Mini Gazing Balls

I love gazing balls in the garden.
I made the large ones from old bowling balls.

Then I found this old hard rubber ball in the garage and decided to make it into a mini gazing ball plant poke.

First a hole was drilled into the ball.

I then covered the ball in those flat sided gems using a Crafters Goop glue. When it was dry I used a waterproof grout to finish it off.

A metal rod was poked into the hole and presto ... a plant poke. I think other hard balls, like baseballs or croquet balls would work well too.

This is also posted on The Crafty Side.

Aroma fills the air

The aroma from the lilacs is absolutely wonderful. I wish they you could experience it too.
But you can if you use your imagination.

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.



This post was written by Crafty Gardener for publication on my personal blog, The Gardener Side.

A Fistfull of Dollars!

The lunaria or money plant is blooming, so soon I'll be able to pop outside and pick myself a fistful of dollars. Don't I wish!

Money Plant - Lunaria - also known as honesty - grown for pleasure and not for profit.

The money plant is biennial - leaves in the first year and flowers in the second year. For continual flowering plants you need to plant the seeds for 2 consecutive years.

Find out about the seeds on my other blog Sow Then Grow.

Blue Jays

Blue jays belong to the Corvidae family native to North America. The corvidae family also includes crows, magpies, rooks, jackdaws, and nutcrackers and others (up to 100 varieties). This family of birds have been found in fossils about 25 million years old.

Blue jays can be 30 cm. long and its brilliant blue colour is sometimes a trick of the light. Males and females are very similar in appearance. A surprised blue jay will point its crest forwards, while a frightened blue jay has its crest bristled out.

Their diet consists of fruits, nuts, grains, and insects. They certainly love the peanuts and other tidbits we put out for them. You can certainly recognize their loud call as they approach the feeders.

Red Headed Woodpecker

Wow, on Sunday morning we spotted a red headed woodpecker in the garden on Sunday morning. This is a first for us. He flitted between several feeders and sampled them all. I sure hope he pays a return visit.

While researching this bird, I discovered that the populations of the red headed woodpecker has declined 60% in Ontario in the past 20 years due to loss of habitat. The bird is now protected under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act.

Mellow Yellow

I love it when the yellow iris comes into bloom.

These are special yellow iris as they were given to me many years ago by a Brownie pack. I was retiring as commissioner of the district and the Brownies and their leaders knew my love of gardening. So every year they come into bloom it reminds me of the many wonderful years as a leader with Girl Guides of Canada.

Since then the yellow iris have multiplied and been divided many times. I now have several clumps throughout my gardens.

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.



This post was written by Crafty Gardener for publication on my personal blog, The Gardener Side.

Look inside

This tulip is just about finished and a couple of the petals are drooping down. So this gave me the perfect photo opportunity to look inside.

The colouring and markings are amazing. Without looking inside you would describe this is just a plain red tulip.

Isn't Nature amazing.

The more you look the more you see!


It's that time of year when the tulip, daffodil and other bulbs are finishing and the question comes up whether to cut off the green leaves or not. You should leave the leaves on the plant, just cutting off the flower stem. The leaves provide food for the bulb for next year and this is what gives you a good bloom next year. Some gardeners tie the leaves into a small knot. I've read this isn't advisable, though I did do this years ago. I now plant my bulbs towards the center of the garden so that as the other perennial plants grow they tend to cover the leaves and the bulb leaves can be hidden underneath new growth.
The question always arises when to dig, separate and move bulbs. Some advice is to wait, but once those leaves go I never can remember where the bulbs are planted. Of course you can always ring the bulbs in small stones or markers and as long as the markers stay put you'll have no problem remembering where the bulbs are. I have dug clumps right after flowering so I know where they are. I try to get a large ball of dirt around the bulb and plant it right away. I have had success doing this. You can of course dig the bulbs, dry them, and store them till next Fall.
If you have a tip about moving bulbs or a storage tip please share it in the comments section.

Parrots for Bloom Day

The parrot tulips are out in bloom with their glorious colours, frilly edges, and colourful patterns.
The photos say all that I have to say. Enjoy.

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted by May Dreams Gardens.
Be sure to stop by May Dreams Garden and visit the other participants.

White Crowned Sparrow

The white crowned sparrows visit the garden frequently, especially at the beginning and end of the season. Upon their arrival we know that the nicer weather is approaching and when they return in large numbers towards the end of summer we know the season will soon be ending.







This is a wonderful songbird to have visit the gardens. It is distinctive by the wide white and black stripes on the head.

The adult can be about 18 cm. long. They feed on the ground and frequently visit our flat feeder.
Preferred food is grass and weed seed so I think they are attracted to our garden because of our wild patch.

Parrot Tulips

Parrot tulips are wonderful spring flowers, lasting far longer than the regular tulips. The

The petals are usually frilly and the colour patterns are fascinating.

The collage of photos was taken a couple of years ago. Today the parrot tulips are just beginning to bud and open.

Blooming Beautiful

It's Green Thumb Sunday and there are so many plants beginning to bloom now.

First of all the lilacs are just about fully opened and that wonderful smell will be soon greeting me when I walk out into the garden. This photo doesn't do the blooms justice.








The tulips continue to bloom in shades of yellows and reds. The parrot tulips are just beginning to bud and open. Many other plants like poppies, coreopsis and cone flower are showing lots of green foliage.

The bleeding heart is looking wonderful with many blooms just about fully opened. These grow in the front shade garden by the walkway that approaches the front door.

The trillium is still blooming but it looks like it will soon by finished as the edges are beginning to fade and curl a bit.

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.



This post was written by Crafty Gardener for publication on my personal blog, The Gardener Side.

Ruffled up!

This robin is busy hopping around the back yard looking for tasty treats in the grass. Look at all the extra tufts of feathers he/she has. Is that the extra feathers coming out? or is it something else?
I'd love to know what you think.

Have a peek at the baby robins.

Marsh Marigolds

Marsh marigolds, cowslips or caltha palustris are lovely yellow blooming plants that grow in shallow water near marshy or swampy areas. A few years ago we ventured into the swampy, mucky area close to our house to dig a clump of these lovely flowers. The plants grow 45 to 60 cm. high and the flowers are about 4 cm. across.