*sigh*

Love all, but the framed pots with bench, etc by the fence is delightful. DH really thought it was charming, too.

Percy is a cutie.

Thanks for the inspiration...again.

Me too- the framed pots with bench! And of course the iris.
Renee

While I try not to be envious of others it's difficult when I see pics like yours Annette! Your succulent basket and bowl are incredible! And the dried arrangement is gorgeous and looks so professional - have you taken courses in floral arrangement? Cute kitty!

We spent part of a winter years ago on VI and I so enjoyed seeing blooms and beauty still in gardens in November when we usually have snow.

I want that that Cardiocrinum! No chance of one growing in my limey, rubbish soil, though.

But I'm slightly pacified by seeing you have wild strawberries infiltrating your pinks too ;-)

Luckygal, it's just pure luck with me, you should have seen the mess I used to make when making an arrangement for one of our garden club parlour shows. It's more monkey see monkey do with me LOL.

Flora, couldn't you amend your soil to suit one, mine might not be in chalky soil but competes with the roots of a Robinia tree and without any special care I might add.
I first saw Cardiocrinums in the University of B.C.'s botanical garden, several of us were over for their first mother's day plant sale. I spotted one in a gallon pot and snapped it up, it was a bit pricey I thought ($18) but at that time this was the only place you would see never mind buy one.
It took two more years before that first one I bought bloomed, it was well worth the wait though, it's perfume filled my garden with it's lovely scent making me not want to go in at night.

I didn't feel to bad about that $18 when a few years later a nursery where I bought most of my must have plants from introduced them as new on the market and were asking $100 for a small bulb. Now you can buy small bulbs for less than $10.

For those who are not familiar cardiocrinums, it takes 7 or so years from seed to bloom and then it dies but not before producing offsets, these offsets take 3 or 4 years before they will bloom. I now have two varieties, here's a picture of the foliage so even when you are waiting for it to bloom the foliage is attractive. Annette

Such amazing random items!!! You seem to be thw queen of clematis!!! I am still on the lookout for that one you mentioned to me....

I lust for your golden chain tree, lol. Do you happen to know how old it is, round about? A customer told me hers was very slow growing... Your succulent collection is impressive too.

I actually learned about the life cycle of the Cardiocrinum not too long ago. Very interesting! I think the technical term for those kinds of plants (that die out after blooming) is monocarpic...not sure if anyone is interested in that tidbit of info, but there it is, LOL!!

Thanks for the pretty pics ;-)
CMK

Christin, it was only a seedling back in the 80's about 6 inches tall from a friend's garden. I had two, each planted on opposite sides of the path, I had plans of pleaching? them into an arch until DH weedwacked one, that put paid to that LOL.

Annette

Annette, love all the photos. I don't know if I would have recognized the stachys taken from above at that angle. Very cool shot.

OUCH! Poor golden chain tree! We've probably all had that same problem with weed wackers, ride-on mowers, etc. at times. I've lost a number of small shrubs/trees to machines. But I can't blame the operator because DH is soooo helpful in the garden with everything else. The deer do much more damage to my shrubs and they don't even pitch in at all to help in the garden! No-good freeloaders! LOL!!!

I love the kitty

Hi Edna so good to "see" you, you've been missed. Percy is a such a sweet little lady she has us both wrapped around her little paw. We still have Basil the terminator although he isn't doing much terminating now, spends most of his time curled up on the couch in front of the fireplace, old age has finally crept up on him. I hope you'll drop in once in a while, let us know what you've been up to. Are you still growing the Family Jewels? :).

Annette