Wednesday, May 22, 2013

"Ode to the Gardener" -- (Spring scenes from our home)

The beautiful colors of spring are brilliantly blooming in our yard right now.  When we open the doors, the perfume of the flowers fills our every breath.  Come with me for a little walk as we enjoy the fruits of the Gardener's labor~~

  







He starts early and finishes late.
Planting, digging, trimming, mulching, mowing, sowing~
(He loves to play in the dirt)
Gardening
 is truly his passion.
~~
Let's go for a closer look~



















Homer posed for this picture- 
he is a little jealous that Yeller Feller is becoming so famous!





































this is MY outdoor contribution 
to spring at our house~

I'm in charge of the
front porch~
~~~~

One of my favorite little spring time flowers
            is the grape hyacinth~

  this beautiful embroidery stitching
is from the talented hands
of my friend 
Deb Hembree.

Deb is already hard at work
on her beautiful contribution to next year's "Vintage Spring nest." 
(I am SOOO excited about this nest!!)
xoxoxo- I love you Deb.
~~
You can read Deb's story about her amazing handwork
HERE on her blog.
(this is why it takes almost a year to design and build a new nest design. 
 So much artistic handwork is dedicated to each little nest!)
  ~~
and inside my house~

more beautiful signs of spring~

the newest addition to MY beloved nest collection
~~
this beautiful spring nest was made for me
 by my friend Karen Bailey
~
click the link below to read about her beautiful nest~

Karen's little nest is so beautifully unique --
I am in love with the variety of textures 
and the little paper leaves.
Just seeing this little nest everyday
 makes my heart sing!
xoxo
~~
Karen is also a contributing artist to my
 "Vintage Spring nest" design.
 You can read about her beautiful contribution here. 
~~
She is a super talented lady
with a heart of
 "pure gold"~

Coming up next~
well,~~ I'm still working on the travel photos from our hiking trip out west. (OMGosh -- they are gorgeous!!) You don't want to see all 2000 pictures I am sure-- so I am sorting through them -- whew -- its a big job!! Coming soon ---

AND-- work has officially begun on the "building" of the Breast Cancer Awareness nest --- my Sacred Yarn room is an explosion of PINK yarn -- everywhere!!  I'm busy, busy, busy~

xoxo,
Vicki   

47 comments:

Catherine said...

Simply beautiful!! Thanks for sharing!!

Createology said...

Congratulations to the Gardener. Everything is lovely and the blooms tell the story of patience and hard work tending the soil. Vicki your nest from Karen is bliss. Pink is a wonderful color for your Sacred Yarn Room. Happy Hearts are Creative Hearts Dear...

marda said...

Beautiful pictures...you're a bit ahead of us here in Idaho. All that blooming color, what a sight for the eyes. I recognized "the" nest as soon as I saw it. I so admire Karen's creativity and look forward to her part in the new nest to come.
It will still be a few weeks till my peonies are blooming.. I love their fragrance and those big oversized flowers. We have LOTS of iris, my husband is a big fan of those. We have some gorgeous mini's in bloom right now... a deep rich purple and lots of green leaves.. a feast for my eyes right outside my l.r. window. But I can vicariously enjoy all of yours till I have my own. Thanks so much for a sweet peak at your lovely home.

Anonymous said...

Such a gorgeous yard! Love the photos.

Lynn said...

Your gardener has done some wonderful work!
We lagging slightly behind here in Canada. My lilacs are in full bloom but it will still be several weeks before my iris and peonies bloom. We still have some tulips hanging on although not for much longer I'm afraid. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos!

Tanya said...

Peonies, Clematis, Bleeding Heart...what a green thumb!!!!!!!!! Gorgeous photos of his handiwork, too (as I sit here, heavy sighing) - hope all is well! XOXO Tanya

Kaisievic said...

Your garden is simply stunning! The Gardener is very talented. Love the nests, too.

Kaisievic said...

P.S. We are heading into Winter here downunder and all is cold, wet and miserable. So very uplifting to see your beautiful photos.

Hi.. I am Kaivi.. said...

all what I can say is "Beautiful"

Neesie said...

Breathtakingly beautiful blooms Vicki
I can almost smell them here!
I too have been galavanting the globe again and like you I've been editing my photos. The last trip was to the South Island in New Zealand.
Can't wait to see your travel log as I know I'll be in for a treat.
I'm also going to take a peek at all those amazing ladies who help with the nests.
Thank you for opening your garden to the public...well done to the gardener :D
Have a wonderful weekend enjoying all the fruits of your labour ;D
xoxo

Peggy Lee said...

Oh my! I can almost smell them here in KY.
Beautiful...thank you for sharing.
~hugs

The Painted Garden said...

Congratulations to the fabulous Gardener and his beautiful garden. His love for the earth and creating beauty in his garden is evident everywhere. Vicki your charming additions to the porch complete your lovely garden.
Thank you for sharing.
Blessings, Erin

Julie Marie said...

Hello Vicki... these photos are all so incredibly beautiful, I want to go back and linger over all of them once more... the gardener certainly does grow a beautiful garden... you are way ahead of us on blooms, maybe because we had such a cold, harsh winter this year, everything here is just beginning to bloom... (other than the very earliest blossoms on the trees, which are through now)... I love Grape Hyacinths too and those little embroidered ones are so precious!... your new Spring nest by Karen is adorable too, and looks so sweet in your pretty glassware... you live in such a serene looking place with beauty in all directions... Hello kitty!... I just love Homer too!... xoxo Julie Marie

PoetessWug said...

Tell the Gardener....Good job!! :-) I LOVE all of the flowers!!

CJ STITCHING AND BLOOMS said...

Hello Vicki,

Your Spring Gardens are glorious, in all their colors and forms.. Looking at your gardens would make anyone happy and smile.. Great work done by the "Gardener"...

Lovely post. Have a Lovely Holiday weekend. Hugs Judy

kathyinozarks said...

Wow! I would love to have a gardener like yours-although my hubby has many other talents.lol
yours was my first blog I read this morning-and it was so wonderful, I could smell all those blooms-just gorgeous-thanks so much for sharing with us. I enjoyed my first cup of coffee so much more.
Love the nests too. good morning from the ozarks Kathy

Unknown said...

your gardener has more than just a green thumb..oh my....he's a spinner of nature.....dirt turns to gold in his hands. oh my...So lovely!

Mosaic Magpie said...

Thank you for the peak into your corner of the world...The Gardener is a treasure...not everyone has all those beautiful flowers to surround them.
Thank you for your kind words...Vick,i the flowers are fun to stitch and knowing they are for such a worthy cause, makes making them a pure JOY!
It is not often enough that the works of our hands can benefit others. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.
Love you Sister,
Deb

Karen B. said...

Sweet Vicki,
your garden is so amazing!! So many beautiful flowers. My Spring nest has found the perfect home ~thank you for sharing the photos! Your words about me touched my heart so much again.
Love you!
many hugs
Karen B. ~ Todolwen

Shirley said...

Hi Vicki, Your flowers are beautiful and I can smell the lilacs. He does such awesome job of taking care of your yard. I wish I had a green thumb like he does, but I don't. I am trying to catch up with friends this morning while I wait for a phone call back from the doctors office. I am anxious for my trip with you and your pictures. I know I am going to love it. Have a wonderful day. Hugs and Prayers from your Missouri Friend.

Jenny said...

Your gardener is so much like Enno. Your garden is truly a labor of love. The flowers are similar to our ones in Holland except for the trees. Thanks for sharing your beautiful world. xo Jenny

Jackie said...

Oh wow!! Beautiful! What is the white tree with the drooping blooms?? I love it and can I grow it here in the desert? Just gorgeous!

Acorn to Oak said...

Beautiful inside and out! :-)

Can't wait to see your hiking trip post. :-)

Kim Stevens said...

What an incredible garden!! I just love peonies but they are so expensive here - I saw one at my nursery recently and it was $120, I left empty handed! :(

maggiegracecreates said...

Oh my, the yards are stunning. And the embroidery is amazing. love all the details you capture and share with me.

Katherine McNeese said...

beautiful peonies!

Karen Valentine said...

OMG Vicki your garden is soooo gorgeous!! Those trees are fabulous!!
I am very pleased with what I have in my garden, but your trees and flowers put mine to shame!! Of course we already pushing towards 100 degrees here and I imagine its a lovely 70 something where you are. :)
Enjoy all that beauty my friend!!!
xo,
Karen

Unknown said...

Beautiful, beautiful garden! Kudos to the gardener and lucky you - getting to see it every day :) Karen

Wildflowerhouse said...

Do they make models of your fabulous Gardener that one could rent, borrow or steal! Please tell him how very much I love his beautiful gardens.
I mailed something to you and I hope I had the right address.

Dorthe said...

Oh what beauty in your Gradeners Garden dearest Vicki- you have such most beautiful peonies, what colours and big wonderful heads- stunning, photoes from both sunny and rainy dayes- I love it all.
Deb`s sweet lovely hyacinths are adorable, Vicki, and the gift from Karen is amazing and so very beautiful-- I love her little special adds !!
Spring hugs and happy rest of the week to you my dear!
xo,Dorthe

Jennifer Shelby said...

How very handy to have a Gardener of your very own! So very beautiful - including Homer, who finally got a little spotlight of his own ;)
Karen's nest is gorgeous - what a treasure!

Beth said...

Your gardens are just gorgeous! I love your peonies!

Quinn said...

What a breath of fresh air! Here it's been thunderstorms and humidity for two days, and more predicted, so when it finally stops (it will stop, right?) the flowers will probably explode into bloom in sheer gratitude for the sunlight!

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Oh wow! Vicki, please tell the gardener, "well done!"; it's beautiful! As is Karen's nest...

Suztats said...

Such wonderful flowers in your garden! Tell The Gardener he is fabulous. I can almost smell the blossoms......

Tammy said...

Heavenly! The Gardener does a most superb job on creating an outdoor haven! What are those pink flowers with the yellow frilly centers? So big and beautiful and unique! Deb's embroidery is so lovely and the nest you received from Karen is gorgeous. So nice that you are able to have a nest of your own created by the loving hands of another. :) Best wishes and blessings, Tammy

Mr Paul said...

Good morning lovely Vicki. The gardener is such a talented chap surrounding your house with such beautiful flowers. You know us boys we love playing in the dirt, making mud pies and collecting worms:)
Have a gorgeous weekend.
Paul

SuZeQ said...

Oh my ... you got me with the porch swing, pink peonies and then those luscious lilacs. What a paradise you have just outside your door. You tell Dan I said "he is the best!!!"
kosec@sbcglobal.net

myriamkreativ said...

Wow, sweet friend, love to walk with you through the wonderful garden... that really looks great... here everything is drowning with rain or freezing... unbelievable weather. Most times I wear gum boots... could you believe in May?
I am SO HAPPY that we go to spain in the near future...... I hope that I recognize the sun *lol*
Hugs and kisses
Myriam

Eugenia Maru http://lulurulitos.blogspot.com said...

Hermoso! tantos colores, tantas flores, no sé mucho de nombres, pero los lirios me encantan. tu porch es lindo, las fotos son preciosas. Dichosa primavera, acá llueve y llueve, lo que también tiene su encato.
Puse fotos de la celebración del cumpleaños de Robin en mi blog, por si quieres verlas.
Un beso amiga
http://atrapadaenmisletras.blogspot.com
http://lulurulitos.blogspot.com

yaya said...

Your yard is beautiful! Our crabapple trees were lovely this year and smelled wonderful too! Almost all the Spring blossoms have been gone but my dwarf lilac is blooming to the hilt and smells heavenly! Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and enjoy that lovely yard that the Gardener has worked so hard on!

gigi knits said...

Your gardens are beautiful.. Have always Loved spring flowers and the smell of Lilacs in the air.
xoxo

Julia said...

Vicki, I'm so envious that you have your very own gardener to dig and plant the soil for you. Your flowers are beautiful.

Your photography is breathtaking.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend.
JB

Unknown said...

So many gorgeous flowers and trees!! Your yard is beautiful!!
Love the Irises.

Happy Creating,
Tracie
http://homeofthepurskey.blogspot.com

Tanna said...

Oh, my goodness, Vicki! You two are a match made in heaven... amazing creators of beauty... the both of you. Adventure lovers. And, hard workers. Just gorgeous!!!! blessings and hugs ~ tanna

Jim said...

Fabulous! All your flowers are coming out at once. I love all the peonies! And that white wisteria...never saw a white one before! I can understand your hubby's passion for the garden....such a great place to lose oneself ....for hours!!!
Your 'package' will be on its way this weekend.
Have a great weekend Vicki!

Jeanne said...

Your gardener looks as if he has done an awesome job. Love your flowers. Also love your new nest. These are simply fascinating