MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS: Our Azaleas

Showing posts with label Our Azaleas. Show all posts

Monday, June 12, 2017

Happy with my Scuba Skirt

We all have had no doubt something that we fell in love with right away, until the price ticket scared us off!

One of Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th emails showed such a gem.

Of course I tried to wait till it got on sale but then it was SOLD OUT!

Wearing it here, with my sewing creation that I've shown you before.

It goes perfect with this Silk Quilted Vest that I paired with silk Escada blouse.

The Scuba Skirt is in a moss green and so are my Escada shoes.

Here is the J BRAND Kimberly Scuba Skirt that I've posted on Pinterest, just scroll down.

Also the back side with special zipper.

Just like a dream object...

One rainy day I thought, why not Google this J BRAND Kimberly Scuba Skirt?

Low and behold, at Poshmark.com I found it; new and half price and in a size S!

Laughing with this cast iron 'OWL', It can hold a votive candle for special light effect.

We got it long before I joined the Choir of the Knight Owls...

Love the length of this skirt so much and the freedom.

I had an A-line Escada skirt but our late Spooky boy did claw it while carrying him on my hip to the mail box. I got two holes from his hind legs where he dug in!

At that time he was still an indoor only cat and he got excited about some dog...

But finally, I found this replacement!

Blending in with nature...

This is taken on April 2.

Pleats in the back too and for the zipper you have to check out my Pinterest as it is not visible here.

Yes, we still had azaleas here!

Not much of a show this year, due to the late frost.

Spooky boy did approve of my skirt! They love to linger in our Gazebo.

So does Barty boy, our eldest 13-year old.

And above all, the photographer, husband Pieter who is holding here our HUGE Clematis Lanuginosa Candida blooms.

Thank you for your visit!

{My Silk Quilted Vest Creation and YOUR Opinion Requested...} | showing you the vest I wear above

google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder

Friday, May 12, 2017

Garden Miracles After the Late Frost

On March 31, I've taken photos from some more tender pot plants on our patio and around the gazebo.

Having lived a sheltered life all winter, inside the greenhouse, they were now ready to move outdoors.

Spooky boy is always following you, like a loyal doggy... being a feline though.

Azalea is so HAPPY as one of Our Pot Plants!

Cleaning up the patio didn't make sense yet, or you could repeat it every day.

Catkins falling and frozen and dead leaves...

A very happy Hibiscus, the latest 'RESCUE', as Pieter loves to bring home neglected and abused pot plants from Home Depot and by placing them straight into a larger pot with good potting soil and being sheltered inside the Greenhouse, it LOVED us right back!

Our Staghorn Fern came out of the greenhouse for living one more year on the remainder of the special saved stump.

However, the stump is being worked over by the woodpeckers and such so each year there is less and less!

In the back you still see the frozen Japanese Magnolia leaves being brown.

This was such a delight on March 31!

Our variegated Bougainvillea was in FULL bloom while in the greenhouse...

Joy for the blooming Bougainvillea but what a SAD sight was this totally frozen Pommegranate tree...

BUT - Miracles do happen in nature!

This photo and the next are taken on May 8, and sadly there is only ONE Bougainvillea flower left...

But LOOK:

Next to the Bougainvillea this young Pomegranate tree has gotten completely NEW LEAVES!

Still you can see some of the dead, brown ones from the March 16 Frost.

Oh, one of our cat boys comes following me of course!

Closer to our Greenhouse, there is the 2nd young Pomegranate tree and here you see the very same young green leaves with some of the wilting frozen and brown ones.

That makes one very happy!
Both of us LOVE this Antioxidant SuperFruit.

Need to get out and weed our garden as on May 20 we will have people come for a Garden Tour, a fund raiser of one of my Knight Owls Choir members.

And yes, we did perform on Saturday the 6th at 14:00 and at 19:00 o'clock at our local theatre.

Together with the younger Mockingbirds; Hummingbirds; Knightingales we sang, danced and performed.

The full DVD of both performances will be available by the end of the month so finally all choir members can enjoy it too!

Husband Pieter was very impressed by this 20th Anniversary Revue.

All because of one single woman, our talented Leader Kelly Knight (hence our names Knightingales and Knight Owls...).

What a great asset to our community!

Will soon be catching up with your blogs and thanks for your visits here.

Related links:
Our Japanese Magnolias got Twice New Leaves | Previous post by me
{Dreaming of BIG Pomegranates from our own...} | previous post by me
{Growing Pomegranates the Ancient Persian Superfruit} | previous post by me

google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder

Monday, March 27, 2017

WELCOME SPRING

On March 6, we did have our Azaleas near the Gazebo, looking their BEST. But it was a rather dreary day without sunshine... Hard to capture them! I did anyway...

All winter we are looking forward to this and then the moment is there!

Bees happy humming around...

March 6, husband Pieter started feeding the roses and azaleas...

Spooky boy is almost like a doggy, always nearby and walks back and forth to the greenhouse with Pieter.

Two days later, on March 8, the sun came out so I snapped these photos!

Showing you also the blue sky above our Gazebo...

Closer to the gazebo where pink and white azaleas look their best.

Some yellow Carolina jasmines intertwined with them.

Nature's Poetry!

Imagine, being a bee and visiting all these blossoms...

Also their buds look lovely in a darker shade of pink...

Husband Pieter did bring in these HUGE white Azaleas that grow across the creek near one of our bridges.

Because I was crocheting again to finish my 2nd curtain with Fleur de Lys.

Yes, it is up and hanging since March 16 and I'm very happy!

But last week we suddenly had quite some frost on March 16 as it turned to -3°C (26.6 °F) by 6:36 AM

By 7:41 AM it even dropped to -4°C or 24.8°F...

Needless to say that so many tender blossoms and also young leaves got damaged!
All our Azaleas look brown, the Pomegranate trees are totally browned and so are the leaves from our Japanese Magnolias... A sad sight!

That's life and we have to hope for the best in weeks to come.

Hope you too have had some Spring Awakening in your area, or beginning of the Fall in the Southern Hemisphere.

Thank you for visiting me and I will catch up one of these days; promise!

google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder

Friday, March 10, 2017

Happy Sunny Days

Did you miss me?

Well, I've been away for 7 days, on a trip to Miami, Florida for visiting three sets of friends.

A lot of driving for me but I needed to be back for choir rehearsal by Tuesday at 5:30 PM and I was home at 2:45 PM.

Sharing with you some more fresh garden flowers...

Photo is from Sunday with fresh azaleas and fragrant daffodils, 3 varieties in the multiple vases.

Yes, the trip to Florida, all the way down to Miami was a lot of driving for me as I'm doing it all solo.

Pieter my elderly husband remains in the passenger seat.

A total of 2,606 km because Florida is such a LONG State, looking on the USA map like an appendix.

But so glad it all worked out and we had meaningful visits with dear friends.

Three couples that used to live here in Dublin, Georgia before they moved away.

BUT we always managed to visit each other; either them driving up north once in awhile or we driving down south.

The days prior to departure we had these white Camellias and I made this photo on February 19.

Not enough light in fact to make a decent photo...

Tried another window sill, showing also the blooming white pansies in the fiberglass window boxes from Flower Framers of Cincinnati.

Teacup with chocolate on the side and a vase with Ehrlicheer daffodils on February 19.

So you know I'm alive and well and will visit you soon.

We did have some very chilly mornings on Friday and Saturday!

33.8 °F or 1°C

Thanks for your visit and wishing you a happy 1st week of March!

google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder

Saturday, April 18, 2015

{Our Azaleas Before the Rain}

We have had now several days with heavy rain and that is not so good for blooming azaleas and other blossoms... But here are some photos from our azaleas before the rain:

Are those flowers not a DREAM?

To the left you can see the newly raised, wood trail, as seen from the gazebo. Pond is to the right and center.
You can see those raised edges from the wood trail here:→ {Cashmere Words of Wisdom & Update} - just scroll down to the last 2 photos.

Very lush and healthy!

Greenhouse in the back...

Glad I captured these before they got heavily rained upon!

For more Azalea photos you can click here: google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics

Sunday, May 11, 2014

{Our Mrs. G. G. GERBING Azaleas}

One of our prettiest Azaleas is for sure the Mrs. G.G. GERBING Azalea with its huge white flowers!

Again, during my garden tour on April 12, with perfect sunlight I could make these photos.

Are they not a dream?

In the back you see the red from our Acer Rubrum or Red Maple.

Stepping back now so you can see the wooden bridge over our creek. One of 3.

To the left you see our Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold and the Italian Cypress in front of the balcony, the Gazebo is visible as well. Next is our Acer saccharum Marshall or Sugar Maple tree.

To the right you see the Acer Rubrum or Red Maple more visible and also the Acer Negundo Kelly's Gold Yellow Box Elder to the right of the rubrum.

A bit closer and all 3 Acers you can see in the back as well.

Lovely contrast of colors against this pure white Azalea with its large flowers!

This really is the LOVELIEST time of the year!
The fall has its colors as well but not such lovely flowers...

Don't you LOVE them too?

Just a hint of green on those pure white petals.
Hope you too have Azaleas to enjoy in your garden!

{Cloudy Day versus Sunny Day}| Previous post by me
{Blooms on our Windmill Palm - Trachycarpus fortunei} | previoius post by me

{Our Golden Live Oak has LOTS of Acorns!} | previous post by me

{Our Different Oaks} | previous post by me

{My Silk Quilted Vest Creation and YOUR Opinion Requested...} | previous post by me showing golden oak

{Our Live Oak got a Haircut}| previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

{Rooting Azaleas Is Easy}

You have seen our Admiral Semmes Confederate Azaleas, of which one has been rooted by husband Pieter himself. Gardening on a scale like we do, is asking for quite a large budget and this way you can easily multiply the beauties you already got! Give it a try at home. Now is the TIME!