What A Difference A WEEK Makes...

In late spring and early summer, the yard is ever changing. Some flowers settle into their summer-long status after early blooms, and still others are just coming to life. Just a week after I posted the last group of pictures, I took photos of the following ...and am still enjoying their beauty.










The bright wild roses have come to life, and each morning, the rose bush looks completely different than the night before. Such fragrant blooms. Here are some new contributions to my backyard: Lavender irises that Sister Tracy donated to the yard last fall. This picture doesn't do them justice, but the contrast of the purple and yellow is gorgeous.

The peonies are popping out in the very back portion of my yard... and all over the neighborhood. It's fun to see the different varieties - in both colors and components. My pink varieties are in full bloom, but I'm considering asking my new neighbor if she would be willing to share a few small portions of hers. She has bright hot pink and deep wine/berry colored peonies that have now been transplanted in her sunny front yard. I need to move mine too, as they don't receive enough sun. And, Mr. Ant and all of his friends are working hard so that my white peonies will open soon.










I didn't purchase too many Impatiens this year. Just a few to plant in a few pots under the shade tree. And, as I had hoped, they are beginning to grow and fill in the pots nicely. My later-developing sage plants (two of the $1 bargains from last year) are now being enjoyed by the bees, and I'm excited to see how they look next to bright yellow lilies (also bargains) which are waiting to burst.










Even though the package promised quick results, I never expected the liatris bulbs to produce shoots so early. Here they are, emerging through the mulch. Same goes for most of the annual flower seeds that I planted...all showing growth in only a week. Just amazing. And with so much rain, I've had to water them only once. Hope to provide pictures of the seed results soon. Thankfully, after the false start, the Japanese Maple tree is well on its way to a full recovery, and the yard is accented nicely by its fiery red hue.

Each walk through the grass reminds me of the vastness of God's creativity and the blessings I've experienced because of it. To a discouraged heart, these are reminders of all that is possible through our loving Father... providing possibilities we cannot even begin to imagine. To a joyful heart, they are fireworks in the celebration of all that has been provided and all that is continually renewed. In the simplest creations, ones that are so often overlooked, we are given the gift to be able to sit quietly and reflect that indeed, 'My God, How Great Thou Art!'