Besides reading and writing, one of the things I like to do is garden. We've been having a bit of a heat wave here and my flowers are all growing like crazy. I was so impressed with some of my pots I decided to take some pictures and show everyone. Now, I am not a very good photographer so these could probably be a lot better but here goes:

My husband the professional photographer would be horrified by the flare in the back there and I don't know what's going on with that blurry spot on the deck, but oh well. This sweet potato vine is growing like crazy. There's also million bells, petunias and verbena in there.

Another bad job with the flare of the sun off the white wall. One of my window boxes.

I LOVE how this pot turned out! I love how the brown spike, the bronze sweet potato vine and the bronze leaves of the begonias all go so well together. There's also a lime sweet potato vine and a geranium with lime green leaves. I don't even know the name of it, I bought it on a whim because it was pretty and different, and now it's HUGE.

This is my mandevilla.It loves the heat and is climbing high.

I love the weathered look of the terra cotta pot that has developed over the years. Just a simple gernium but it's so pretty.

I spent the last two days not writing or editing (which I should be - I'm working on edits for a book that's coming out in TWO WEEKS! Yikes!) but shopping for flowers and plants and playing outside in the yard. It was a really long winter this year, started early, ended late and was @#$* cold. But it looks like spring is here now.

I love choosing flowers and designing my container gardens. I mostly plant the same things every year but I'm always looking for something new and different. This year I found a bright yellow Dascia - gorgeous! I love oranges and yellows. And a beautiful Million Bells that's bright yellow with a red/orange center. I'll take pictures when everything's all planted.

I decided to dig a new flower bed along the long side of the yard, against the fence. Then I wrestled with giant hostas and lilies to divide them and move them to the new bed. That was hard work. So far it looks like they all survived. I also dug up and moved some Lamiastrum (spotted deadnettle) to the new bed. And I dug out a whole lot of dandelions from the lawn.

When I was done, I got out all the cushions and put them on the furniture on the deck, turned on the outdoor speaker for some music, poured myself a glass of wine and just sat there in the sun. My hands are blistered, my muscles hurt, my skin is sunburned...but I love it!