Spring is still rolling on a little early, now the Pulmonarias are starting to bloom. Today I am linking with-
Today's flowers hosted by Denise
Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen
I'd Rather B' Birdin' hosted by Hootin' Anni'
In a Vase on Monday hosted by Cathy
Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma and Mystical Magical Teacher
For my In a Vase on Monday post this week, answering hostess Cathy's challenge to find something in my garden to plonk in a vase, I combined some Daffodils, Pulmonaria, Vinca major, and some variegated Elaeagnus ebbingei foliage, here in my ceramic vase with crystalline glaze-
I like the large flat-cupped type of Daffodil-
I was noticing the tiny blooms of the purple Dead Nettle, and the terrible weed Cardamine hirsuta, which has been nicknamed "Artillery Weed" since the ripe seeds can explode in your face when you bend over to pull them up. They are very good at reseeding and can expand their territory rapidly. I was wanting some small flowers to cut for my little little ceramic box made like a sewing machine-
To my surprise, after a couple of days the little deadnettle blooms opened more-
The sewing machine-
Hostess Cathy wrote of promises last week, significant for me since we celebrated our 48th wedding anniversary last month. I like to look at our photos as children and imagine us meeting, but the nearly four year difference in our ages means we probably wouldn't have played together much. But I would have thought he was cute! He has been a source of stability and happy companionship for all those years, he likes to ride motorcycles and bicycles, and is building an electric assist tricycle, so I guess I would have to call him The Motorcyclist.
Meanwhile out on the deck, I was visited one day by both a male Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus-
And the lighter brown female-
I originally knew them under the old name I like better, the Rufous-sided Towhee.
What signs of spring are you enjoying? -Hannah
©Weeding on the Wild Side, all rights reserved. I enjoy reading your comments, and will visit your blog and leave comments there if possible, but I am not able to do so if google + is the only option. I would like to return your visit so leave an URL to your blog or email address.
Lovely photos, Hannah, and your words, I wonder how many couples can read them and know that they might relate to their man as well. We celebrated 54 years in February, and I know my man is always honest, trustworthy, reliable, true to me, a Dad so proud of his girls and grandies, and I guess I would call him, " Mr Mechanic" as he is so precise with all things that have an engine, they run smoothly, look like new even after many years of use, and he has no time for anything that isn't going at its optimum of 100%.Lovely daffs, and your first vase, delicate and lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jean, being married a long time to such a wonderful husband is such a comfort, and makes me feel like I've accomplished something in life. I enjoy coming up with some flowers every week, it is an artistic challenge and helps me find more flowers I can display. I wish you could send your helpful company my way to help with my land clearing. At least when I'm done I should be in better shape.
DeleteHello Hannah, your flowers and vase arrangement look beautiful. I love the cute photos of you and your hubby! The Towhee are beautiful birds, great photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Monday, enjoy your new week!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Eileen, it's an adventure going out to see what I can find, especially this time of year. I always enjoy seeing the towhees, and the varied thrush which is very shy. Thanks for hosting!
DeletePretty flowers in a vase!
ReplyDeleteI, too, wonder sometimes what if my husband and I had met as children. I went to school with some of his cousins, but didn't meet him until we were adults.
Have a wonderful week!
Lea
Thanks, Lea, life is mysterious, I'm glad God has had good plans for me.
DeleteThank you for sharing these Hannah. A lovely series of photos, of flowers, birds and favorite collectibles. But those old photos of yours are treasures. Loved them! I also enjoyed the video very much. Thank you again for linking with Today's Flowers and have a great week :)
ReplyDeleteYes, Denise, I had the idea of taking our old photo albums apart a little and pairing us up some as children! Such fun. The little sewing machine teapot was a fun garage sale item. I like black decorative pottery.
DeleteI love your arrangement this time with the yellows and blues, and then the little wild plant arrangement is pretty too. Great photograph of the birds in your garden too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Noelle, it was fun to find some blue-purple flowers to go with the daffodils this week, spring is progressing nicely, now all I need is a small blue glass vase!
DeleteHi! Your flowers are always very beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Minoru, I'm grateful for all that succeed here and come back every year.
DeleteNice arrangement and I love the vase. The Vinca is a nice blue addition. Very springy.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amelia, I was relieved that the Vinca major flowers had longer stems, there weren't many but they are also bigger flowers than the abundant little Vinca minors with short stems, and they go so well with the daffodils.
DeleteYour spring blooms in the ceramic vase are lovely (what is the pale daffodil, do you know?) but the little sewing machine is absolutely delightful! Such a blue pulmonaria too! The Golfer and I have recognised that we would just never have moved in the same circles earlier in life and if we had woud not have been attracted - older and wiser now perhaps!
ReplyDeleteIf you mean the daffodil with white petals and an orange cup, I looked in my database, I bought it in 2000 and it seems to be Barrett Browning. Some of the Narcissi I bought then don't come up in google. I put names in my database but didn't do a good job of putting in descriptions.
DeleteLove that little ceramic sewing machine! And the towhee photos are great. Lovely flowers in a lovely vase (blue & white is my favorite!) :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, I like pottery with a black background and colors, I have a mini collection, Marie. Blue and white or yellow always looks great together!
DeleteCongratulations on your 48th anniversary, Hannah! Your vase is cheerful and beautiful. Spring is thoroughly entrenched here but we're still getting a little rain, which makes me very happy.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kris, time really flies by. Your flowers are so abundant and varied, I hope you get the rain you need.
DeleteLove the pictures of you and your husband as children. A belated happy anniversary to you both.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dorothy, I needed a little inspiration. I'm hard at work in the garden now as spring looms and I need to get so many areas weeded or overgrown plants removed.
DeleteThanks, Nora, I'm glad you like my blog. I added you to my sidebar so I can see your latest post.
ReplyDeleteThe sewing machine is delightful - how clever to fill it with 'weeds'. I have to say I've always thought the purple-flowered nettle a very good ground cover plant and easy to pull up when no longer wanted. Congratulations on your wedding anniversary - 48 years of happy marriage is a wonderful thing. My husband of nearly 24 years has just arrived home from his off-road cycle ride home so I should probably call him the 'off-roader'.The photos of you both are charming.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sarah, it needed some small flowers. I'm inspired by Cathy of In a Vase on Monday's characterization of her husband as The Golfer. I suppose I would be The Gardener.
DeleteThe colors in your spring posy are delightful (paler than what I usually see). You mean the birding community has that bad habit of changing names on us too? Seems I just get a name down pat and the powers that be come up with an entirely new one: annoying, to say the least.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ricki, I like white daffodils, and especially I like the darker orange cups, and fragrance. I'm frustrated with the name changers too, Aster to Symphytrichum was quite a leap, but I was shocked to hear Coleus was becoming Solenostemon, though I just read they are returning to Coleus. I guess it is nice to have a name that is a scientific description, but does it have to be so long? And what about the scientists that named species after their wife or significant other?
DeleteJust love the color mix of your vase with the daffodils! And the little sewing machine posy is wonderful -- I love deadnettle anyway, and this is such a fun way to use it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amy, I like the dead nettle with the purple cast on the leaves especially. And it comes up every spring no matter what I do anyway. I'm also drying some for tea.
DeleteBrilliant images, and I love the bird, as you quite understand, ha ha.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bob, I love your exquisite bird photos.
DeleteColor me extremely jealous here!! A Towhee. I've seen ONE in all the years in South Texas, and at the time, no camera!! Your bird is beautiful, and would be a 'lifer' for me. Green with envy.
ReplyDeleteLoved the cute images of the two of you as children. 48 years huh?!! Super. Bud and I will celebrate 48 years this coming May.
Thanks for adding your post to the linking this week at I'd Rather B Birdin'. I didn't have computer for some time off and on because of storms, so this is my first chance to get over here to visit with you.
PS...love the spring flowers and that lovely vase too.
Thanks, Anni, you've been married almost as long as us. I would love to see some of those Texas birds myself, though I am not counting up birds.
DeleteI see no sign of spring.
ReplyDeleteI am sweating.
But I would like to be visited by these birds.
Thanks, Rainfield, I guess it is hot where you are. Our house has to be heated for 8 months of the year. It is fun watching the birds that show up for lunch.
DeleteI love the daffodils and the pretty birds. The snow is slowly melting here and the days are getting longer.
ReplyDeleteIt's good news that your snow is melting. I've experienced those long days in the north, it was hard for me to sleep.
Delete