Favorite Things Friday 2011 edition

Before I get to my favorite thing today, I have to say, "GEAUX TIGERS"!!!!  LSU plays Texas A&M today and they need to win, win, win big!  The hubs bought us tickets and he went to the game but unfortunately, I was not able to go. He's in Dallas, TX (at the new stadium) with some friends of ours from Lafayette, LA.   I am sure they will have a blast and I am equally sure it has nothing to do with my pissy mood this morning.  (Okay, maybe a little but there's more to it that I won't bore you with like lack of sleep, a big decision looming, uncertainty in a few other areas of life all rolling together at once. - Oops, looked like I bored you with it but since I have, if you are the praying sort, I'm going to actually ask you to take a moment with God today to help center and guide me. And that's all I'm going to say about that. Thank you.)

On to a more fun topic, a positive one I'm hoping will help me shake this mood today, FAVORITE THINGS FRIDAY! The first for 2011.

Today's feature: Roses and lavender. And hydrangeas, and mums, and day lillies, and butterfly bushes!  How about "Flower Gardens." (Except lavender and roses are my favorite out of the bunch. lol)

All kinds, and colors of roses.

This is my favorite place to purchase roses for growing. Jackson and Perkins. I love their product and have never had a problem with them.

You see, when I first started working with roses (and then later other flowers), it was when the hubs deployed the first time and it was 3 plants out front.  From Lowe's. I came home one day to find my neighbor had left 2 more plants in front of the house.  Whether she thought it was too bare looking or being a soldier herself, thought it would help me along, I don't know but I never did get the chance to plant those babies.  I pruned them with the other 3 which were planted and they grew like crazy.  I was shamed into planting them the following spring figuring, if they survived an entire year in a plastic store pot, they earned the right to thrive.  I loved the hardiness and unfortunately, it became a test for too many plants such as chrysanthamums and day lillies.  

By the way, day lillies and mums... super hardy and prolific! Day lillies work beautifully as filler for rose bushes.  Mums are great for fall color.

When I land where I'm going this year (one last move for a while, phew) I will start another rose garden. I will add lavender (which I love but haven't tried to grow yet) and roses.

Day lillies and mums and I will find a place to grow hydrangeas.

My first experience with those also proved successful. 

 I will add butterfly bushes and other interesting flowers so I can continue to have beautiful visitors to my garden. (The two below are visitors I had at my last home in VA.)

And there you have it. Flowers and flower gardens. 

Ahh, between that and the coffee, I'm feeling better. Gardening flowers is therapy for me so even thinking about it can help, it seems.

Have a good day and check out other favorite things with a click of the button my side bar!

Cheers, Beck

(p.s. - all pictures except the butterflies are taken from various web photos)