What a difference a week makes

Yes, I know I have been a very bad blogger. I was out of town for 9 days playing opthalmology nurse. Not my area of expertise, but the patient (my mom :-) was satisfied with the care. When I got home, I was amazed at how the garden had blossomed while I was gone. These are the crape myrtles after I pruned them in February.

And this is them now. They will be full of magenta flowers all summer. The neighbors' tree appears to be doing well, too.


While I bemoan the lack of lilacs and peonies here, there is this amazing plant I never experienced in Wisconsin... wisteria. In two weeks, it goes from looking like this

to looking like this! It gets its leaves after it blooms, and will provide shade over the garden swing all summer (never mind that it's too hot to sit outside).

It has these incredible blooms that have a faint fragrance. I'm glad it blooms when it does so I can actually be outside to enjoy it.

And while the Azalea Trail was almost 3 weeks ago, ours are blooming now.

Another beautiful flowering plant that you won't find in Wisconsin.

On the knitting front, I made my first Itty-Bitty hat. I had seen the book on Sommer Designs and had to have it. This was just a trial run...can't wait to make some more!


Speaking having to have it, I saw this book at It's A Stitch yesterday, then promptly came home and ordered it from Amazon.