Tag: clematis

Pretty Flowers and Tips to live with

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A favorite place to sit and look out. Before I clicked the camera, they were both looking at something. We have lots of birds in the back yard so that is more than likely what they were focused on. The big cat on the left is Miggy and the other is Pavel.
Pavel at times does not squat when he piddles and it goes over the side. With six cats we need four large boxes. I was changing the litter in the two not pictured. This is a great recipe for urine smell.

Removing Urine Smell

Baking Soda (I used two boxes for this)
Peroxide

Put the Peroxide in a spray bottle and spray liberally on the area that smells. We used this on a car seat, but you can use it on carpeting or flooring like I am doing. If you have to use it on clothing make sure that the peroxide doesn’t do any harm.

Then take the baking soda and sprinkle it on the wet area and then take a stiff brush and scrub it. You can also add more peroxide. Let it dry and then sweep it up. The peroxide and baking soda neutralize the urine.
Hope this helps you. It is better than anything you can buy off the shelves.
I had this book in my piles of books and opened it to the kitchen decluttering section. I have had this book for quite a while but with life happening, I didn’t read it. I am now because we have been trying to just lighten things up in the house. We just had an association garage sale and made us look at cutting down the piles.

I love the way that the author writes – Dana K. White – because I have had all the things she refers about happen to me. So the part I am going to talk about is storage containers. I had three drawers for them. One for miscellaneous items, one for lids and one for the containers and I thought I was ahead of the game. She said that the big key is to store the containers with their lids on. No more searching for the lids, just put them together coming out of the dishwasher after making sure they are thoroughly dried. No nesting the containers and I thought that will take up so much room. Not so my friends! I even have space left over plus I have weeded out the lids that have no containers and visa versa.
The top narrow drawer has the small containers.
The second deeper drawer.
The third deep drawer. How organized I felt!
Give it a try. As Dana puts it….you don’t need a bazillion of everything. Also it helps clean out the refrigerator that can become a big deep hole, containing shape shifting food that makes you gag when you open the lid.
What you are looking at here is my new copper hummingbird feeder. The red part comes out and is a small plastic container that holds the nectar. In the lid is a tiny hole that the bird can drink out of. It is sitting in a flower pot. I have not witnessed a hummingbird come to it yet and it has been out for two days. I am not staring at it 24/7 though. I looked at the FAQ’s and Nancy Biggins suggested moving the pot a little bit or putting a red ribbon on it.
I have seen many visits of hummingbirds recently at the catmint that you see in the background. I thought it was a no brainer to put it near there, maybe it is bothering the birds. Something out of the norm. Also this picture shows the little feeding hole. The Art Shop is Copper Hummingbird so click and it will take you to her site. Catmint is kind of amazing because it draws hummingbirds, finches, bees, butterflies and cats!
My load of 5 X 7 canvases that I will be adding to my store and will be for sale soon. I will be sure to send out a store update. Sign up to get an email when I do a blog post. It is on my homepage.
This is “Field Heart” 5 X 7 original and is up in the store right now. Click here and it will take you right to it. Still offering free shipping, just use FREESHIP in the coupon code. It is $50.00.
The oregano is doing pretty well. The Basil is growing and smells so good but I am moving these to a different area because I don’t think they get enough direct sunlight.
A sweet watering can that was Sam’s when he was young.
The allium is about to bloom. I like it when the outer coating sheds.
The first balloon flower is about to pop. I get amazed when they puff up before showing their star like flowers. Hence the name -balloon flowers.
This is lambs ear that is flowering. I have not seen this happen before. I have had it 6 or 7 years. I have now seen this happening all over.
A teeny dark purple clematis, I have been nurturing this plant and thought it was a goner but it has surprised me. I hope it keeps it up.
Two colors of hollyhocks. The one on the left is almost black.
A lighter purple clematis that is doing great.
Then there is the big bunch of pink hollyhock. I really love these.
I also have columbine, daisies, salvia, wild blue indigo and beards tongue. By next near it will be more full and stunning!
This little gal -Sophie- has her face pressed against the door all the time, to be able to slip out. She loves to roll on the warm cement. She doesn’t run away but plops down and rolls making noises of happiness.

We had a nice Fathers Day and I hope the same for you and your family even if you mailed your packages, zoomed with each other or got together. Please stay well and see you next week.

What’s Up

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It’s a really great morning to walk around and see what I have blooming. This doesn’t look like much now but they are the planters beside my front door. There are 5 different plants in the boxes and when they get going they should be very pretty. Orange, white, blue, red and green and lime green. I have seen improvement since they were planted.

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The catmint is always a buzz with activity. Cats, bees, butterflys and hummingbirds all visit it. This plant is right off my front porch. I was sitting there with a pink shirt on and after the hummingbird finished at the catmint he flew up to me, so close I could hear his wings. He must have decided I had nothing to give him and flew off.

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Galardia daisy, always brilliant.

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A new from last year, coral bell, growing nicely.

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One of our bushes, a little henry sweetspire.

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A different coral bell, bought at the same time. It’s growing but maybe the species isn’t as big as the other.

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Whoa! Huge weed alert in the other catmint! Those are on the agenda for next week.

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Clematis, so glad to see that it is growing and producing. Beautiful dark color.

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I don’t remember what this plant is but the color is breathtaking.

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Another bush about ready to bloom. Don’t recall the name of it either.

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Purple salvia making a good show.

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Every year I plant my spent Easter Lilys and they are coming up. The one on the right is from this year.

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This Dogwood, I had decided that it didn’t make it. I bought a replacement tree and was about ready to pull it out of the ground and it finally had sprouts in the spring. The bottom is doing better than the top but we will see what it does.

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I have heard it takes awhile for these to get going.

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Little Blue pincushion flower, so sweet.

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These are going to be a profusion of yellow flowers soon.

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This is Lily’s spot to lay during the day. You can walk by and her head will pop up.

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That’s where I found her, then she decided to come with me. She is my walking partner. Well that’s all I have for now…thanks for stopping.