The Orioles-Here Today Gone Tomorrow

One day there were Orioles all over Hot Springs Village. Everyone with feeders had at least three birds looking for food. The next day they were gone. I guess they moved on to their summer home. Here are some pictures of the ones that visited my feeder.

HERE TODAY.....

...GONE TOMORROW

THEN AND NOW-THE LIFE OF A TREE

I have been keeping a photo record of a Jane Magnolia tree that we got when we moved into our house in Little Rock twenty-five years ago. We moved to another town six years ago. We go check on it from time to time when we are back in town. It is still growing and putting on its spectacular Spring show.

February 2009

March 2010

March 2018

DAY TRIPPIN' THROUGH DAFFODILS

We decided this year to get out of 'Dodge'* every once and a while. This weekend was the '25th Annual Daffodil Festival' in Camden, Arkansas, USA. It is about two hours from us. We could get there; look at the daffodils; and be back home before dark. We had planned to get there by noon and eat at the Postmasters Grill, but it didn't open until 5pm. Plan B: walk around until we found a place and menu we liked. 

                                                                 

Just off Main Street we found 

What's Cookin'. Delicious hamburger! for me and a fish po-boy for Chuck. I picked best! 

The owner of the restaurant was a collector of everything Grapette.

I grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, drinking Grapette, a grape drink bottled in Camden. Grapette's headquarters is now located in Malvern, Arkansas.

Now it was time to find the daffodils. That was easier said than done. The daffodil locations were a few miles out of town. As 'Amanda' (another story) at the Information Center said, "They're in the country." ...and they were. We could have taken a shuttle, but we prefer to be in control of our time. We elected to drive to only one venue, Grace Hill. 

Koi Pond

Daffodils in back of Koi Pond

There were a lot of daffodils as we drove in. Those had been planted long before the house was built. In the back there were plantings of different varieties that will spread over the years. Grace Hill was completed in 1992 and is a copy of the George Wythe house in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, circa 1750. 

Time to head home to my own tribute to the daffodil. 

It was nice day and we are already planning our next day trip.

*Hot Springs Village

(another story) We got to visiting with Amanda and found we knew some of the same people in Camden. Also, they were practically our neighbors in Little Rock before they moved to Camden. I also started talking to another lady and found out that we had worked at the same bank in Little Rock many years ago. Proves again-It's a small world. 

Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree

With anyone else but me...especially if it is a "Tull Apple Tree". 

Yes, there is a Tull Apple Tree and it is named after one of our ancestors. Best of all, we were given a sprout from our cousin's yard.  We over -wintered it in our garage for two winters and thought it was a 'goner'. We were surprised to see it survived and is thriving. It has been transferred to a garden in Benton, Arkansas, so it can stay in the family.  

The Evolution of our Tull Apple Tree

In its new 'temporary' home on the
patio...until it can be transplanted
to the garden in the Fall.

You may find more details by clicking on this link: "Tull Apple".

Briefly: Supposedly coming from France, the Tull Apple originated before 1868 on the farm of Abram Tull in Grant County, Arkansas.  It is grown from root sprouts and is well adapted to Southern growing conditions. We heard on the grapevine that one sprout may have been given to P. Allen Smith to be grown in his Heritage Apple Orchard at Moss Mountain Farm. (psst...only a rumor. I don't see it in the list on his web site!)

My Iris Honor Garden

When we moved to Hot 

Springs Village two years

ago today, I brought my

Iris bulbs with me. 

I built bed devoted to them.












I got them in the 

ground and a few of 

them bloomed the 

next year.  

This year they all bloomed.

'My Honor Garden'.  

I have named some of them after the special people in my life that gave me the bulbs from their garden. I do know that they have 'official' names, but in my garden they have been renamed.

Laura

Peggy

Odell

...and the rest of the collection

Adventures of a Pink Iris

This is the story of Pink...
...the Iris on our mantle.  

























Her story...yes, her, she is 'pink' after all!...begins at Nana's Iris Garden in Charleston, Arkansas. 

Pink is in truck
along with day lilies.

My Sister-in-law and I went there in 2007 a side trip on the way to the Butterfly Festival on Mount Magazine.







She is one of those
iris leaves in a flower bed 
in the front of our 
former house.














Pink has now been transported along with other iris to our new home.  The pictures tell the rest of the story.

Just a few leaves are appearing in their new home.

Pink is on our mantle now,

but she lives in our iris bed 

to bloom another day!

Yard Ornaments!

You either hate them or you love them! 

I love yard ornaments.  

I have been collecting them for years.  They have moved with me from house to house at least three times.  They are very active.

They are placed in out of the way places in the garden that will surprise the viewer.  They bring a smile to my face and brighten my day.  






Maybe they will do the same for you!

My husband's favorite

My favorite

My neighbor's favorite

My next favorite

This group was painted cranberry or forest green. 




(They started out as bowling balls in case you haven't guessed.)

Ah, I think I see you smiling! :)

Yes, you are smiling!