Outside That Old House it is raining.
When you live in a house as old as this one, that is good news --
it means the roof is not leaking. Yet.
Our side patio, just off the sunroom.Behind the sunroom, we have an old stone wall with ivy and flowering border plants.
I love to watch these:
turn into these:
which look like this if you look really really close:
They are oriental poppies. Their buds look like crazy fuzzy Kiwi fruits; not attractive. But their papery blooms are fabulous and red. Like wowzer red. One lone blossom opened up Tuesday morning.
Today this first brave bloom is wet and soggy, collapsed and droopy.
But I still like looking . . . from the dry sunroom!
But I still like looking . . . from the dry sunroom!
Petunias are at the top of the stone steps.
I love petunias, so fragile looking but so tough; they work hard all summer long.
I love petunias, so fragile looking but so tough; they work hard all summer long.
And take a peek below. Can you see the babies? Not red yet!
I'm betting on fresh homegrown tomatoes for the Fourth of July. Any takers?
I'm betting on fresh homegrown tomatoes for the Fourth of July. Any takers?
Inside, where it is mercifully dry, we have a single red rose hiding in a sea of pink Peruvian lilies. That rose is from Mother's Day, a gift from the restaurant where we had brunch. How romantic. :-)
Happy Outdoor Wednesday!
Visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer to see what's sprouting in other gardens.
Visit Susan at A Southern Daydreamer to see what's sprouting in other gardens.
Thanks for stopping by! -- Cass
I love your old house!! And your yard is so pretty too. We have had rain here for the past few days. I am ready for the sunshine. Have a nice evening! Love & blessings from NC!
ReplyDeleteCass, your yard looks enchanted. I love all of the stone, and your flowers are so pretty. laurie
ReplyDeleteYou are about a week or two ahead of us, as our poppies are still hard, fuzzy buds.
ReplyDeleteThe Great Dane would like to have a word with Howard regarding his willingness to head to the back-of-beyond on your furniture forays - he's actually looking to assign blame for my lusting after a sort-of Welsh cupboard that I found today (and bought!) at a local junk shop. It's being delivered tomorrow, but by the time it arrives I'm sure we'll all be enthusiastic!
Cass, your poppies are fabulous! I love this type of fuzzy ones. Your gardens are lovely ... the terrace is welcoming.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week.
TTFN ~ Hugs, Marydon
I love poppies, I have a few oriental ones like yours. Beautiful. And the pink petunias look pretty in pink. Happy Outdoor Wed.
ReplyDeleteYou have a lovely rustic garden Cass ... very pretty and I love all that stone work!
ReplyDeleteWarmest Hugs,
Sandi @ Bearly Sane
I love seeing photos of your gardens Cass. They look like the have always been a part of the Old House.
ReplyDeleteyour plants and flowers look so happy.:p i wish we have some of that rain right now.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is beautiful and luv that photo of the orange poppies!
ReplyDelete-marie
I just love that lone red poppy! What a fighter with the rain!!
ReplyDeleteAnn
@
The Tattered Tassel
Beautiful shots, and such a beautiful house and yard. Love poppies.
ReplyDeleteHappy Rednesday.
Cass, the last few days have been SO wet and dreary here- I'm hoping the grass looks good after all this. That poppy reminded me so much of my gardens back in NY- I'm thinking a trip to the nursery is in order. And every time you post I tell Ray "I WANT a sunroom!" LOL
ReplyDeletexoxo Pattie
Cass,
ReplyDeleteThe poppies are wonderful. We have them back in Maine and we should be back in time to see them. Have a great week!
Carol
Love those poppies. Have a great day, Cass. Deb
ReplyDeleteThat is fantastic stone work, rockery and a retaining wall you have there. Agree petunias are hard working and a lovely plant to have I keep dead heading mine and they bloom non stop. The poppies are a wowza color mine are more flame orange not that brilliant hot color you have and you still have the rose from Mothers Day impressive really. Hope the sun comes out -- the rain here is ruining my flowers and rose bushes.
ReplyDeleteHappy Out door Wednesday,
Joanny
What a beautiful "Old House". Thank you for sharing it and your flowers with us. I have always been fan of the Oriental Poppie-they are great performers with such beautiful large blooms~~~~~~~~~~~Lisha
ReplyDeleteI love your oriental poppies! I hope to see more when it starts blooming fully! I adore your stone wall, patio, and sunroom area! It's so pretty!
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful. Your house and gardens are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks simply luscious Cass! My poppies haven't bloomed yet, and it's a miracle that they are there to bloom at all. When we first moved into our house, I thought the poppies were a huge thistle, so I had the shovel in there and was trying to dig it up when luckily my neighbor saw me and told me what it was, and we've enjoyed them ever since!
ReplyDeleteHappy REDnesday!
Carol
Thanks for sharing photos of your beautiful yard! I love Oriental poppies; my grandmother always had a huge bed of them at their old farm.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your pretty yard with us.
ReplyDeleteSwoonalicious! Actually, I like the poppy buds. Petunias are our WINTER flowers here in the desert. Thank you for that dreamy little tour.
ReplyDelete**blows kisses** Deb
I'm so happy everyone is showing their flowers - I love, love, love 'em!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poppy! I have a red/orange Turkenlouis and a pink Princess Victoria Louise. It will be weeks before I see these beauties!
Yes, you can't go wrong with petunias, and they bring the hummingbirds with them!
Love the Kiwifruit comment - they aren't the most beautiful of fruit. The flowers are looking lovely, and the remodelled kitchen is a major WOW.
ReplyDeleteHope your dear Dad is feeling brighter, please wish him a belated Happy Birthday from Michelle and Zebbycat down in Wellington, New Zealand.
I know what you mean about leaky roofs on old houses. Our house was built in 1913 and until we replaced the roof a few years ago, I used to look up at the ceiling every time it rained!
ReplyDeleteYour oriental poppy is just gorgeous! Happy Rednesday!!
Love,
Susan and Bentley
PS: How's your Dad feeling? Better I hope!
Wow, what a gorgeous old house you have, Cass.
ReplyDeleteHappy REDS~
What a lovely yard. Love the stone work. Your flowers are gorgeous. I love the shot of the fern!
ReplyDelete~ Tracy
Your yard is beautiful! Have a wonderful day Denise@cottagesisters
ReplyDeleteI've never been to NJ but I see now why it is called the Garden State-- Wow! I love poppies-- yours are such a vibrant red. Here in OK I mainly just see the pastel poppies and I've only grown the orange ones.
ReplyDeleteOoo, you already have a tomato-- never in a million years would I have imagined a Northern garden having tomatoes so early! Just love your garden, house and the whole shebang--I'm now following your blog for inspiration!
Thanks for visiting my blog.
:o)
Cass,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for dropping by and leaving your kind comments. Yes, you are right...Mother Nature has no sentimentality when it comes to preserved history...such a shame.
And oh, how I love your home! We built our "farmhouse" in 2002 and often get comments from strangers in town/subdivision neighbors..."Oh, that's your home with with wrap-around porch!" I love it! And I love that I have 2 little ones that spend their mornings and afternoons riding big wheels, two-wheelers with tricycles, and playing with side-walk chalk!
It appears (from your profile) and your header pic that you also have an attic above the 2nd story. We do as well and I am in the process of converting it from a guest bedroom to a shared nursery/big boy room for Baby #3 and big brother. That's another comment I often get..."is that another story up there?" Yup.
Thanks again for dropping by,
Valerie
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. Your home and gardens are lovely. That red stem is really a handle that you saw on my processor. LOL
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for stopping by! I agree, irises need to last much longer!
ReplyDeleteI just love your photos, your place is so beautiful. I love all the stonework. That poppy is just gorgeous and the petunias so pretty. Thanks for sharing!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI love your backyard. I like the tier effect. I used to have a similar backyard and I miss it. You have beautiful red poppies. I've tried time and time again to grow some but something eats away at them. Thanks for sharing and happy Rednesday.
Anne-Marie
Oh, I love poppies! Your house and gardens are so very lovely!
ReplyDeleteHappy Rednesday,
Sally
Gorgeous poppy~ it is wowzer red! Love the raindrops on it :-) Happy OW!
ReplyDeleteMary
So pretty. I have never seen the bud of a poppy before! We just replaced our roof, so we hope for no leaks too!
ReplyDeletehttp://spindlecottage.blogspot.com/
Hi Cass, Your garden is looking great. That vine we have is a trumpet vine from what I was told. It might grow in your arera. But might need to be brought in for the winter. Thanks for stopping by today. Have a good day...Julian
ReplyDeleteEverything looks so pretty. It has been soooo wet here for days. We had small break yesterday and Ken was able to mow but today AND tomorrow it's rain, rain, rain.
ReplyDeleteWe are trying to get ready for a garage sale on Saturday and the rain is not helping.
Take care.
Melinda
Beautiful bloms and captures.
ReplyDeleteWonderful outdoor!
Hi Cass! Stunning shots. My fav is the poppy in bloom. WOW!
ReplyDeleteHUGS!
Leigh
Cass,
ReplyDeleteYour garden is lovely! I just love how a garden looks after nice rain...we have had baseball sized hail here and my garden is trying to recover...Thanks for sharing your beautiful bloomers!
Miss Bloomers
Aren't flowers just amazing! Always love watching the buds unfurl and the surprise that waits inside.
ReplyDeleteDi
The Blue Ridge Gal
Hi Cass,
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are all beautiful, you have a lovely garden patio area. I just transplanted some poppies into my yard, we'll see how they take.
Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment!
Hugs, Cindy S