Wow, that is amazing Chelle. Looks like you had a crawfish visitor. Loved your garden snake. How fun.

I just came in for a break, it's steamy out there today! The rain has stopped momentarily, so I got the babies you sent me planted. What a sweet person you are, Lynn! I love the adorable addition to the package! Where did you ever find him?

I have had him for years Chelle, so don't remember. I just love him though, how cute he is in your yard. I see he is thanking me for sending him to such a wonderful new home.

Thank you for such a special gift! He is up in the big planter where he will be safe and happy for the summer.

I started my cuttings today too, ....finally! I'll post a pic later.

Now, I have to get back to work.....get all my *muddies* back on and plant some more stuff.

I need to get back out and finish transplanting tomato plants from their winter sow jugs. I also have snapdragons, columbine and violas in winter sow jugs that need to be planted out. Sure wish it wasn't so nasty outside. : (

What's it doing out there? I haven't looked at a weather report yet today.

Here it's humid, looks like it wants to rain some more, but so far it hasn't.

Rain. I just came in again. Keep trying to go out between showers. Not getting much done.

Sorry about the rain. Did you see what my yard looked like yesterday? Same thing, lots of wet! A River Runs Through It. Is that the name of a movie, or a book? Can't remember, fitting though.

I wasn't getting much accomplished either, for different reasons though. DH had the wheelbarrow, mom had my short handled planting shovel, the boy was stuck to me etc., etc.

So I tried to mow the grass. What a job that was! Long, wet, lush,....well you can imagine. I didn't even attempt the area that was under water the other day. Too mucky.

Off to see what else I can get into this evening....will chat again soon!

Have a very nice evening!

You to Chelle. : )

Chelle, thanks for posting those links. Is your ground clay or is it just so wet? It does look heavy to dig in and move. Love your bog garden! And all the wildlife you have around it. Will be fun the follow the contest thread too.

Chris, both I'm afraid. It's taken years of really keeping that soil covered with organic matter to get it to perform at all well. At first I thought it should be left uncovered so that it wouldn't be so wet and sticky, wrong! Then it just made clay bricks! Now it is rich with earthworms and they provide the necessary drainage holes and food for the plants. Stuff just grows like wild as long as I keep it covered.

I won a CP for the bog garden last night! Now I'll have the most necessary plant for the contest. It is here S x Catesbaei

Here is a pix of what started blooming in the bog area yesterday. Caesar's Brother.

Chelle won. How fantastic. Goodness gracious, just look at the prize. That is some plant. We all want to see a picture of it when you put it in it's new home Chelle.

It will just be a baby, but what a sweet baby!

Congratulations Chelle. S x Catesbaei is breathtaking! And Caesar's Brother is pretty nice too.

Thank you Chris! I'm so excited! I can't wait until *Cat* comes home.

I love that you named it! I name some of my cement/hypertufa creations but haven't named any plants yet.

Actually Seray named it Cat Bug, (I think) I'm just gonna keep it at Cat! Meow!.

My Sedums are not blooming yet, (of course) but I thought this photo would be nice to brighten up a cloudy, steamy day. It's the first bloom of these.

California Poppy.

Looks like the sun itself! And it has pretty foliage to boot.

My first clematis of the season bloomed yesterday and then the wind proceeded to rip to it shreds. Us gardeners learn to live with those little disappointments - I know more flowers are coming. That one was for Mother Nature!

I am so sorry to hear that! The first bloom of the season on each plant is always the most dear to our hearts. We've waited so long, after all. Drat that wind!
You know what that means don't you? You have the perfect excuse to get more plants. *chuckle*

Big plants.

More plants = less wind, right?

Makes perfect sense - they grow on fences and trellises so they block the wind!