Dahlias and More Dahlias

This winter I decided I was going to splurge on dahlia tubers.  I was ready when the growers posted their tubers for sale and was determined to get some that always sell out quickly.  Well, let me say..  it was so worth it.  All the planning, all the digging, all the sweating, and all the waiting.. We are  in the first weeks of blooming and they are just so beautiful.  Come and let me show you what is happening so far..

Lily..our new Australian Shepherd puppy..14 weeks old and so loved

Winterpast

I could go on and on with pictures.  These flowers inspire me to learn my camera better and to use it!

I hope you have enjoyed these photographs and that they made you smile.

  Spreading beauty is a good thing.

Love,

Mona

Landscape Design

Come on in and let's look around..

so many possibilities

deodar cedar..my favorite tree

big pond

view from the house to the back of property

view from the garden 

dusk

our woods with magnolias

ardisia

I take a lot of pictures for the sake of studying our landscape and creating design that we like.

I have been the designer of this land we call Winterpast.  A lot of pictures and a lot of pondering and studying have gone into the last 16 years of gardening here.  There are still many dreams and plans in my heart.  I have done it all without spending a lot of money..My sweet husband doesn't really care what I do in the yard and helps me bring my dreams to fruition.  I had an idea and a vision for the  raised beds garden and he executed the whole thing with help from one man.. building all the beds and hauling in tons of compost to fill the beds..

As I look through the years of photographs, I can see the progress we have made.  I do love this land and dreamed of having a plot of my own where I could do whatever I wanted. 

I am from a long line of extreme gardeners and think of them all the time..especially my Grandmother Lewis. She was an extraordianry woman and won many awards for her flowers and horticulture work as a home gardener and hybridizer of daylilies among other things..

Grandmother

her daylily seedlings with hollyhocks in background

Oh how I wish I could have a conversation with her today...we share so much in common...

We have had really warm weather this week and it has given me spring fever.  Even the flowers are starting to wake up but...WAIT..winter is returning this weekend.  Before we know it, spring will surely be here and gardening will begin again in earnest.

What are your gardening dreams for this year?  I have enough to go around if you don't have any..LOL

Have a great weekend..

Love,

Mona

AFTER Labor Day

Spartacus dahlia

Where has the summer gone?  How can it possibly be after Labor Day..  all of my grandchilden are in school.  even the baby of the whole family.  He started preschool today.  And my first grandbaby turned 12 this weekend...  time is indeed fleeting..

But..I have flowers in my garden.  mainly dahlias this time of year and a decent crop of figs and okra.
I am still waiting on the Red Roselle Hibiscus to bloom after planting the seeds way back at the end of February..patience is a virtue, right?

morning glory

sweet autumn clematis

okra blossom

dahlias

cafe au lait dahlia

dahlias

 These beautiful flowers are so romantic to me.  They always make me want to capture their elegance with my camera.  I take hundreds of pictures of them in the fall. bringing the artist in me out to play..

variegated liriope

true native wildflower rudbekia

globe amaranth

my dear picking the okra, we actually take turns

aloha rose from husband's Granny

figs and I cannot find the variety name

tuberose and zinnias

artistic beauty

I have so many pictures to share and so little time to compile a blog post.  I hope y'all enjoy these.
If you have ever thought about growing dahlias, DO IT!  They are all the rage now but I started experimenting with them before this wave of popularity started and I love them...so dependable and long lasting.  I pick them all the time so our house has arrangements all around until frost in November.  I can remember the dahlias my Grandmother grew and it seems like if I close my eyes, I am standing right by her side in the path that surrounded her bed of dahlias .  That memory is what nudged me to buy my first 2 dahlia tubers about 10 years ago at Jesse Israel and sons garden center at the  Asheville farmer's market.  I had no idea about them but I quickly learned.  Those 2 tubers are still producing flowers.  probably more than a hundred by now.. One of them I love, one I don't.  then I bought a cafe au lait tuber..my oh my..... If I was just starting out I would be a flower farmer for sure. I love seeing the young women and men grow all of these flowers and make a living doing it..  Yay for the flower farmer movement...

Come join me on Instagram where I post every day. there is a link in my sidebar.

Thanks for being faithful readers...

Happy fall y'all..

Love, Mona