Gorious Gifts, Grandbabies, and Gardens

The fairy grandbaby and I had a great day in the gardens.  I had found this bouncy car at a garage sale for $2 and it is perfect for her to sit in while I plant, dig, and do a shot of Miracle Grow here and there.

I’d say my Miracle Grow is working- look at the height of that gladiola!!!

I am almost 5’3", here I am standing in the flower bed next to the gladiola and holding it up to the back of my head and trying to snap a photo to show how high the plant is.  I’d say it is at least my height.

and yes I know my fingernails look awful- I’ve been gardening and don’t wear gloves. plus I have an ugly rash. I have been sick from a tick bite and am on antibiotics for it.  Maybe I shouldn’t show these kinds of photos???

At least Sugarwings is pretty in this picture! Our poor front yard is a mess, we have a construction project on the road in front of the house and it is so torn up, it is hard to get a mower over to that spot. This flower bed just goes wild. I haven’t done much to it in years, planted hardy native plants and let it go.

We worked in the herb beds together, after going to the garden center and getting a lot of 99 cent plants that were on clearance.

Sugarwings and Twinkle are totally in love with each other.  That dog never leaves the baby’s side.  Of course, the baby often has tasty things smeared on her too.

See my old wheelbarrow in the back? Kim at http://deardaisycottage.typepad.com/ has one like it with flowers planted in hers, but I use mine to do yard work.

The planter boxes on my gazebo are starting to fill out.  I kept them simple this year, just some inpatients, begonias and ivy. 

This is the first time I have ever bought the hanging planters ready to go, I usually make my own.  But Walmart had them on sale for $5.88 each, how can you put one together  for much less? 

I have 3 planter boxes on the gazebo, but they don’t match. I find them at garage sales and kind of like  that they are all different.

A friend made the mosaic birdhouse for me in trade for a little fairy watercolor I did.

The garden center also had these glow in the dark hose guards on sale too.

(yes, Sissy, I bought some for you and Bobbie Sue too!)

I bought a glow in the dark hose guard for Sugarwings to put in front of her house too, but I think she wanted the big ball instead.

Well today might have been about as nice as a day gets.   I could be the luckiest person around.

And speaking of lucky– look what I got in the match box swap that Natasha http://natashaburns.blogspot.com/ hosted.  Deb at http://www.hophopjingleboo.blogspot.com/ was my partner and she sent me a big box full of delightful things!! I am starting to feel like a chintzy partner, I haven’t sent that much out, and always get such generous packages from everyone.  Heck, for the tiara swap, Barb http://www.123lavenderlollipoplane.blogspot.com/ even sent my fairy grand baby a gift!!

Look at some of these treasures from Deb!!!

One side of this medallion was her logo, the other side has my name.

I hung it in my dining room china cabinet on the carnival glass dish that was my mom’s.

And look at the box itself, she used the large size (of course I used the small one and feel bad) and added to it, so that you wouldn’t even know right off that it was made from a matchbox. 

I wonder if I should even continue swapping?  I need to beef up my packages.  I have been on the skimpy side too much, do you think I am getting a bad rep out there in blogland and no one will trade with me after this??  Karen of http://www.creativechaos.typepad.com/ was my first partner and she went over board too.  An unbelievable may basket came from her.

Anyway, Deb, thanks so much, I am overwhelmed, it is such a great box of goodies.  Love it!!  And everyone should go to her site and see the bunny swap slide show she has, way cool.

Well, I’m off to take a nap before dinner, a day with a fairy grand baby can be a wonderful and exhausting thing. Plus, the Dr. says I have some sort of rare blood infection from this tick bite and I just don’t feel like myself. I think that is why I was so grouchy while trying to do some red, white, and blue bookmarks. It wasn’t the color, it was the ehrlichiosis!