Blue Moon

 Sunday, May 31, 2026

Not sure exactly when the last blue moon was but we had one this month!!

OK, Finally

 Saturday, May 30, 2026

Peonies

 Friday, May 29, 2026

These have gotta pop any day now!

The first time I photographed this peony bush this season was back on April 29.

I'm guessing the stalks were just under a foot tall at that time. I've enjoyed watching them and our other plants growing. I think I've been more tuned in since I'm not working.

Allium

 

I've seen this plant around the neighborhood on blooming bouldvards for years. AI on my computer determined from this photo I took as Allium. 

Here's some of the info I found on Wikipedia:

"Allium is a large genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants with 1112 accepted species, making Allium the largest genus in the family Amaryllidaceae and among the largest plant genera in the world. Many of the species are edible, and some have a long history of cultivation and human consumption such as the onion, garlic, scallions, shallots, leeks, and chives."

"Allium species occur in temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere, except for a few species occurring in Chile (such as A. juncifolium), Brazil (A. sellovianum), and tropical Africa (A. spathaceum). They vary in height between 5–150 centimetres (2–59 in). The flowers form an umbel at the top of a leafless stalk. The bulbs vary in size between species, from small (around 2–3 mm in diameter) to rather large (8–10 cm). Some species (such as Welsh onion A. fistulosum and leeks (A. ampeloprasum)) develop thickened leaf-bases rather than forming bulbs as such."

Not sure though what the specific species shown in my photo is though. 

Cleaning Up On the Property Line

 Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Cleaned out the space between Josh and Breanna's fence and our retaining wall. Deb used to do that because when she had an assessment done she discovered her property line goes right up to our retaining wall. I told her I was happy to do it because even though it may be her property it's our side of the fence. She insisted. Anyway I caught Josh when they first moved in and I explained the situation and he was fine with me doing it.

Memorial Day 2026

 Monday, May 25, 2026

Our Lily-of-the-Valley is flowering and the fragrance  produced has a lovely sweet smelling strong pungency. Andrea's mom tells us she can smell it in Andrea's yard next door.

Speaking of Andrea, her Bridal Wreath Spiria is flowering and spilling into our yard like a waterfall. 

Neither of the flowers shown in this post last long so we try to appreciate them while they're here, and knowing human nature, would be easy to do if they lasted all season. 

We stopped by the store ealier today and picked up some more brats. Dale cooked them up on the grill...

...and they were delicious.

We also had baked beans, cole slaw, and potato salad. It's really starting to feel like summer. 

The Yard Today

 Friday, May 22, 2026

Andrea's Bridal Wreath Spirea is starting to come in. 

So is the tiger grass. Had to cut it back a little. 

The rhubarb is looking good. 

The peony bush is filling out but the flowers haven't bloomed yet. 

The yard's starting to come together. 

Cigar in the garage. 

In Planters

 Thursday, May 21, 2026

Got the flowers in planters today.

Ran out of flowers for this planter. I think I'll pick up some more snapdragons. They grow nice and tall so they'll look good behind the pansies. 

Flowers Undercover

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Under these little blankies are the flowers we bought yesterday. When I drew the covers back this morning they were in good shape. Glad I kept 'em cozy last night. 

Iris and New Flowers

 Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Iris flowers on a neighbor's blooming boulevard. 

Dale and I went to Bachman's today and picked up some annuals. Shown above are petunias, pansies, and snapdragons. Not gonna plant them yet as it's supposed to be cool tonight as in the mid to upper 30s. These plants are pretty hearty but I don't want to take a chance. Tonight I'll cover them up.

The Yard Today

 Sunday, May 17, 2026

Rhubarb

Our backyard pine. Dale says this is a red pine tree (also known as a Norway pine in Minnesota). 

Fern garden. 

Leo

Oak tree of the neighbors across the alley. 

I've really enjoyed sitting in the back yard this spring and have been doing it much more so than in other years due to not having to work. 

Flowering Trees & Rhubarb

 Monday, May 11, 2026

The flowering trees in the neighborhood are looking really beautiful. I think these are crab trees. 

They don't last long so you're forced to appreciate them while they're flowering. 

It's a good reminder to be in the moment and not take things for granted. 

The rhubarb in the back yard is starting to send up its seed stalks.

Pansies and More

 Friday, May 8, 2026

Fascinated that there's a pansy growing in this pot. For the life of me I don't remember planting any seeds here this past fall. 

Now it looks like there's another one growing to the left of it. 

Have been consistently working hard to make sure these gardens are weeded. 

It's been really nice not working this spring and not feel so burned out in April and May and feel like I have the capacity to get things done outside of my job. 

Full moon

 Friday, May 1, 2026

Full moon at 12 am. There'll be another full moon at the end of May so we've got a blue moon situation going on here. 

Cigar in the Back Yard

 Thursday, April 30, 2026

Cigar in the back yard today. It was right around 50 degrees and partly cloudy. When the sun was out it was perfect - still comfortable with a jacket, especially if not moving around. 

When the sun went behing a cloud it was cooler but not at all uncomfortable especially with a jacket on. If the wind came up while the sun was hiding I'd simply duck into the garage. 

I've been working slowly, steadily, and consistently on the yard over the past week. 

It's starting to look good although there's still more to do. 

Some of the gardens have been raked out. 

Some have not.

Noticed this lone pansy growing in one of our pots. They're not perrenials so I'm not sure where this one came from. I guess life's always better with a little mystery in it.