I officially declare myself OLD!

Mr. Bloomers and I took the day off work to do some real work around the house.  We had high hopes of staining the deck, but we decided that it needed more sanding before we move on to staining, so that job is on hold until the weekend.  Sometimes we're not the sharpest knives in the drawer though and we had sanded for about an hour before we came to this conclusion!

Luckily (or not so lucky, as some would see it) there's always lots of stuff that needs to be done around here so we're never long between tasks!  We just moved on to painting the front porch railings and posts.  It's a job that we've put off as long as we could.  It took the two of us, working side by side, about three hours from start to finish.  Four posts, one top rail, one bottom rail, and seventy-six spindles later... we feel it in our bones!  After cleaning the brushes and putting everything away we dusted off in the pool and then headed out for the nearest drive-thru window for dinner. 

We're back now and after cleaning the pool we're ready to settle in for the night.  tomorrow we go back to work to use our minds and give our poor aching bodies a rest!  By the look of us, the creaking noises and the complaining; one might surmise that we spent the day wrestling a bear!  Old age plays dirty tricks on the body!  Somehow merely painting can make one ache from head to toe.  That father time has a wicked sense of humor, doesn't he?

Hopefully, I'll see you in the garden tomorrow!

Monday Morning Visitor

This morning we had an early visitor grazing near our back door/patio area.  He was just the cutest thing; checking us out while having a light breakfast.  You could see the beginnings of soft, velvety antlers and big dark eyes dwarfed only by his monsterous ears!  What a cutie!

He didn't even seem to care that it was Monday.  Maybe he works an odd shift. :) 

I'd been up since about 3:15, unable to free my mind of some work matters, which are out of my control.  As you probablly surmised, the fact that it was work related pales in comparison to the fact that it was "out of my control".  Can you say control freak?  I'm trying... I really am! 

All in all, it was a wonderful day!

The rains have brought us many great blessings... cooler temperatures, greener lawns, bigger/brighter blooms, and lots of mushrooms!

The white butterfly bush is starting its bloom cycle. 

White Impatiens

Red Impatiens

Mushroom/Toadstool trying to disguise itself as a flower!  Nice try! :)

I hope to write more after a good night's sleep! 

I hope to see you in the garden tomorrow!

Plan? We don't need no stinkin' plan...

Today I began planning a new garden.  Well, that is a bit of an exaggeration; today I thought about planning a new garden.  I thought, and I thought, and I thought about it.  I took photos of the spot needing love and attention.  I sketched it out on paper.  I researched a few plants.

After putting pencil to paper, inserting only the few plants that already call this bed their home and one small birdbath... the bed looked great.  The only problem with that is that in real life, it doesn't.  It is crying to be filled with plants.  It mocks me when I pull into the driveway or walk near it in the front yard.  "Hey look!   It's the lady with the blog about gardening.  What, in the name of Sam Hill, does she know about gardening?  Seriously, look around, lady.  This ain't no garden!!!"  If it's one thing that motivates me... it's mouthy plants! :)

This particular bed is located on the north side of our house, and is approximately 10'x12' and currently holds two mature Nandina bushes (approximately 6' tall) and one newly planted Sunny Knock Out rose which will reach approximately 4'Hx5'W.  For now the bed also has several impatiens to add a little color... but that's it.  It is flanked on one side by a hedge of Manhattans on the other by a hedge of Boxwoods.  The front of the bed, near the sidewalk, receives sunshine most of the day, but the back section is mostly shaded by the roof line of the house.  

I hope that my dreams will be filled with ideas worthy of planting... Lord knows my waking hours weren't. :)  But really, it goes against my style.  I'm a jump into action kind of person... not one to plan things out.  So let's see what my dreams bring... and hopefully I'll soon be sharing photos of a new spot filled with colors, textures and fragrance!

Rest well, my friends!  I'll see you in the garden tomorrow!

P.S.  I am open to any suggestions you might have for this pitiful excuse of a flower bed. :)

Just looking around...

Stopping by for a snack...

Oh so sweet...

spent Trumpet Vine blossoms

a walk in the woods...

Doesn't that look refreshing?

Looking skyward...

Hummingbird, party of one...

What the heck is that?

We had more rain today and mild temperatures, so it was a pretty wonderful day, garden-wise.  Tonight after dinner we went outside to spend a little time admiring the changes that a little moisture can bring to a drought stricken garden! 

I saw a leaf and was intrigued by the patterns created once whatever feasted on it was full and content.  I thought you might like a peek.  Its funny how I find this artistic... if it had eaten something I had planted I would be all stressed out and looking for a cure! :)

While I was consumed by the new growth in the garden, suddenly I realized that I was hearing an odd knocking sound.  Not repetitive, like a woodpecker hammering away on a tree, but just one every few seconds.  My first thought was that it was some type of woodpecker.  Maybe a tree frog?  Then I realized it was directly above my head. I looked up and there it was suspended in the darkness of the woods with the illuminated sky as it's background; too much in silhouette for me to determine what is was.  WHAT THE HECK IS THAT??? A HUGE frog or maybe a MAMMOTH squirrel???  Nope... Wild Turkey booties!

Perhaps a better view?

That's right!  Our mama wild turkey and her babies!  What a treat!

I had no idea that those babies roosted that high up in the trees!

(Click on photos to see enlarged view)

Needless to say I made them a little apprehensive so they moved to another tree, deeper into the woods.  I didn't take it personal!  Seeing them just made my day!

Won't you join me in the garden again tomorrow? 

Father's Day Festivities

Our day started off with another inch of rain and rather cool temperatures - but it didn't take long before the heat was driving us indoors.  We got home later than we had planned, and Mr. Bloomers is still out there racing against the sunset to finish mowing the lawn.  I'm indoors wrapping up the task of laundry - but managed to find time to trim back some of the damage the Beetles had done recently to the wisteria vines.  These weekends go by far too quickly!

Today I paid tribute to the garden by taking my sister a couple plants when I visited her home for our annual Father's Day gathering.  I took her a Four O'Clock plant (with the tuber intact) and four or five stems of the Wandering Jew (Purple Heart Plant). 

Of course I didn't forget my father... I gave him four new shirts and a silly card.  I find that Father's Day cards are among the toughest to pick.  Most are just too mushy and that isn't our style; but if you look long enough you can usually find one that gets close enough. 

For the other guests in attendance... I contributed a homemade Banana Pudding and a Chocolate Oreo Pie for dessert.  It seemed like everyone was happy in one way or another.  We had a great time catching up on the current events and eating far too much of everything - but that's what family events are all about. 

I hope that you had a good day honoring or remembering the important fathers or father-figures in your life!

Rest well... and I'll see you in the garden! :)

Things Are Lookin' Up Around Here

There's not too much going on in the garden today.  Thankfully, the Japanese Beetles were greatly reduced in number when I checked on the garden this morning; however, the wisteria vines will require a little pruning to return them to their former glory.

I am delighted to report that we were graced, once again, with rain today and no matter how many times it happens; I am always in awe of how quickly things perk up and look appreciative. 

It's a shame that rain gets such a bad rap, isn't it?  It messes up our cars, our picnics, our hair, etc.  But you let us spend a few weeks without it and we all begin to panic.  Let us go a few days without snow... no problem.  No frost?  No problem.  No fog? No big deal.  Now a day without sunshine is an entirely different ball game.  One day without it and we're all having withdrawals.  Lack of rain takes a bit longer to get our attention.  Too many days of rain also has a dramatic effect on, not only our gardens, but our attitudes as well.  We're just so needy, aren't we? 

But we are grateful for the rains of late and we have embraced them like a long lost, rich uncle!  Check out the new growth on this rose - you can't tell me she isn't thrilled about the rains!  She'll be even happier when she learns that I fixed a huge banana pudding for my family's Father's Day celebration tomorrow!  That's right... I'll be mixing her up her very own banana peel smoothie because I know how much she loves them!

Here's a couple more photos from the garden today: a dancing splash of orange and my neighbor's birdhouse.  I've always wanted a "See Rock City" birdhouse.  Now I have one... well, almost.  I can see it from my patio... so that is good enough!  It even has my bluebirds nesting in it! :)  This is also the house where my cat lives; sure, technically he's their cat.  He was theirs before we even moved here.  But he has his very own store-bought bed on my patio that he sleeps in - so he may belong to them - if you're in to splitting hairs like that! :)

I'll see you in the garden! 

Invasion of the Japanese Beetles

It looks like we’re moving on from our other diseases and plagues and now we’re knee deep in Japanese Beetles.   That’s not the name of this blog… its Knee Deep in BLOOMERS!  

Even as I type this, “Mr. Bloomers” is out there drastically reducing the insect population.  What a man!  No insect too fierce to keep him from the battlefront!  Well, maybe a mosquito or a chigger… but no non-biting/non-stinging insect is too fierce for my man!  He’s so romantical! J  Truly, I am grateful for the sweaty, dirty, muscle demanding jobs he so readily volunteers for in the garden.   Among the many, many reasons I love that man!

On another note…I’ve noticed that most bloggers post really great photos of the gorgeous moths and butterflies that grace their gardens.  I can’t help but notice that everytime I seem to get a shot of one visiting my garden it looks like some “Frankinmoth” with huge chunks of its wings missing or hanging on by a thread; like they all got here by hitching a ride on the grill of a Chrystler doing 80 mph on I-24.  What is this, the garden of misfit plants and butterflies?  Don’t’ even let me snap a shot of that poor male Cardinal who’s entire head is void of feathers!  Actually, I’d love to be able to share that freak of the audobon world with you!  I don’t even think he’s aware that he’s not the sexiest bird in the yard; besides, he seems to have a great personality… and that will take you places!

One final topic and I’ll sign off for tonight… TOMATOES!  You either love ‘em… or you don’t.  I’m a don’t.  I have to admit though, I do feel somewhat envious each summer when just about every mouth in the state of Tennesee begins to drool at the mere thought of a BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato).  Just pass the bacon… you can keep your tomatoes!  Still, day by day, they’re getting there, slowly-but surely.  Just think, before you know it you’ll be bent over a BLT with tomato juice and mayo dripping off your elbows sporting a grin like you’ve just won the Lottery, and I bet you just can’t hardly wait!

I hope to see you in the garden tomorrow… minus a few insects!

Ahhhh, Liquid Gold

Sometimes it doesn't take much to make us happy!  Well, at least when it comes to RAIN!  This afternoon we were finally blessed with rain... and not just a sprinkle or two, but a measurable amount!  I left a meeting today around 1 p.m. and had so much water in my shoes that I could hardly walk.  Granted, they weren't made for slogging through water, but I could barely keep them on my feet!  It was glorious!

A few hours later, as the day drew on, closer and closer towards rush hour, the clouds became quite ominous over downtown Nashville - but basically the timing worked in our favor.  As my husband and I got closer to home we began to see the telltale signs of a good rain.  Small tree limbs and leaves littered the streets and water was standing in shallow spots along the roads and in parking lots and driveways we passed along the way.  The second we pulled into the driveway and got out of the car I spied the rain gauge; which had been dry as a bone for what seemed like forever. 

There it was, in all its glory; standing tall and boasting more than 1 1/2 inches of pure liquid gold!  I can't tell you how excited we were over this gift from the Gods!

According to the National Weather Service, until today's rains we could only account for 0.03 of an inch of rain this month; with the rain prior to that measuring just over 1/4 inch on May 26th.  Only time will tell how we'll wrap up this spring, but the first thirteen days of June rank as the fourth driest start since we've been keeping records.  I suppose since the great floods we experienced a little over a year ago, finding a Tennessean willing to do a rain dance is a pretty daunting task... but maybe a little rain toe-tapping would conjure up just the right amount needed.

The average rate of humidity here in Tennessee is 81 and this southern belle can attest to the fact that the window of opportunity for a good hair day is pretty darn slim in these parts!    But after the recent drought and watching the life drain from all living plants within my garden, I, for one, was more than happy to trade anything that resembled a hairdo for the welfare of the plants!  As a matter of fact, had the lightening not been so fierce, I would have probably danced in the rain! 

Have a good night, rest well, and we'll see you in the garden tomorrow!

Along Came a Spider...

I saw a photo of a spider and web today on one of the blogs I check frequently.  It reminded me of something that happened years ago... before my sweet husband became my sweet husband and long before he had any inkling of my many quirks and interests.  I had been visiting my great Uncle in Texas and had asked Bill (my husband) if he'd mind stopping by to water my fickle impatiens and making sure the cat hadn't run out of necessities. 

When I got home about a week later I was greeted at the door by my cat, who seemed happy to have her long-term companion appear on her radar and I must say that the impatiens were huge, lovely and showing  absolutely no signs of stress.  It was a banner trip until I reached around to turn on the water... my spider and her web were gone.  Absolutely no sign that they ever existed. 

I called Bill to thank him for checking on things while I was away and complemented him on his abilities to keep things in tip-top condition.  After a bit of small talk, I then asked, "Did you happen to see a spider's web out back near the water faucet?"  To which he responded, "I sure did!  I killed that thing!  It was HUGE!"  I said, "Oh, okay".  Then there was silence... for no more than a couple seconds... and he said, "Uh oh, did you mean for that to stay there?"  Honestly, I had spent a couple weeks reaching through a hole in the web of the huge garden spider and carefully leaning just far enough to turn on the water.  Doing so meant that the spider was usually only a couple inches from my face; but I had taken great pains to not disturb the spider or her environment.  I'll admit, I had to laugh though at the mental image of him reaching over to turn on the water as the giant spider would come into focus merely inches from his face!  Bless his heart... the things I have put that sweet man through!  He must really, really love me!

Of course, all was forgiven.  After all, I didn't give him fair warning.

Hey, Those Aren't My Bloomers!

Things are so dry and struggling in my yard that I decided to venture out, with camera in hand, in hopes of stumbling upon something worthy of sharing.  Friday when we walked I saw a gorgeous little wild flower and wished that I had my camera; tonight it was still there waiting on me.  Just one solitary flower standing all alone along the shoulder of the road.  How can you look at something so bright and lovely and not appreciate its simplicity?


Sometimes it seems that wildflowers are so superiour, doesn't it?  Just there begging for a little attention, aren't they?  And that's just what they got this evening; a little bragging and a little praise for their efforts.

We live in a semi-rural area with houses, log cabins, barns, pastures and even one house that looks like a bee-hive dome.  You'd have to see it to believe it; but it's well hidden, deep within a wooded lot, so most people don't even know it exists. My point is that you'll often see things that wouldn't fit in the more formal style neighborhoods. 

As an example... a lone flower planted inside a tractor tire...

or a tree-stump that resembles a longhorn skull.   



You don't find character like this in those hoity-toity neighborhoods, that's for sure!

And from my yard... 

An example of how hot and dry our spring has been. 

We can hardly wait for the dog days of summer!

We did have a few visitors this evening. 

Although they don't show up well in the photo,

a female wild turkey and eight of her little ones 

in search of a bite to eat!

Have a good night... and I'll see you in the garden.  Bring your watering can!

Have I Jinxed My Garden?

This year my garden seems to be jinxed.  If it's not insects or disease it seems to be drought.  I've lived in this spot for a little over seven years and the first few years I did very little gardening due to a back injury.  More than anything I just enjoyed the plants that the previous owner had planted.  I've attempted to learn about various plants and paid particular attention to the sun/shade conditions in the yard.  Before moving here my gardening experiences were limited to shade gardening so learning to work within the demands of that huge ball of fire that hangs in our sky was a "whole 'nuther ball game", as we say in the south.  I'll be the first to admit that it has been a challenge for this one time closet gardener; but honestly, it was a challenge that I felt I was winning. 

Until recently, if my garden failed, it was a secret known only to me, my husband and our closest neighbors.   The 2011 growing season seemed to be off to a glorious start and held great promise for its best year yet.  Then I get this wild idea to share my garden with others via the World Wide Web... WHAT ON EARTH WAS I THINKING?  All I can say is that the newness of spring brings with it a bounty of both HOPE and ignorance... and that can be a dangerous combination. 




Older photo: This is basically how they looked before vacation...



Today, in an effort to save them from whatever has attacked them with such vengeance, we drastically pruned the Manhattans (Euonymus kiautschovicus).  If you happen to recognize the particular evil, even though the photo quality is less than desired, feel free to offer up any advice and knowledge on the subject.

They've probably been here for fifteen years and the only problem we've ever had was a little powdery mildew; but this year we came back from vacation to find them struggling, covered with some disease or insect with massive bald spots scattered throughout.  We sprayed them with an insecticide spray, pruned them and said a little prayer that they would overcome their nemesis.  I hope no one comes by with a mirror, for if they are in the least bit vane, they will surely give up the ghost! :)

ON A LIGHTER NOTE:

I was pleased to find a couple surprise blooms on one of my wisteria vines today.  If I get to experience that more than once this year it will be awesome!   I also found six Japanese Beetles munching away at the leaves of the wisteria so I plucked them off and am seriously thinking about buying stock in Sevin dust and insecticides.

If you need me... check the pest control aisle of Home Depot!  Until then...

Happy gardening y'all.

A Little Retail Therapy

I took the day off work today and tried my hand at a little retail therapy.  I am a disgrace to womankind when it comes to shopping.  If I don't rush in and make a purchase on impulse, I usually end up putting things back and walking out empty-handed.  Today was almost one of those days; but I hung  in there - as one of my friends says, "like a hair in a biscuit" and managed to find a few necessities before heading back home. 

I had hoped to find a nice bench for the garden - but no such luck.  I looked at a few plants, but honestly, it's so hot that I couldn't even imagine one surviving, so I forged ahead.  I looked a a few different styles of birdhouses for the bluebirds and found a bag of mealworms for $85... that's not a typo, EIGHTY-FIVE AMERICAN DOLLARS for worms!  Now these weren't just any worms... they were freeze-dried!  Almost makes you want to try one yourself, doesn't it? :)  Needless to say, I didn't buy the worms.  I checked out a bat house with lofty dreams of bats being drawn to our yard in hopes of eliminating some of the mosquitoes - but I didn't get one of those either.  I nearly purchased two things for my potting bench; which is, for now, merely a figment of my imagination, but I just pushed them around in the shopping cart so that they could have a tour of the store... and I ended up putting them back in their original spot.

What I did finally purchase was a pot designed to house a garden hose (to keep it elevated above the ground) and a couple two-gallon watering cans to replace my current two, which no longer have the sprinkler heads because they cracked and broke apart. 

As I looked out into the garden today my one thought was "thirsty".  Everything is just so dry; the ground is parched and cracked, so many plants are wilted or withering and summer is still a couple weeks away.  Still, it beats the heck out of winter!  I have a strong feeling that there will be a lot of watering going on this summer so those new watering cans will sure come in handy! 

Stay cool, stay hydrated and sleep well - for tomorrow the garden will be calling for your attention!

Something to improve the mood...

Some say that diamonds are a girls best friend... I say it's yard stuff! :)  Nothing thrills me more than something for the yard or anything tool related.  The last time I can remember being this excited was when I was secretively having a work bench built for my husband.  I swear you'd have thought I was planning a wedding there was so much emotion packed into the project!  The friend who was building it and helping me keep the secret said... "Stacy, it's just a workbench".  Yeah, maybe to him it was only as workbench - to me it was one of the most exciting things ever!  So I've lead a sheltered life.  For starters, it was the first surprise I had ever given my husband and keeping it inside nearly killed me! I can't tell you how many times I nearly spilled the beans.   

A couple years ago my sweet hubby mentioned that he'd like to have a storage building for the safe keeping of his riding mower.  We had a elevated playhouse, which was on the property when we moved here and with a little planning and figuring I convinced him that we could enclose the lower half of the building to house his lawnmower and it worked out great.  And it is still working great, except for the fact that to his collection of yard tools and necessities he has added: a tiller, a pressure washer, three push mowers, a back up riding mower, a chainsaw, a weed eater and various other things that escape my memory for the moment.  I'm not complaining, they are all necessary tools; however, we had nowhere to store the majority of them for easy access.   So, a few weeks ago I talked him into visiting a place nearby that makes storage units.  We picked one large enough hold our current tools and even have a little room for growth.  Tonight they delivered it... and it is perfect!  I can hardly wait to start organizing everything in it. 

Then my innocent husband says, I know it is level, but it looks like it is higher on the front end, doesn't it?  God love him... he should know better.  He barely got the thought out of his mouth before I had jumped in and said, "That's okay, we can plant some shrubs around it and that will fix it".  I'm sure his first thought was of the extra expense... quickly followed by, "great, here she goes making it all girlie looking!".   Why not?  Who cares if it's just a storage building for tools and machinery to him - to me it's just another canvas begging for color and texture. 

So, it's 12 x 20 and easily holds his riding mower.  They added a two windows, a side door, a workbench and a small loft area.  We already had a framed, 8 ft. peg board that we plan to add to the long, windowless wall.  He's planning on varnishing the workbench and floor so that it will clean up easily.  Truth be told, we are equally thrilled with the new building.  What can I say, I love the smell of fresh cut lumber almost as much as the smell of the wisteria, the four o'clocks, the sweet autumn clematis, and many other fragrant blooms. 

So, what's next?  I'm already planning on turning one wall of his former shed into a potting bench.  Let the hammering begin!

One of those days...

Today was just one of those days.  I let some things get to me that I shouldn't have and I can't stand it when I let unimportant things alter my mood.  Tonight, as I sat outside with my husband, watching the bluebirds swoop down to grab a bug for dinner I remembered that there are many things in my life that do matter.  Many more things which are worthy of my focus: mostly, the love of a good man with whom I can share my every achievement (no matter how large or small), my every worry (no matter how unfounded), my every silly thought (no matter how foolish) and all my love (no matter how intense and suffocating).  These are the things that are worthy of mention.  Well, those... and the fact that no matter how bad my day was... not for even one second did I have to think about eating a bug for my dinner! :)  Ah, life is good!

I did minimal gardeing tonight because of a few stops we had to make after work.  I watered my impatiens and knock out roses, changed the water in the birdbath and cleaned up some of the "pruning" the cicadas started on the crape myrtles.  It was just enough to slow my mind, clear my head, and remind me to appreciate our lovely corner of the world. 

Butterfly Bush in Bloom

Last night I noticed that one of my favorite butterfly bushes is in bloom.  The butterflies seem to love it... and in turn, the bluebirds view it as a virtual smorgasbord of winged meals. 

This "Black Knight" (Buddleia davidii) reaches approximately 6 ft. high/wide.  It blooms well into the fall, but seems to be a bit ahead of schedule this year; probably due to our jump from winter into summer without the pleasures of spring.

I'm a bit disheartened to find that scale has attacked the Manhattan (Euonymus) shrubs that run the length of the front sidewalk and house foundation.  We plan to attack this problem tomorrow to see if they can be saved.  Unfortunately it went undetected until tonight when I noticed a huge bare spot in the middle of the hedge row.  I am suspicious that this is also trying to attack the Royal Crape Myrtle in the back yard - so we'll do an application on it; just for good measure. 

I am also concerned that the Cicadas may have been a bit too aggressive when laying eggs on the young Mandi Crape Myrtles along the west side of the yard.  At a distance I noticed a limb broken and hanging and upon closer examination saw something that looked at first glance like thorns on a rosebush.  There were four small limbs that were broken, wilted and hanging from these trees. 

It seems as if my gardening skills are really being tested this week.  I may not know much about gardening; but I can't stand to be whipped by something!  Wish me luck!

Until tomorrow - rest well and sweet dreams!

Back from the beach...

Late yesterday we returned from a quick trip to the beach.  My favorite part of a trip to the beach is always the same... its the spot on the interstate when you recognize the familiar green hills of Tennessee and you know you're back where you belong.  I'm no beach babe; just not designed for it.  It's too windy, too sandy, too damp, too... well... too "not Tennessee".  I'm telling you, a girl like me; with fine hair, weight issues, fair skin and freckles can find a lot of places in this world to make a better impression!  The good Lord sure knew what he was doing when he planted my feet firmly in the soil of Tennessee.

I could hardly wait to return home and see what was going on in the garden.  To my dismay the misquitoes were here to greet us and had apparently missed us greatly.  Their appetites were fierce and they knew a good meal when they saw one!  Sadly, the bluebirds have not been back to their nest so the nest and those five, tiny, blue eggs had to be removed and discarded.  Hopefully, one day soon they will try again.

Along with the bird's nest and eggs, my attempt at composting also bit the dust tonight.  Though there are air holes everywhere from top to bottom and all along the side of the compost container the mosquitoes apparently think it the perfect place to set up housekeeping and were raising more mosquitoe babies than the law should allow!  So, while swatting and flailing about like a mad woman, I dragged the container to the back of the property and dumped its contents on the ground where it could dry.  In these 90 degree temperatures it shouldn't take too long.  Besides the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes the "composting" process seemed to be in full swing. 

My garden seems to be testing me.  Perhaps it is paying me back for leaving it for a few days.  The impatens are growing by leaps and bounds, as are the tomatoes.  And the one thing that I seem to really have the hang of is growing is the four o'clock plants; which would be awesome, except for the fact that I no longer wish to grow them in the particular area in which they thrive.  I came home to find my newly planted Knock Out Roses blooming beautifully amongst the persistant four o'clocks.  Tomorrow evening I hope to have enough energy and enough repellant to tackle this flowerbed.  For now, I'm headed to bed and can hardly wait to see what blessings may be in store for tomorrow!  I'll see you in the garden!