It's Not Nice to Rhyme With Ice

Have all the poppies perished? 

Are the columbines soon to croak?

Winter became reality,

the icy forecast was no joke!

March 2nd ice accumulation at my entryway

Have the roses come to ruin?

Oh, the salvias look so bad!

Will they live to bloom another day,

when now they look so sad?

The catmint looks all crinkled

The spiraea lost its buds.

Will they have a second flush of growth,

or are they merely duds?

Triumphator Lily June 2013

Will the Triumphator lily rise again

to toot its lovely horn?

Or will this winter be its end

and leave me so forlorn

The day the icy precip fell

and temps began to drop ...

 The daffodils once stood tall and bright...

Ice Follies the day before the ice

...then froze and took a flop

The pansies and the kale in pots

I fear are finally toast.

No containers full of color this year

about which I can boast.

Colorful containers February 2013

 About right now the warmth of spring

would really hit the spot. 

I'm so ready for winter to cash it in;

I just hope my plants have not!

A few buds remain to comfort me

Maybe spring's about to start.

A little sign to bring some hope

for my winter-weary heart.

I wrote this poem to lift my spirits

after a winter filled with ice.

And even though the words may rhyme,

this winter's been all but nice! 

Take care...and stay warm!

Toni :-)

Noel Love

"Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
That hath made heaven and earth of nought,
And with his blood mankind has bought
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel" 
(The First Noel)

Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Toni :-) 

Pictures from my garden...

N - flagstone path

o - birdhouse

e - wall hanging iron scroll

L - flower pot carving

o - flower pot handle

v - arbor iron scroll

e - potting bench iron scroll

created using piZap

Twelve-Twelve-Twelve

Another date must be recognized

It's not something we can shelve

Month, day, and year the same once more

For today is Twelve-Twelve-Twelve

Last year had Eleven-Eleven-Eleven

and before that Ten-Ten-Ten

Repeats of other special dates

Centuries of years back when  

Since we don't have a 13th month

Next year this phenomenon is done

That is until 89 years from now

On January 1, 2101

To celebrate, we could plant dozens of bulbs
or maybe pull dozens of weeds
Or look through dozens of catalogs
and order up dozens of seeds

Or maybe it's time for a little N-P-K

time to spread some 12-12-12
But whatever we do to commemorate this day
In the dirt of our gardens let's delve

Happy Gardening this 12th day of December 2012  

Toni :-)

Waiting on Spring

The first daffodil of the season

brings a smile to my face

But also finds me wishing

that spring would pick up the pace

Yes, spring's the time we so long for

after winter's dormant state

Anticipation grows with each new day

I just hope it won't be late

Awaiting spring's arrival

the time just seems to creep

I'm waiting for perennials

that slept and crept.... to leap!

Bulbs that lie beneath the soil

are sending up some green

but blooms of blue and yellow, too

are waiting to be seen

Soon temps will rise and soil will warm

from shining rays of sun

this gardener will rejoice in spring

'cause the waiting will be done

 

By Toni @ Signature Gardens

Hoping your wait will be short...

Toni :-)

Eleven-Eleven-Eleven

A curious date on the calendar

Month, day, and year the same

Surely a date to remember

and one to warrant fame

A similar phenomenon occurred

One year ago it's been

October of last year

the date was Ten-Ten-Ten 

It's been 100 years

since this date has come to be

I wonder if anyone born back then

is still alive to see

The Great Blue Norther blew 

one century ago

With temps of record high that day

as well as record low

They say cesarean births will rise

and wedding bells will ring

I wonder what other milestones

this unique day will bring

The end of World War I

is recognized this day
We honor all our veterans
for the price they had to pay

So is there special significance

to this 11th of November?

Will 2011 be a year

that history will remember?

I hope wherever you garden

it's a little slice of heaven

Enjoy this momentous day

of Eleven-Eleven-Eleven

Happy 11-11-11...

Toni :-)

The Heat Goes On

Back when Sonny & Cher were HOT, they sang "The Beat Goes On."

I thought I'd rewrite their song and put a little summer 2011 Texas gardener spin on it...

The heat goes on, the heat goes on

Forecast keeps on calling for no rain

La de da de de, la de da de da

Gardening was once the rage, uh huh

Summer heat has turned the page, uh huh

Hot and dry's the current thing, uh huh

Xeriscaping is our newborn king, uh huh

And the heat goes on, the heat goes on

Forecast keeps on calling for no rain

la de da de de, la de da de da

A cloud or two would be a start, uh huh

The lack of rain just breaks my heart, uh huh

I'd love to march off to the garden stores

But temperatures have record-breaking scores

And the heat goes on, the heat goes on

Forecast keeps on calling for no rain

La de da de de, la de da de da

Gardeners sit in chairs and reminisce

Back to days that weren't as hot as this

Temps keep rising faster all the time

I still cry, "Hey Mercury, do you have to climb!?"

And the heat goes on, the heat goes on

Forecast keeps on calling for no rain

La de da de de, la de da de da
And the heat goes on
Yes, the heat goes on
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on, on, on...
The heat goes on
And the heat goes on

By Toni @ Signature Gardens

Sonny & Cher sang, "Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain."  I think the heat has done something to mine!    And the heat goes on...stay cool, y'all!

La de da de de, la de da de da...

Toni :-)

The Sound of a Texas Summer

Ah, the sound of a Texas summer

when the cicadas start to singin'

The cacophony of buzzing

just sets your ears a ringin'

When the skeeters start to biting

and the temps begin to swelter

I have no choice but to endure

or just go seek some shelter!

We look forward to our summers

when we can live with ease

Though one request that we would have...

is just a little breeze :-)

The phlox have started drooping...

The hydrangeas are a sagging :-(

With plants that look as sad as that,

I must curtail my bragging!

Yet still I see some hopeful blooms

as I look among my flowers

They defy the triple digits

and laugh at lack of showers

In winter we wish for spring

In summer we long for fall

But any time that we can garden

is our favorite season of all

(by Toni @ Signature Gardens)

Happy Summer!

Y'all stay cool now, ya hear ...

Toni :-)

When a Garden Blogger Gets Busy

When a garden blogger gets busy

She has no time for posting

For landscapes need completing

before temperatures start to roasting

There's plans that need a drawing

and plants to go in ground

But time for garden blogging

just never can be found

Seems scores of other projects

keep getting in her way
May 15th even passed her by,
the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

There's dirt beneath her nails

as the sun shines long and bright

Yet she longs to blog again

when time is not so tight

So pictures are in waiting

and info is on hold

Just hoping that her following

does not grow dry and cold

Remember...
a day without dirt under your nails is like a day without sunshine :-)

Until I blog again...

Toni :-)

Long-Awaited Spring

March 20th marks the date

for the long-awaited season

when gardeners smile again

for many a good reason

The days are getting longer,

just what a gardener needs

It's time to do some diggin'

and time to plant some seeds

The grass is growing greener

The leaves and buds have burst

To get another freeze right now

would surely be the worst

So gone are winter's blues and cold

We're sending sadness flinging

Just feel the warmth of springtime's sun

And hear the songbirds singing

We'll enjoy every gardening minute

when there's dirt beneath our nails

There's nothing else we'd rather do,

for in comparison all else pales

(by Toni @ Signature Gardens)

Happy First Day of Spring!

Remember...

 a day without dirt under your nails

is like a day without sunshine

Toni :-)

What's Bloomin' - January 2011

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

So I'm off to find a bloom

I wonder if I'll find some posies

Or only winter's gloom

As I walked throughout my garden

There was not a bloom in sight

What's left for a garden blogger

when faced with, oh, such plight?

Just then I saw a bud

Guess that will have to do

And then I saw some berries

Why, yes, I'll take those too!

So I came inside to look

For a bloom that I might mention

And saw my African violet

Just vying for my attention

This violet belonged to my grandmother

who has long since passed away

So today I'll honor her violet

which brightens my winter day

To carry on what she started

so many years ago

I've rooted this little cutting

Oh, I hope that it will grow!

To see what's blooming in other parts of the world, visit May Dreams Gardens

Until next time,

Enjoy what's bloomin'...outside or in

Toni :-)