Friday, April 30, 2010

Spring in the Hills - Pictures

ducks in front bed (2)

Fall River runs through our town, Hot Springs.  The river is fed in part by warm springs. It’s really neat in the winter. You’ll see snow all around and steam comes up from the water.  The ducks usually live downtown on the river. We live about a half a mile up on a hill.  After our 2” rain the ducks came up for a visit. I’m glad no one told them I have a pond with fish. Some perhaps morsel size for this happy couple.

first tulips & iris 008

The tulips have started. The inside of these tulips look like poppies.

first tulips & iris 009

I love pink tulips. Notice the bleeding hearts got a bit of last nights frost.

first tulips & iris 010

Parrot Tulips and a bit of the pond. The metal is an arbor.

first tulips & iris 021

The front yard starts out tame.  Notice my tiny lawn. Ted says the lawn shakes with fear when I walk by it.  I have removed almost all the lawn in our yard. I have this little bit and a little circle of lawn in the back in front of the pond. It to is fearful of me.

circle of daf

This side of house used to be all lawn. I am working on the very front part.  I have some partridge feather that I am going to insert… Behind the circle of daffodils are 4 square pods separated by pavers. Sort of a knot garden with out the height. It is a nice scene to look at from the upstairs bedroom.  This is a bit of spring in Zone 4. Our official frost free date is May 15th.

29 comments:

  1. Well, the good news is, these ducks are vegetarian. Our duck used to hang out in the pond with our fish. She would chase them, for fun, but that was about it. Although...if you have any waterlilies I'd be worried. Our duck completely defoliated ours in about 10 minutes.

    Lovely blooms, your tulips are gorgeous, and your daffodils look great too!

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  2. Hi Clare, I am glad to know the ducks a vegetarian. My waterlillies are just getting started after a long winter. But, the ducks really like the river and rarely come up this way.

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  3. Love the duck. Your tulips look great. jim

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  4. Fun looking at pictures and seeing where zone 4b is at right now. I'm in MA, zone 6. Love the duck couple, and they must have loved your garden.
    I have the little botanical tulips below too. Although I planted mine.

    Annelie

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  5. Jim, the ducks were so tame. I got really close to them. I think they were looking for treats.

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  6. Annelie, I read in your blog that you have been in the 90s already. We still are cold and having such winds. But, that will change!

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  7. Your daffodils are so pretty! My lawn is not scared of me one bit. It knows that I'm not going to get rid of it, yet. One day, I would love to replace it with pretty perennials.

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  8. That lawn should shake in fear! I got rid of the last of mine (I'm not counting the ditch) a couple of years ago and haven't looked back. No mowing, yeah! The hubby thought I was cuckoo when I told him I was ripping out the grass to plant (ornamental) grass.

    Christine in Alaska

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  9. Gloria everything looks so lush and green. I'm not even sure when our last frost day is - probably the end of May. I still have daffodils out and ducks out in the garden too.

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  10. Jeannie - They are funny and tame. It seems every year we see a pair of them up on the hill.

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  11. Rosie - How fun...here we are an ocean away and we have similiar gardens.

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  12. Christine - Wow! I am impressed. My hubby also had a "you're going to do what!" moment. I have a little quiet electric mower. I am done in 10 minutes. Love it! I am looking forward to seeing your improved front yard. Last year I bought some grasses and am not sure how to use them. I need your expertise!

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  13. Your garden is looking very pretty! I love all the ground covers in your front yard. I love getting rid of grass, I'd rather have plants.
    We have had a pair of ducks every so often visit our pond. They never noticed the fish here either luckily.

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  14. Hello Gloria :) I've enjoyed having a peek at your lovely garden, especially the tulips! I hope to reduce much of my lawn too eventually, but there is quite a bit of work I have to do first.

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  15. Partridge Feather? I've not heard of that. Excited to see a pic. Your gardens are lovely, Gloria. Tulips are such happy spring flowers, don't you think?

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  16. Oh, the tulips!!!

    I just bought some here in Brazil. How amazing! No words to describe.

    Green kisses

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  17. Catherine, The low water ground covers are really starting to fill in. So much better than lawn.

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  18. Heidi, Take your time removing the lawn. Make sure to remove every blade of grass. The grass left over can be the worst weed.

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  19. Kate, the partridge feather is the Tanecetum Densum, it is the grey-white low growing plant in the pictures with the iris - I was to lazy to look up the spelling :)

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  20. Renata, how exciting to have a visitor from Brazil! Thanks you!

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  21. Ha! My lawn shakes in fear when I walk past also! Love that tulip. It does look like a poppy.

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  22. I think the sign of the true gardener is that grass trembles in fear when you walk by. I've finally almost filled all my beds, which I dug out of our small lawn 3 years ago. The driveway might be my next victim, but I still have all that grass....

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  23. Gloria, your tulips are really pretty! I agree the red ones resemble poppies! Interesting that your creek is fed by warm springs...lucky for the ducks!
    I've been working on reducing my lawn as well..I rather like it, and it's a great excuse everytime I bring home another plant!!! :)

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  24. Florida, Kelly and Kimberly - Wow, we are united in thought! Less lawn!

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  25. Hi Gloria Dear, I just read someone's blog and they called their [what has become a very] small lawn a "lawnette." I decided to borrow it and I think this works for yours too.

    I was sure those tulips were poppies until I read your caption. But I am admittedly partial to the pink ones! Dazzling!

    Give Mr. and Mrs. Mallard a quack for me. They're such a handsome couple!

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  26. While surfing the blog-net and having my morning coffee, I happened onto your lovely blog. What a treat. Your cottage home and landscaping is soulfood. We're out on the windswept plains and gardening is NOT easy. I was even more tickled to see that you live in the same part of the world as we do. My husband and I ranch just on the other side of the border in Wyoming; we're 1.50 hours from Rapid City. I shop there regularly and visit my sister who lives there.

    I added you to my blog listing on my personal blog. I also have another blog via MaryJanesFarm - whom I work for as a blog columnist. Perhaps you are familiar with MaryJane's magazines and books. Anyway, I so enjoyed your blog with my morning coffee. C'mon over to Wyoming...to my blog anyway...for a visit.

    Happy Trails,
    Shery Jespersen

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  27. Grace, Lawnette is a great term! I like it! Thanks

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  28. Shery, Thank you so much for your kind comments. I am tickled to "meet" you and that we have found each other. I don't think there are many blogs with our interest in this part of the country. I also enjoyed reading your blog. Beautiful pictures. Your art work and ranch are wonderful.

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