I Did It Again...

April is this blog's anniversary month.

And, I almost let it slip by, again.

With all that went on last year,

it slipped right by.

But, I'm catching it this year,

just in time.

Seven years.

This all started in April, of 2009.

There has been progress, along the way.

I wanted this to be a garden journal.

It has been more.

I've talked about travel, and family, and friends.

I've met some really great people,

both online, and in person.

I've learned so much from those people.

I've "walked" through their gardens, 

and taken them through mine.

So far, it's been a fun journey.

And, I hope it keeps on going.

So...here's to anniversary number seven.

Thank you for taking the journey with me.

Now....back to more clean-up.

(Yes...it's still going on.)

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

November 24, 1965....

November 24th. 1965 was a Wednesday.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

That's the day we vowed to love and to cherish one another.

Next day, we flew off to Florida,

to have Thanksgiving dinner with Mr. P's brother and sister-in-law,

and then Friday, we left on our first cruise together.

A three day cruise to Nassau.

This year, we celebrated our 50 years on a 15 day cruise to Hawaii.

There will be more years and more cruises.

*****

Happy Anniversary to my best friend and my love.

Today we celebrate our first 50 years.

Now onto the next 50.

Life is Good...

~~Linda~~

Catching Up....

Wow!  May, already.

Time flies....well..when you're busy.

This year, my Blog anniversary fell on Easter.

And, you didn't hear a peep....har, har...

This is anniversary #5!

I have to say, I'm impressed that I've kept this up this long.

Things have changed here, over the years.

I'll do an update sometime soon.  Been too busy with MORE

clean-up.  This year seems worse than ever.

Blogging has let me meet so many nice people...online and in person.

Some of the Austin garden bloggers, got together recently for a preview tour

of the Travis County Master Gardeners' 

Inside Austin Garden Tour.

(Thanks Pam Penick, for the group photo)

Without blogging, I would never have met all these great people.

I've learned a lot, from the bloggers I've met.

About gardening in Central Texas, photography, and just life in general.

So, I'll keep on reading.

And, try to keep up with posting.

Thanks to all of you who have welcomed me into your blogs.

You're welcome here, any time.

So, here's to more years of blogging.

Now...I need to get out there and do more clean-up.

Have a great weekend...

~~Linda~~

It Blew Right By.....

  

The fourth anniversary of 

Patchwork Garden,

that is.

FOUR YEARS!

And, I missed it.  We've been busy weeding, and raking and

weeding and raking some more.

Lots of things have changed around here, in four years.

This was the view out the kitchen window,

that I posted on the first blog post.

This view hasn't changed too much.

April 24, 2013

Other views have, though....more than once.

And, I've taken you along with me.

April 24, 2013

Projects have been finished...and, finished again.

One blog friend calls that

RE-gardening.

A perfect description.

April 24, 2013

You've listened to my whining...about weather, and drought and...

...of course, our sweet little deer. (ahem)

There have been some travels.

And, celebrations of family and friends.

Thanks to all of you, who have taken this journey with me.

I've learned a lot from you, and hope I've been able to impart some knowledge, as well.

I plan to have more things to share.

For now....it's back to the weeding and raking.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

How Time Flies....Anniversary # 3...

It's hard to believe.  

But, this blog was started Three Years Ago!

This was that first blog picture.

A few things have changed here.  Fences and new beds.

The front certainly looks different than three years ago.

We redid the Island bed.

And, built a driveway bed.  And, we have a new bed along the back of the house.

We have new places to sit and enjoy the view.

Gardening has been challenging.  We had a cold, cold DRY winter.

Followed by a hot, hot VERY DRY summer.

Then...thankfully...a wetter and milder winter.

The creeks and rivers are flowing again.

But, we're still not out of the woods.

We've had little rain for a couple weeks now.

The wildflowers and the butterflies are here again...gracing this beautiful place,

our little bit of heaven.

Here in the lovely spring, I still can find things to talk about and show you.

Sometimes, that surprises me.

Although, to those of you out there who know me....it's no surprise that I haven't run out of things to say.

So, thank you to all the bloggers out there, who visit and comment here.

It's an honor to have you drop by.

And, thank you for helping me make it to my third anniversary.

Here's hoping to get to number four.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

30 Day Challenge~~Thanksgiving~~Day 23...

Cat, at The Whimsical Gardener, has challenged us to a 30 Day Challenge of Thanksgiving.
A post a day, for 30 days, to celebrate the things we are thankful for, in our lives.

~~Day 23~~


Today...a day early...I'm thankful
to be married
to my best friend.

Corny, I know.
But, we really are friends.

And, we've been married since
November 24, 1965.

That's a long time...

So...

Happy Anniversary, Mr. P.
~~Linda~~

Two Years, Already?

View from kitchen window, 2009

Has it been two years, already?  I was searching local garden blogs, trying to learn what would work, here in the Hill Country.  Then, I decided I'd join in.

There wasn't much of a garden then.  I dug this strip along Elli's fence.

It's changed a bit since then.

The Rock Bed, and the Veggie Garden, then.

And, now.  All dug, and redug....planted and replanted. 

The Deer Grove hasn't changed much.

Not as green as last year.  We really need some rain.

The deer are still around.  This is an old picture.  The novelty of taking photos of them, has worn off.  We've come to a bit of an understanding, though.  I've figured out some things they really won't eat.  And, if I can protect things until they take root, they pretty much leave them alone.  The battle is keeping things in the ground long enough.  They pull up what they don't eat.

Willow is still here.  He's still Elli's kitty.  But, he thinks this is his house.

Some of the big changes, have been the Rio (rock drain) and the fence.  It really changed the side yard.  I can plant things deer love, and the rain drains a bit better.  Did I tell you, we really need rain?

Then, of course, there's Maggie....new family member/garden helper.  Garden 'helper' could be a bit of a stretch.

   I've learned a lot from other bloggers.  I hope some learned a little from me.  I know I've met a lot of really nice people, through blogging.

There have been many successes and failures, here at Patchwork Garden.

It's all coming together.  Gardens are constantly changing...as are the gardeners.  

It rained a bit last week....a whopping .08....which left this lovely, golden decoration from the Live Oaks, on the rain barrel.  That's the most rain we've had since October.  Didn't fill the barrel, though.

Did I tell you....we need rain!!

Maybe by the next anniversary for Patchwork Garden, there will have been a lot more...gentle, soaking...rain.

Wherever you are, I hope you're having some good gardening weather.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Wow...It's Been a Whole Year!!

My....time passes fast.  It's been a year ago today, that I posted my first blog post ever.

It was a busy year.  It's been a real learning experience.  Not just the blogging, but learning to garden here.  Gardening with very different challenges.  Different soil conditions....extreme weather conditions....and, of course, the challenges of the wildlife, here.

In all my years of gardening, I'd never had to deal with deer.  Now, that is a real challenge.

The veggie garden did pretty well, in late spring.  A sturdy fence and a bit of rain, helped a lot.

Then, the blast furnace of summer set in.  Record temperatures, during record number of over 100 degrees.....and, no rain for months.  That brought the challenge of just keeping things alive.

Then, finally, the rains came in the fall.  The creek was running for the first time, since we moved here.  And, things began to come back to life.

We made some changes here.  We put in a fence.  We put in a rock drain (The Rio).

And, oh yes, we added a family member.

We toured gardens, and learned a lot about what will grow here, and what won't.

We fought to keep things alive again, when the records cold temperatures hit.

We took a trip down memory lane, to National Parks we've visited.

We celebrated holidays and travel.

And, we mourned the loss of those we loved.

So, here we've come around full circe.  Back to spring again. 

There have been a lot of changes here at Patchwork Garden.  More beds to tend....more challenges to face.

I've met a lot of really nice gardeners, this year....both in their blogs, and in person.  Garden blogging has been a very good addition to my days.

So, I celebrate my first year, and hope to have a lot more to share, in the year to come.  I hope you'll drop by, and join me.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda...