Potential...

A few photos from my weekly greenhouse photo shoot. I wish I could convey the warmth and springishness that's in the air.
I needed a little perspective here, insert Paige in photo. She loved when I showed her the "baby leaf." Tiny fingers, tiny leaves unfurling. I love the potential in this photo.
Coleus 'Finger Paint' - imagine this peeking out of a your border.
These droplets are from the humid air collecting on the green house ceiling and falling into the pots strategically massed on the floor. See no water going to waste here.
I know Barberry....thorny, too much trouble, the bane of my dad's front flower bed... but the color is so perfect and these little flowers bursting open are absolute happiness. I will find out the cultivar but as of now it's just Barberry - Berberis ?.
More leaves rapidly unfurling...can't wait to see what they will look like on Tuesday. So hopefully this post made your winter day a little brighter. Really, spring is coming soon.

Summer...

Kate had the day off of school yesterday. After arriving home from my schooling we were off to the greenhouse for planting and photography practice. Miss Kathryn loves her camera from Christmas. We are still waiting for her to edit her botanical movies. Here is some of the days photographic results...Blueberry bushes in bloom. Sweet little flowers aren't they? Don't you want some for your yard. Fun Fact: the foliage turns red in the fall. Beautiful and edible landscaping.Kate practicing her photography skills. The hat is cute Leanne!!! She's using it not only as a fasion statement, but to hide the hair that she hadn't brushed yet.Green it's a good color.Love the veins above and the foliage on Heuchera Electra below. Really spring will be here sooner than you think.On the way out of the greenhouse Kate stated, " I don't won't to leave summer to cross back over into winterland again. I see why you want to be here all the time." Nice to have brought her over to the dark side... or at least the green side.

Poptarts and a squirrel...

Do you like Pop Tarts? This is a loaded question. Go ahead ask a couple of people. The giving of opinions can become quite loud when the childhood favorite is maligned. I've bought them for the girls in the past but they were way tooooo sweet for me. Well I was converted by the sassy combination of brown sugar, cinnamon and frosting last year. So while they aren't really the best breakfast for you they'll do in a pinch. I did recently laugh out loud in while in Giant Eagle and I saw the "made with whole grains" logo on the side of the box. Really are they trying to make me feel like a better mother by loading the girls sugary goodness with vitamins? Sugary goodness should just be sugary goodness. So I left the whole grain box behind.

Okay so why the pop tart discussion? Well on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the morning I take the girls to the Botanicals....they either get doughnuts or Pop Tarts. Today we had Pop Tarts. The girls will get into and out of the van the whole time we're there. I went to load in my tools before we left. When I actually screamed a girly scream. There was a squirrel looking back at me from underneath the rear seat of my van. Apparently my little squirrel friend likes Pop Tarts. So I talked to him and he actually came when I called him out of the car. You know me..."Hey little buddy...Really you want to come out of the car....Really.....Come on little buddy.....out out out...That's a good little buddy." When I was sure he and his treasure which I threw across the grass were gone. I slammed the door. Me and squirrels I tell you. A squirrel in the van, chasing guests out of my studio, three crazed squirrel chasing girls, I can never have enough squirrels.

Included below are a few of my favorite's things,

besides a nutritionally well balanced squirrel, that I found in nature today.

Morning Glory by the front fence....

forgot about the Carpenter bees!

Really, really need to kill the bees tomorrow. Jewelweed flower.... I love my weeds!

New find at the Pioneer Garden. Matt Ross showed me this amazing little flower under all the squash vines(which I will be cutting back on Thursday.) You'll never guess what it is. Okra...yeah amazing little creation isn't it?

Chance of rain...

Kate woke up this morning and said to me..."Mom, There's a 30, 30, 30, 30, 50, 50, 50, 50, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30 percent chance of rain today." We definitely use the Weather Channel a little too much in this family.
These photos were taken two weeks ago. The Botanical Gardens have these beautiful Caladiums growing in the shade garden. These shade loving plants originally hail from South America. I love that you can find your favorite color combination out of the 100's of named cultivars.

I was a little frustrated that my camera kept focusing on the trees and not on the leaves. I'll try again. This time I hopefully won't have to stop taking pictures to negotiate a peace treaty for the littlest Rapplings.

Working in the garden...

I actually got shots of the girls working at "The Botanicals"....most of the time they only play but "Mr. Matt's spray that smelled like dinner" was to good for Sydney to resist. Once Syd started helping then Paige had to help too. Kate well she's just gathering bugs. She's knows beneficial insects and isn't allowed to capture them. Bugs.....good for hours and hours of fun.

Mr. Preying Mantis is only an 3/4 to 1 inch long! The big stalks are actually chives. Checkout his hiding technique between the two chives.Pretty little purple hot peppers on a compact plant...not sure on the variety(I'll double check tomorrow!) Peppers are about an inch long and each little plant produces a bunch. Okay I just can't stop myself from thinking this. Peter piper picked a peck of purple peppers. Glad I got that out my head sorry to put it in yours.

Happy Birthday little swan...

We have anxiously been awaiting the appearance of a baby swan. There are signs posted to protect the unsuspecting visitor from Swan Rage. The girls love "daddy" swan's posturing. Whenever we arrive at the garden one of the first things done is to check and see if they can see the BABY! Well Miss Lucy told us that one of the three eggs had hatched in the past couple of days. Not thirty seconds later we saw mom with the little one tagging along behind. Perfect. Kate's photo... all the rest belong to me

but Kate deserved credit for her beautiful shot.

I'm sure that by the next trip to the botanicals each girl

will have a different name for the newest resident of the gardens.

Orange, definitely my favorite...

Here's a few photos that made my day. The Rose Garden at TBG is beautiful. I've met a few photographers that come in every Tuesday and some Thursdays to take photos. Both of them have a spray bottle with water. I took advantage of the "dewy" roses. Some of these are going up on my wall soon.

Lights, camera, umbrella...

While I was busy weeding at the Botanical Garden the Rapplings were up to their usual silliness. I wanted to share this video, one of thirteen made by our Kate, future director and boss of the universe (in a mostly benevolent way)... Sydney our little ingenue, her acting well it's truly inspired(you will almost feel a raindrop)... and Little Miss Paige, all she wants is for them to get an umbrella!

I can hear them while they play but can't see them so this was a treat! I wish my parents had movies of me being the boss of the universe... then again maybe I don't.