Amalfi Coast and Positano, Italy

Driving along the Amalfi Coast was breathtakingly beautiful.

New Blooming Flowers in the Garden

What is blooming in your garden? I have clematis, knockout roses, camellias, irises, columbines, hostas, and soon will have amaryllis blooming.

Pompeii, Italy

Vesuvius in the background. Standing in Pompeii amid the ruins I was fixated to realize with my own eyes how close Vesuvius was and zoomed my lens to get a closer view. The terrible eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae and all life in between.

Two Special Redheads

My husband and I were blessed last week to spend the week with these two special redheads.

Time to Nest

The birds are busy building their nests. There is an excitement in the air that nesting time is here. The air is full of bird songs. Come sit in the garden and have a cup of tea while we watch the birds and enjoy this beautiful spring day.

There are bluebirds, cardinals, mockingbirds, sparrows, woodpeckers, and sometimes bluejays. The robins are gone now but were enjoyed for a while.

The bridal wreath is blooming as are the azaleas in so many colors. The hydrangeas are budding out too. 

The new growth on the trees and shrubs are the most beautiful shade of green. As I am sitting here enjoying the gentle breeze and the occasional humming of a busy bumble bee I just remembered I saw the first hummingbird of the season today.

Spring is a time of renewal, rejuvation, and rebirth. You can learn so much about life in a garden.

Spring is a time to marvel at life and the splendor of creation that points us to the faithfulness and majesty of our creator.

Birds are mating and building their nests. Their nests are carefully and skillfully crafted. Each species have  specific types of nests and  building habits.

We'll have a light lunch later but for now we have nothing to do but relax, enjoy our tea, listen to the chirping of the birds and watch the occasional butterfly flying by.

There is a fragrance in the spring garden. Soon the confederate jasmine will delight us with its ethereal scent. How many birds can you identify and can you recognize their songs?

I've enjoyed listening to the birds and watching them go about their day. It was a sweet time to reflect on the beauty around me and learn from the birds about hard work, perseverance and loyalty. 

White Tea Set- Lenox
Blue Tray- Hobby Lobby
Demitasse spoons- World Market
Cut work tea napkins- Estate Sale
Embossed napkins- Philipines
Crystal-  Meadow Rose by Fosteria
Plates-Paula Deen
Silverware-Williams Sonoma
Birds nests and metal bird- gift shops

Linking to : Metamorphosis Monday, Show and Share,The Scoop, Inspire Me Tuesday, The Enchanting Rose, Wow Us , Share your Style Party, Tablescape Thursday, Thoughts of Home,Feathered Nest Friday, Home Sweet Home, Foodie Friday,Dishing It and Digging 

Trees Cut in the Garden

 Much to my dismay my pine trees became infested with pine beetles and had to be cut. I loved the pine straw and the shade they offered.

If you haven't seen tree cutters climb 80 foot trees it is a sight to see.

They cut as many limbs as they can and work their way up the tree.

It was nerve wracking to watch because the tree had rotted near the top. Woodpeckers had made large holes.

 The heavy limbs falling made large holes. I had to loose the arbor in this pic. More about that later.

 They rope the limbs and hoist them down with ropes. They are very skilled in felling trees in such a way as to avoid fences and plants. They knew they couldn't save five of my hydrangea bushes so they dug them up for me. They were replanted the next day temporarily until I get a new garden plan.

 The camellia you see in this pic did get scalped from the other side. It was amazing that was all the damage done. Two smaller oak trees also had to be cut  because they were in the way. Cutting four trees opened this space immensely. I have a whole new dimension in this area. I may be able to grow more plants that handle sun.

As you can see the trees were large approximately 20 inches in diameter. This job took almost a full day. The next day involved grinding the stumps. That was a job for another expert in this field. I didn't get pictures of that but did lose my arbor. It had to be taken down in order for the large stump grinder to get through. I was initially disappointed about loosing the confederate jasmine on the arbor but there are many worse things in life. I will put the arbor back and may or may not grow a vine of some kind on it.

I think I am going to hire someone with a Bobcat to level out this area. It is a huge job that I don't think we should tackle. This was not something I planned but it may be a blessing in disguise.