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!

It Looks Like Spring

We have had such lovely spring weather here in the Heart of Georgia...

Sunny days and they make all the difference!

The white pansies in our Fiberglass Window Boxes from Flower Framers of Cincinnati have been blooming all winter...
Our Pot Plants are being brought out from the green house, back onto the Patio.

Today around 4:00 PM it was 24°C or 75°F

Husband Pieter made this photo at breakfast time. That's our view from the kitchen bay window.

The other Japanese magnolia, Magnolia x soulangeana is now in full bloom.

A huge pine tree once fell on it and split it in half but it is still surviving and doing its best!

Through the rose arbor and with perfect sunlight.

The beginning of our wood trail is good visible here

The back of our home with the crocheted curtains hanging in our veranda.

It felt so warm that our felines were looking for some shade...

Speckie-girl to the left and Barty-boy and Spooky-boy next to the Italian cypress.

Tiggy-tiger claimed her spot under the palm tree...

Hope you too are enjoying some spring weather or end of summer for those living in the Southern Hemisphere!

Thank you for visiting on this perfect Valentine's Day.

{Tiggy-Tiger in her Favorite Spot}

Whenever we come home from a trip, be it long or short, our felines greet us on the driveway.

For Tiggy-Tiger her Favorite Spot is on top of the retainer wall, alongside the driveway...
Our Fiberglass  Window Boxes alongside the wall are filled with white Verbena Lanai® Blush White from White Flower Farm

She always has remained kitten-like, so tiny...

But she is very fast and fierce.

Sweet too!

Love this girl and miss them all while we're traveling but they do always have a sweet cat-sitter.

While we're traveling, our cat-sitter also waters the Fiberglass Window Boxes from Flower Framers of Cincinnati, so the Verbenas don't perish in the heat.

They have been blooming during the entire summer.

Not easy for keeping them alive in our harsh climate though...

Thanks for visiting!

{Our Happy Magnolia Namnetensis and Update}

Sorry for my absence as I've been under the weather for the past couple of days...

Just made it back home from a lovely time in Florida; courtesy of some Hyatt Award Nights and Free Nights!

A blessing for visiting Friends and also enjoying the scenery and the lovely weather of course.

On Tuesday, July 5 we got home by 5:00 PM and I was early in bed.

Today I feel better and no doubt in a couple of days I'll be back to normal again!

Just wanted to share our Happy Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno' with you.

It is completely solitair now, since the HUGE Indian Hawthorne got removed.

Notice the very healthy Verbena Lanai® Blush White in our Fiberglass Window Boxes from Flower Framers of Cincinnati.
Will show you next some of our recent Magnolia Namnetensis Flowers
Thanks for your visit and I will soon catch up...

Related links:
{Our Fragrant Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno'} | previous post by me
{Retaining Wall got CURVE} | previous post by me
{Our Bee Happy Magnolia Restaurant} | previous post by me

{Feeling Pampered with Silk/Wool Cap from Blogger Friend}

Oh my, on Christmas Eve, I was for the last time out of the house and than a very bad flu floored me literally.

Did not even notice that 2015 ended... it went past me.

Only on my Dad's 95th Birthday I managed to be up in the late morning and call him in The Netherlands.

From than on I improved, but did not want to be out in the nippy, windy weather as the warm temperatures from Christmas had suddenly dropped, even getting some night frost.

What a surprise when on Thursday, January 7, the mail delivered a parcel from France.

A sweet hand knitted gift from Anett from the blog: Faden Stille whom I follow since 2010. We have become virtual friends!

Friday, January 8, I did join Pieter for Rotary lunch and afterwards I did wear my silk/wool cap for taking a walk. Wearing of course my coat as well!

Spunky girl looks fluffy during the cold weather.
Me, showing off my crows feet from a great smile...!

Driveway is still damp and the weather dreary looking...

But our Verbena continues blooming inside the fiber glass window boxes from Flower Framers of Cincinnati!

Enjoying my Chanel boots; bought from tip money for consulting work in California!

You can read more about that here: {My Favorite Boots}

My silk/cashmere Jodphurs from Bergdorf Goodman 1994 still fit me perfectly and I love wearing them in winter time.

Matching cables in my Escada silk/cashmere sweater from December 26, 1993 - actually my very first Outlet score bought at Potomac Mills in Prince William, VA. We were traveling by car to the funeral of our Jewish friend in Delaware when we stopped at this Mall for lunch.

Thanks a lot Anett for so much WARMTH!

It warms the heart and the ears on a nippy winter's day...

{Carolina Wren on Nest}

You have seen photos before from a Carolina Wren on a Nest, in the greenhouse and such.

This time it had her nest in one of our fiberglass window boxes from Flower Framers of Cincinnati, on our kitchen bay window.
In my header, above, you can see the bay window... this nest was to the right.

When I walked around the bay window, with my camera, I could just capture her on the nest.

Our White  Verbena are not looking happy here; they actually died off.

But how clever to build against the corner, under the protection of the roof extension!

Related links:

{Wren's Nest} | previous post by me

{Wren Nest in Our Greenhouse} | previous post by me
{Our Backyard Wildlife HABITAT Certificate from August 1997} | previous post by me

{Verbena in White for Fiberglass Window Boxes}

We've changed plants inside our bay window Fiberglass Window Boxes. 

Here they are: White Verbenas

We used to have pink verbenas but we lost them while being for 2 weeks in Europe, for attending a wedding... It was hay when we got back home.

Pink no longer works well with our Benjamin Moore Golden Mist color for the exterior...

Photos are from May 19...

Looking promising! Even though the above is not a pure white in my opinion but a silver...

This is perfect and very healthy.

They got all sold as being Aztec White Verbena

Related link:
{Our Fiberglass Window Boxes & Double Cascade Pink Petunias} | previous post by me
 Flower Framers of Cincinnati | Source for Fiberglass Window Boxes

{Our Vinyl Picket Fence Extended}

When we did have heavy rains on Christmas Day, husband Pieter had a very close look at our extended Picket Fence from the previous year's Water Control job: {Our New Retainer Wall & Vinyl Picket Fence} ←click it.

He than decided it needed still TWO more extensions...

This is on December 30, 2014 after I'd ordered two more at the nearest Lowe's Home Improvement store and Pieter picked them up, together with some posts. He already had bought the concrete blocks and cement for the foundation.

As you can see, two of our cat-boys are helping him! 

Perfect day for completing this project, even a bit sunny.

You can see our huge oak tree being trimmed up quite a lot.

That will give the Japanese magnolia to the left more light and space for growing.

Of course, our neighbors agreed with this extension!

The foundation is done, concrete blocks laid and now connecting the panels to the posts...

Our Spicy girl is acting as supervisor...

She planted herself on a strategic point where she can overlook the entire back yard.

Our white pansies are blooming so happily in the Fiberglass Window Boxes from Flower Framers of Cincinnati.

Our Wood Trail is visible here as it goes past the big oak tree.

December 30, 2014 at 5:29 PM I made this photo after it got all done!

Our neighbors for sure will enjoy the view of this Vinyl Picket Fence as well.

Talking about neighbors, we have 10 neighbors surrounding our property. Here to the left you can see in fact three homes, that gives you an idea about the distances.

{Vinca Extreme White from Home Depot}

For the summer our Fiberglass Window Boxes got filled with Vinca Extreme White from The Home Depot.
The pansies from the spring had given up...

Are they not lovely?
Even our shortened Post Lantern looks nice with it.
We used to have it stand to the left but the Magnolia tree and Indian Hawtorn grew big; hiding it!

That is the newly added wall as part of the water control project. Looks great in the Benjamin Moore Golden Mist exterior paint color.

The Vinca Extreme White in a closeup...

What a precious find at Home Depot!

Related links:

{Our White Pansies & Indian Hawthorn} | previous post showing you the April view

Flower Framers of Cincinnati | source for our Fiberglass Window Boxes
{Retainer Wall Extension for Water Control} | previous post where you can see the Post Lantern away from the wall...

{Bay Window Patio with Potted Herbs}

We have been steadily adding potted plants and I also did order some special herbs such as Mentha piperita citrata, Lemon Grass, Spanish Thyme which also is called Cuban Oregano. 

This mint is supposed to be the one that fine restaurants use to decorate their desserts...

Here the patio is still empty but I love this photo because of the special light through the dogwood branches...

A nice place for hummingbirds to come to one of the feeders which is visible from our kitchen bay window.

The top photo was taken after 5:00 PM and the one below after 1:00 PM and the light is always changing!

Together with our Fiberglass Window Boxes from Flower Framers of Cincinnati, it is a nice addition to the Bay Window Patio.
Lemon grass is standing tall already in its pot to the left.

Hope everything will grow well and that we can use it this season or next...

Do you also grow some herbs?

{Our White Pansies & Indian Hawthorn}

Alongside our driveway, we do have Fiberglass Window Boxes hanging on the retainer wall. Those are filled with White Pansies and the blooming Indian Hawthorn next to the wall is filling in with white blossoms as well.

The Indian Hawthorn to the left, we got as a gift from our German 'sons', in July of 1995.

Once a pot plant, it over the years has really grown up!

White Pansies in our Fiberglass Window Boxes alongside the driveway's retainer wall.

The blossoms of the Indian Hawthorn are an early spring pollen and nectar provider for the bees.

Photos are taken on April 10...
Do you have an Indian Hawthorn or White Pansies? 

Related link:

Flower Framers of Cincinnati | Source for Fiberglass Window Boxes