Summer On Honeymoon Island

I took this photo some years back....

 typical scenery, weekends

on Honeymoon Island.

Definitely need shade....the sun is so hot

and temps reaching into the 90s.

I love watching families.....they bring

all the necessities for the day.  Coolers,

umbrellas, beach towels, lawn chairs....and 

the list goes on.

I hope your having a wonderful summer.  Dee Dee

Birthday Pink Hydrangea

We share the love for flowers,

my youngest daughter and I.  Her 

garden is home to a variety of

beautiful flowering plants.

One of our favorites is the

"Hydrangea".

She presented me with a 

beautiful pink hydrangea on 

my birthday.

Every angle seen with my

camera lens, proved it 

exquisite beyond words.

I hope you've had a blessed

Lord's day.....Dee Dee

click on images to enlarge

Crape Myrtles In Full Bloom

Every year these are the first 

Crape Mrytle shrubs to bloom

and the most impressive.  The color is

amazing.....

I'm never disappointed with nature.....

love these giant clusters of pink.

The crape myrtles go dormant in the 

winter...appearing as sticks.  Come

spring they begin their transformation.

Glad you stopped by....

have a blessed day. Dee Dee

Summer Garden Images

We couldn't be more pleased with how things

are looking in our tropical garden.  The colors

blend so well....multi-colored crotons we planted

three years ago are thriving in one of our larger

pots. The smaller variety of palms are reaching

unexpected heights, towering over the pool. 

We accomplished all we wanted to do in the 

garden....new plants, trimmings and fertilizing,

just in time for the high summer temperatures.

Now, we sit back and enjoy summertime.

Sweet blessings for all.....Dee Dee

Summer Garden

Delicate snow bush leaves.....

Towering over the snow bushes 

are palm trees.....so pretty.

My pride and joy....pink hibiscus. I was

afraid we had lost this "fountain hibiscus"

tree.  The spring rains and a good flowering

fertilizer has brought it back.

All is doing well in the garden, promising

good photos here on my blog all summer long.

Have a sweet ole' day....Dee Dee

click on images to enlarge

Pink Peace Lily

This is the third year the 

"Peace Lily"

 has been on our back porch.

The lily is in a smaller pot

and then placed in a very

large porcelain pot.

I discovered long ago

the conditions for growing

require a lot of water.....

almost swamp-like conditions.

The planting style, along with

hot, humid tropical Florida weather

and a good fertilizer,

produces blooms all year long.

More so in the summer as you

can see here.

I'm glad you stopped by....

have a blessed day. Dee Dee

Lavender Crape Myrtles

Our tropical garden is lush this time

of year.  We have rain often and the

plants respond by growing.

My favorite crape myrtle tree is now

blooming....covered with gorgeous

massive blooms.

I for one stand in awe of their beauty,

again amazed by the One who 

created them.

Have a blessed Lord's day, everyone.  Dee Dee

*Note: always click on images to expand

Four O'Clocks

Tucked inside a 

Christmas package,

a small packet of 

Four O'clock seeds 

from the

 Farmer's Museum in

Cooperstown New York.

I could hardly wait 

for spring

to plant them.

Five little seeds were 

placed in the

ground, watered and 

watched daily.

Finally one little plant

 poked through the soil 

and I was thrilled

beyond words.

Sweet blooms 

have covered the plant

and promise of seeds for

next spring are

inevitable......sigh.

Have a blessed day....Dee Dee

Hydrangea

Family friends living in north Florida

have beautiful hydrangea growing on

their property.  

The hydrangea colors vary, depending

on elements found in the soil.

Hydrangea dried, can be used in flower

arranging.  It is the plant in the garden 

that life continues on after death.

Enjoying the summer.....Dee Dee

Crape Myrtle Shrubs

We have 

crape myrtle shrubs 

and

crape myrtle trees in our 

cottage garden.

 They grow

throughout the south and 

are found in

most landscapes here in

our part of Florida.

Thankfully, the blooms last

 throughout the summer.

Seen here are the first of our 

crape myrtle shrubs to

 bloom this year.

Have a blessed day.....Dee Dee

Hibiscus

Hibiscus

 are right at home 

in the Florida

 sunshine and heat. 

 Today the thermometer 

is showing

90 degrees ....sweltering, 

you might say.

Have a beautiful summer day.....Dee Dee

A Kind Deed

I took this photo a few years back.  

It's

still one of my favorites,

 taken in the fall.

It was during that time,

 a generous

 man of good fortune donated 

a good sum of money

to refurbish the island. 

 He hauled in white

sand, planted sea oats and

 palm trees.

 One might say he completely

 transformed the

beaches. 

 I'm quite sure he enjoyed his 

efforts for a while.....

but then 

nature had it's 

a way of re-designing the land.

Erosion 

washed away the white sand, the

sea oats and palm trees he had planted.

Whenever I come across

this photo.....I pause for a few

moments and think of the

good man who did a 

kind deed for all

who enjoy Honeymoon Island.

Have a blessed day....Dee Dee

Mockingbird Music In The Air

Honeymoon Island

 is a ten minute drive from

our home in Florida.  

Left to it's natural state,

it is a safe haven for

 man and animal. 

On this day, there was 

music 

in the 

air provided by

one beautiful Mockingbird

....Florida's state bird. 

Images seen here were taken 

last week.

Rains have brought nourishment

 to the island,

and all is beautiful as seen through

 my camera lens

......palm trees, wild berries and sea grapes

cover the island.

"Wake up in the morning to the Mockingbird shrill......"

Sea grapes' growing along side

the  Gulf of Mexico. 

It takes little imagination to feel 

the coastal breezes

 and hear 

the waves

splashing against the shore.

Have a blessed Sunday.....Dee Dee

Garden

I love when a plant re-seeds itself.

I have Periwinkle and Zinnia plants

growing, having made their way up

through good rich soil.  I've sprinkled

them with water daily and used a 

good bloom enhancer fertilizer to 

encourage growth.

Will post when the blooming begins.

Have a blessed day....Dee Dee