Winter in the garden, and giveaway winner

Winter in Sunsplash Gardens...it's green, and brown, and white...and just to clarify, the tulips in my last post are from a previous spring...it's still very much winter here in the heartland.

 Lamium

 Callicarpa (Purple Beautyberry)

 A larkspur seedling

 Primula

 Rosemary

Conifers, yucca, stones, and snow 

 Under the snow, the grass is still green.

Also seen in the garden: raccoon tracks 

 Just to show you, the cat and dog are getting along. Gracie sits beside me on the couch while little Josey sits on my lap.

 Another shot of Gracie, my Ragdoll cat

Also, I was the lucky winner of Diann's giveaway at The Thrifty Groove. I received this Kroger giftcard! Thanks, Diann!

Diann sent a note written on this pretty stationery too. Be sure to visit Diann; she has a lovely blog that tells you how to live well on a budget.

I hope you will stop by here Friday, where I'm participating in the Grow Your Blog party at 2 Bags Full.

Tea and tulips

Oh, how I long for spring! Spring is about rebirth, warmer days, April showers, May flowers, and Tulip Time.

 The orioles arrive.

 Iris bloom.

It's prime time for garden center shopping.

 And it's Tulip Time in Pella!

This is a celebration of tulips and Dutch culture.

 A favorite photo, taken at the Historical Village

A lovely combination of hostas and tulips 

 I found some beautiful teapots in the gift shop at the Historical Village. I ended up taking this one home.

 Green tea labeled for persons who speak Dutch, found at a bakery

 Also at the bakery

Wouldn't one of these be awesome with a cuppa?

 My blue and white teapot in its new home, ready for use

I set my tea table with the teacup and cream and sugar that my grandmother received from a nephew who visited The Netherlands.

 Dutch windmill cookies, a crispy cookie with a spicy taste I cannot identify, perhaps a little ginger?

I hope spring comes soon! I'm looking forward to tulips, orioles, all kinds of flowers, and Tulip Time. In the meantime, I can always enjoy a cup of tea in a pretty teacup.

Linking to Tuesday Cuppa Tea, A Return to Loveliness, Tea Time Tuesday, and Friends Sharing Tea

Sunlit Sunday, after the December blizzard

I'm joining Karen at My Little Home and Garden for Sunlit Sunday.
I like this photo so much that it's the wallpaper on my laptop. Love the shadows in the snow.

Join me Monday for a much springier, tea-related post.

The day 500 people walked through my garden

Sunsplash Gardens, the place where I reside and garden, is a source of joy and pride. I was delighted to be a part of the Polk County Master Gardeners' 2011 Garden Tour. Over 500 people viewed my garden that day.

Here's some of what they saw.

They saw Beth and Ron, Master Gardeners - not dressed like this, of course!


They saw a little garden art:

 My son built this bench for me; it's modeled after Tootsie's.

They saw outdoor tablescaping:

They saw raised beds:

The foxes were NOT there on tour day.  lol

They saw vegetables:

They saw a demonstration on composting:

and, of course, they saw FLOWERS!

 Supertunia 'Vista Bubblegum'

 Lambs' ears

 Rose 'Double Delight'

 Clematis 'Niobe' (I think)

 Dianthus

Achillea 'Paprika'

 Hemerocallis 'Frans Hals'

 Cleome

Rudbeckia 'Indian Summer,' a re-seeding annual 

If they were lucky, they saw a butterfly on the Verbena bonariensis.

It was a fulfilling, deeply gratifying day: the day 500 people walked through my garden.*

* by the way, the garden has expanded and is even better now!

Linking with Fertilizer Friday, Open House, and Home and Garden Thursday