Weekly Winners: Bloomin' Beautiful!

These clematis are so pretty, I am considering taking out two climbing roses in favor of them. The roses are wonderful when they blossom, don't get me wrong, but that's only about a week.

I find myself asking "what have you done for me lately?"

I could add a few blue morning glorys and have a wall of blossoms all summer long! And no mildew or fungus or any of the other rose problems.

Think when I get back from this vacation, that'll be the plan!

These shots taken with my Canon Rebel XTI digital camera. Weekly Winners brought to you by Lotus at SarcasticMom.

Wordful Wednesday: The Gal with the Green Thumb

I think we established a long time ago that Aunt Julie is the Gal with the Green Thumb. Well, June is bustin' out all over right about now at her place.

"This is my newest baby," Julie Eliz enthuses. "It is a tree peony. The petals look just like crepe paper. They are about 8 inches across. Just beautiful!

"It's just finished blooming, and won't flower again until next year at this time," Julie says. "Bummer."

What isn't a bummer is those Topsy Turvy Tomatoes of hers. I saw them just the other day. They've got blooms already, so we'll see what happens when those crazy, upside-down things start to bear fruit. I promise to keep you updated.

Thanks so much to the winners of our POPrs Giveaway, and to everyone who stopped by yesterday to help me celebrate my First Blogoversary. Tons o' Fun, huh?

Today's post is brought to you by Angie and her Wordful Wednesday.

Wordful Wednesday: Topsy Turvy Tomatoes

I think we've already established the fact that my SIL, Aunt Julie, has a pretty green thumb. She had the kids out in the garden just a couple of weeks ago--digging, pulling, hauling, grading. The result? This lovely area for hanging her Topsy Turvy Tomatoes.

I did a speck of research on these amazing gizmos, and they've got a pretty interesting history. These upside-down planters are actually based on the original plans from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. According to Jill M. on eHow, these gardens were one of the original Seven Wonders of the World.

Topsy Turvy Tomatoes are also known by some as a Tomato Swingset, Tomato Gallows (I really like that one!) and a Wall of Tomatoes.

Hanging these babies upside down, apparently, solves lots of tomato-type problems, such as fruit rot and bugs. Julie Eliz has planted Big Boy, Better Boy, Big Beef and Roma varieties.

Will she have a better tomato harvest this season?

"We'll see, " she says. Ever the optimist!

For a look at the rest of the Wordful Wednesday Harvest, please visit Angie, OK?

Dirt Farmer

My Nana used to get down and dirty in her garden. When she was done, she was sometimes so filthy she'd have to hose off out by the well before she came in the house. I felt that way today!

Day #2 of "tidying up" before the end o' summer comes, and there still seems to be No. End. In. Sight! Finished up dividing and transplanting daylilies, and creating a new bed by the side of the house. Waiting for The Hubby to come home from work so that we can play Nuke the Honeysuckle. I do love that plant, but it's out of control this year. I think I'm gonna give him permission to wield the pick axe any way he wants--Damn the Torpedoes and Full Speed Ahead!

Feeling slightly anxious to get this done, 'cause school starts next week and then all Heck is gonna break loose. Which reminds me: Another Great Pop'rs Giveaway starts Friday! It's gonna have a Back-to-School Theme, and you're gonna love it!

One of the really good things to come out of all of this Daylily Surgery is that I moved a treasured plant that Aunt Julie gave me last spring. It's called Mary Todd; no relation to Big Bird or Stargazer, but another beauty just the same. I planted it right next to the Chicago Apache I got on sale today. Can't wait to see how that one blooms. I only wish I had the green thumb that Auntie J. has!

In the meantime, I must get my messy self back to gardening. Could someone please untangle the hose for me?

A Star Is Born

Here's another contestant for the Aunt Julie Lily of the Century Award. It's called a Stargazer Lily, and Auntie J. loves this flower for both its beauty and its scent. I think we should award Aunt Julie a prize for photography, too, don't you?

I have to say, Aunt Julie has the patience of a saint when it comes to using her Green Thumb! I just spent all day separating and transplanting day lilies--gardening defnitely is a Labor of Love!

About Best Friends and Families

The old saying, "Man's Best Friend" should be expanded to women and kids as well. Trouble and Moses, pictured above, are the beloved dogs of The Pop'r Family. They are the doggie sons of Aunt Julie and Uncle Lynn, the Pop'r King and Queen.

A funny story--"Elizabeth" has been a given name in Aunt Julie's family for generations. Most recently, Grandma Vera, Aunt Julie, and my oldest all have been christened with the middle name Elizabeth. Since Aunt Julie is the proud mama of four boys, she couldn't partake in this family tradition. She's taken to calling Trouble, her beloved 16-year-old Springer Spaniel (that's 112 in "dog years"), "Trouble Elizabeth" in his old age. Has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?

The Boys are nesting in Aunt Julie's fabulous flower garden. Auntie J. inherited her green thumb from Grandma Vera (we've already established that I have no green thumb, although my geraniums are doing so much better--thanks for asking!). As you recall, Julie also has a knack for baking pies--most recently, Blueberry and Strawberry Rhubarb. One more thing Aunt Julie learned from her mother--how to make quilts! But more on that later this week.

A PS From Veggie Mom: The newest edition of The Carnival of Family Life is posted now on All Rileyed Up. Today's Carnival features posts on everything a SAHM could possibly be interested in, from Education, to Cooking, to Crafts, to Travel, and beyond. Of course, Yours Truly's post on Aunt Julie's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is part of the Carnival. And, if you wish to take part in next week's Carnival, to be hosted by Suzanne over at Adventures in Daily Living, use this handy-dandy submission form.

A PS From Uncle Lynn: We're running our Second Pop'rs Giveaway ever, starting tomorrow! Stay tuned for details. Remember--the more the merrier. You, too, can be a winner!

Would You Like Geraniums With Your Coffee?

I've been round and round with four scraggly geranium plants I adopted after my Mom passed away. Dear Old Mom always had such a green thumb--I seem to have a decidedly brown one! When I was growing up, we had geraniums blooming--both inside and outside--all year long!

The Sad Sack plants I've been tending for a couple of years are part of the garden that my girls helped plant at Mom & Dad's house. We put four of Mom's geraniums in pots, and I've been overseeing them ever since. They seem to do the best in the summer, when it's hot & humid; in the winter, I'm lucky if I get a few green leaves and an occasional blossom out of them!

Part of my problem, I know, is that these Mediterranean-born plants are water-logged. They're outside on my deck for the summer, and we've been getting a lot of rain recently. My sister also told me that geraniums love to "feed"--in other words, I should do something about fertilizing them.

I'm a bit wary of commercial fertilizers, so my sis recommended coffee grounds. Does anyone out there in the Blogosphere know about this home remedy? I've taken all four of these pitiful plants, transplanted them together in a larger pot, and fertilized them with grounds from my kitchen counter percolator.

Please let me know if there's something else I should--or should not--be doing. It's been two days, and I'm already seeing new blossoms. Coffee & geraniums might be kissin' cousins--who knew?