if the weather continues to heat up.
 Yes this is the first week of May.. Looking very empty and not at all that impressive... But, I wanted to show it to you so that in the next few posts you can see just how incredible the garden looks with just another two weeks of rain, sun and lots and lots of weeding...
 This bed actually has a lot of colour in it early spring. Im very pleased that my first Magnolia has survived and went on to be very showy for a few weeks.
No I didn't plan this.. I obviously planted the red ones and then forgot they were planted there when I planted the others. It didn't help that these were Tulips bought two springs ago from the Tulip time organizers... They had been the "belle of the ball" or in their case the Tulip time parade. It was the year of "stem fest" and the City of Holland bought a lot of tulips in buckets to decorate the town and its floats.
 The Fairies stairs seem to of been brushed off lately some I think they may be awake from their winter nap too!
Well thats all from the Mermaid for the week of May 1 - 8th.. 
we will have to fast forward a few posts to catch up with what is blooming now in the garden..
Boy just wait and see what three years of growth can do for a garden..

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek.
Leave me a note so I'll know that you've been.

Kate  :)

Friday, May 16, 2014

She's Back!


Since the frogs were braving the chilly weather the Mermaid thought she best take up her post.


Even with the very few days above 70 degrees everything is growing rapidly. Beds have been edged and its a fight to keep up with the weeds already.


I've really loved using the Creeping Jenny as a ground cover under the roses and I've started spreading it to other dark areas through out the garden for contrast.

This was actually taken May 1.  Morning teas are out on the deck even while having to still wear a light coat.

The Dragons blood Sedum added last fall is looking great against the light green and blue of the Forget me not just starting to bloom.

Ornamental grass really doesn't add much to the garden this time of year but everything has it time and place as the show goes on.


I love the dramatic blue with the grey rock back drop and then out pops these incredible tulips!. Soon the early dwarf Iris will bloom adding to the effect.


Here's the Iris along the walkway just a few days later with the one purple Iris that is in there..."Just because". 

Do you put things in your beds that might entice your guests to ask "Why"... or just to give yourself a smile.

I best get out there and weed..... 
Thanks for walking my garden.
See you next time.
Kate



Thursday, May 15, 2014

Better late then never!

Hello from Mermaid at Frog Hollow...  Thank you for all the emails we received from concerned followers.
Really its all just down to the winter that won't end and then cleaning up all the damage once it did finally thaw out!.. Now work is keeping me busy as the housing market has really turned around in our part of Michigan. Thankfully!

I did take photos throughout the winter and even while over in Mexico this year. I just never seem to find the time to sit and get them posted. Then there becomes that point at which it all just seems so in the pass. 
I missed sharing all the crocus and how beautifully they are already spreading. The Hellebore are doing great although dividing them did take away from the impact they normally have. They really did Herald in the spring.

Primroses already had blooms opening even under the snow. I did 
actually have to remove some frozen leaves when the temps dropped just a little too much!

The cooler weather has a positive side though in that the spring time cooler weather flowers are actually lasting longer.

A little bit of Blue among the yellow that will hopefully spread and have a much bigger presence next year.

Not looking as spectacular but every bit of colour and green is a very well received bonus after the blanket of white.

I actually had the pond cleaned out and up and running a month ago in anticipation of the frogs. I finally heard some last weekend. Although the temps are back down in the 40's this week so they are hiding.


Tulip time here is Holland started off with a lot of green but then did flush out to beautiful colours as the week progressed.
Here's the first of the tulips in my garden.
More to follow.

Hows everything in your gardens. It seems Im running full out to try to play catch up!
Thanks for dropping by. I hope to be more consistent through the summer. But it was nice to be missed!

Kate.