We made it to another Friday where we join our fur-pals, Rosy, Sunny and Jakey from LLB in Our Backyard with their weekly Nature Friday blog hop. Be sure to click on the link to see spots of nature from around Blogville.
Monday we actually received a little shower to the delight of germinating weeds everywhere. Since that moisture and accompanying pleasant temps, areas all over the Southwest have begun their march toward the summer solstice. Temperatures have been steadily moving into pizza oven temperature range and will likely reach the upper 90’sF this weekend. With a black dog and a dog with a ready made fur coat, we’re already beginning to look forward to autumn since not one of us do heat very well.
Offerings are somewhat on the lean side since other than before 6:00 AM it’s not tolerable enough to leisurely walk among fresh blooms, but a few things caught my eye early in the week.
First off, let’s wander around our own garden. The climbing rose near the front door was beginning to burst forth with hundreds of small, delicately scented white blossoms. The lupine were in their prime as well. P.S. Let me know if you want any seeds, there are plenty for sharing. Again. Despite brutal culling last autumn. You can hand water like crazy but let nature deposit a smidgeon of rain and it will turn it into an jungle oasis.
As of this morning, it is totally covered with small white flowers, despite being cut down to the ground last autumn. Some branches are above the roofline and there may even be a mailman or two stuck in the branches somewhere that will need to be rescued.
Here’s a close up of the blooms following Monday’s lovely shower. They really are delicate and have the loveliest, slightly spicy scent. Maybe those hi-tech billionaires might want to work on creating scratch and sniff apps for computer screens rather than dashing off to the moon. Just a thought.
The Queen of the garden has begun her reign. The garden has 7 peony bushes, but this colorful one is the most striking. And talk about a divine scent. Whoa Nellie!
The poppies are likewise drawing attention to their colorful petals. The ones in my garden are the traditional orange but this one at a nearby garden is an absolutely gorgeous shade of peachy-pink.
Our daily walks take us past a front garden that has quite a collection of cactus featured in it and this one definitely caught my attention. Quite the punch of color within the perennials, wouldn’t you say? It almost looks like a tulip but with those spines, best to appreciate from afar.
Well that’s it from the Mile High. We hope you are able to stay cool yet enjoy some of nature’s more picturesque elements. Have a great weekend.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Lulu: “That cactus flower is so pretty! But uhhh I’m really afraid to sniff it …”
Java Bean: “You should be!”
Yes, snifferating the cactus is verbotten but mum still walks past that house to tempt us poor innocent pooches.
Your fur pals,
Norman & Elsa 🐾
A mailman or two caught in it….bwahaha! If your mail hasn’t been delivered lately…
That peach colored peony is gorgeous. I’ve never seen one that color. We’re in IL, and they are blooming around here too.
That rose bush is deadly with it’s thorns. I didn’t realize how they seem so compelled to reach out for skin, shirts, hair. I have to trim it with super thick leather gloves that cover the bottom half of my arms! And the mail service is so bad, they usually deliver after 8 PM at night. It’s a sore spot with me these days. After having a FABULOUS carrier for 13 years, she had to take another route because there were over 1100 mailboxes on my route. She said she couldn’t physically do it anymore.
Wow, after 8pm and 1100 mailboxes. Wow!
Precisely. The route is a disaster.
Gorgeous blooms in your garden! Thanks for the share.
Our pleasure; thanks for dropping by!
Beautiful as always sweet sister. I’ll take some Lupine seeds if you have any e tea. I’d love to spread some Colorado beauty in Maryland.
Thank you. I’ll be happy to share seeds with you!
Good Saturday Morning! As always, your garden photos are gorgeous!
We’re supposed to get temps in the 90s next week. Oh joy. 🥵 I feel your and the ranch hands’ pain! Ducky loved being out in the yard in any kind of weather – didn’t matter to her if it was 9F or 90F, rain or snow, or scorching sun – She was my fresh air addict. And, with the one neighbor we have, I couldn’t let her stay out there alone. So, I always gave into her wishes, at least for a little bit at a time. Much as I hate being out in the heat and humidity, I’d gladly tolerate it again for my baby girl.
The heat really bothers me so I have no problem with the Ranch Hands not liking it. It was 101º yesterday. and likely again today Triple digits already….yikes! What’s July & August going to be like??
So pretty, love all the pics! (just may send you a note about those lupine seeds…)
Thank you. I’d be happy to send some.
I love how your lupines are scattered everywhere…like an impressionistic painting!
That is one gorgeous cactus bloom!
I planted your gift of lupine seeds after a chilling time in my freezer…but I guess I will have to wait patiently for new ones to come up.
They are nothing if not prolific reseeders. To think all that came from just two plants. 😲
Pizza oven temps, never good.
The beautiful bloom with spicy scent, always good.
And yeah! We could do with a scratch and sniff app. Pronto.
Thanks, Marc. With these temps so soon in the season, nature is dealing some make up views. After yesterday’s 101º, she’s got some serious work ahead of her. Stay cool this weekend.
Ugh, it’s going to be a hooooot summer.
Completely brutal.
The flowers are amazing considering the heat. Our peonies are gone.
Sadly the garden will likely be toast after the weekend temps crispify everything. 😵💫
That’s how it happens here. I won’t plant late tulips because we get a flash heat wave in May and all the spring bulbs are toast.
It’s hotter, earlier this year. I can only shake my head at the flat earth society who continue to say there’s no such thing as climate change.
Maybe they are the flat head society.
beautiful!
Thanks, the rain brightened everything up.
Wow! What a beautiful garden you have…I can almost smell those roses and boy, do I miss the California Lupine!
Thank you. If you’d like some seeds, I’d be happy to send some for your garden. 😍 Have a great weekend!
Beautiful gardens, Monika. All your flowers look so good.
Thank you, John. They’ll get bedraggled if the heat continues to soar. 😕
Ours as well. We have to stay on top of them
Oh your yard looks so darn gorgeous!! That rose is amazing………Cutting them back is for them, like how good a haircut feels to us when we need one………..LOL Enjoy all that beauty that surrounds you.
Hugs, Pam
Thank you! That rose and I have a thorny relationship. 🤣 I’d love to move it so we could coexist better.
Gail and I love your mile high flowers, the climbing roses and lupines especially.
But we have a question. Why is it ‘lupin’ in the UK and ‘lupine’ in the USA??
Toodle-oo!
Nobby.
That’s a good question. You know the US…always trying to be special. I truly have no idea, the only thing I do know is they sure are pretty in the springtime wherever they are and whatever they are called.
Your hard work making that garden has really paid off….pleasure not only for you but for passers by.
Thank you, Helen. 99% of the gardens around our house are far more structured with turf grass and defined flower beds. Not only do I prefer the cottage garden design, it takes less work and water.
Cottage gardens are like a tapestry, plants working through each other….
What a brilliant way to describe them!
You have a wonderful front yard! 👍
Thank you! As the weather heats up, it won’t be quite as colorful but for now, it really shines.
You’re very kind. No deer, though but loads of lupine again this year.
Our roses took off also. I wish we could have cacti but it gets cool too often then I would stress. Have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks, Martha. You may be surprised about cactus surviving the cold. It can get below zero here but then we don’t have the humidity like you enjoy. Here’s to having a pawsome weekend.
Beautiful flowers. We only have a few in pots and the flowering plants have ended their flowering for this year. Still everything is luscious green from all the cool and wet weather.
Thanks! With your moisture and humidity I have to admit I am a bit envious but then we don’t have to endure the bugs that come with it. Have a great weekend.
Your garden is lovely! And Pyrenees mix sympathizes with yours on the warm weather. Anything above about 80 is too warm for his liking. 🥵 Stay cool!
Thank you for the kind words. Yes, summer temps are just too hot for all of us and I can totally empathize with your Pyr-mix. We’ll be staying indoors most of the day taking our long walks before 6 AM when it’s quiet and much cooler. Have a terrific weekend!
the poppies are so sweet… like something from a fairy tale…
They truly are! I love poppies, especially the pink ones, but my favorite are the red ones I saw on my trips to Western Europe along the exits on highways. Soooo beautiful. Have a great weekend. Hope your Internet troubles are behind you.
What a beautiful garden you have, Monika!
And yikes on those spikes!
Happy Friday to ya’all!
Thank you. Appreciate that. It’s a bit of a jungle after a couple small showers but much easier to manage than turf. And everyone stops and lingers walking past it. Have a great weekend!
A bit of a jungle is better than a dried-up disaster, I say. How could they not?
Thanks, my friend.
True dat. The dried up vista will begin this weekend I fear. Enjoy a dip in the pool for me. As well as a nice cool one.
Bummer!
The temps will be hovering around the 73℉ mark with chances of rain all weekend. Warmer temps start mid-week. However, I shall most definitely have a nice cool one virtually with you!
And I shall covet your enjoyment of the cool one.
Surely you shall have time in your weekend to imbibe? 🙂
I’ll make time. LOL Probably during tomorrow’s Stanley Cup game. 🏒 🥅 🏒
Woot! Woot! It’s up to the AVs now! Damn Lightening…
IKR?! I had high hopes the Rangers would wear them down but it wasn’t to be. At least they have to go at least six. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Seriously. Marc loathes the Rangers but we were rooting for them… It ain’t over but…
They a heck of a lot better than those Sunshine boys. 😵💫
Those damn Sunshine boys are friggen good – not that it pleases anyone with any sense. Who puts teams in Florida. Nevada. anywhere hot? It’s wrong on every level! 😀
Yup. I always said if snow didn’t fall in your town you couldn’t get a hockey franchise. Plain and simple!
I knew you were the real deal!! 🙂
😆 just a fan who knows what’s right when it comes to hockey.
Still… It ‘splains one of the reasons you and I connect 😉
You have a beautiful yard filled with lovely flowers. Wow. All the wonderful colors.
Have a fabulous day and weekend. Scritches to the pups, a smooch to handsome Norman and a big hug to you. ♥
Thank you, Sandee. Years ago I got rid of the turf grass and never regretted a moment of the backbreaking removal. It’s my happy place and know it brings smiles to all those who walk past it. Have a wonderful weekend; Norman sends soft pupster kisses.
Beautiful! That white rose bush is amazing. It’s hard to believe it’s so robust after being cut down to the ground. But I know that can be a good thing to do though. Like giving the plant a fresh start.
I can relate to weeds germinating everywhere. Sometimes it feels like overnight they all decide to show up! At the same time I see myself appreciating the artistry in weeds a little more.
I really have loved that climber but it has very large thorns and probably should be moved. I’ve gotten scratched up pretty badly. I had intended on removing it last year when I cut it down but a cold snap and quick snowstorm put the kibosh on transplanting it. A spot of rain and it grew practically overnight! Rain is a weed’s best friend. 😬