Oriental Poppies

Oriental Poppies (Papaver orientale)

I have had a hard time growing these Oriental Poppies.  When people come and view my garden, they think these Oriental Poppies are thistles before they bloom. They will either pull them, before I have a chance to tell them they are a flower, or they will step on them.  I have been thinking about taking them out of my garden, because they look like weeds when they are not blooming.  I glad I didn't because I love the color this year.

Most Oriental poppies will reach a maximum height of about three feet while flowering. Unfortunately, their show is short-lived. Most of the time individual flowers last only a day or two.

Today is Mosaic Monday. Please check out the others here. Thanks to Mary at LittleRedHouse!

Baltimore Oriole's

 Female Baltimore Oriole

Male Baltimore Oriole

My dad made me this Oriole feeder.  I love it and so do the Oriole's.

Prairie Smoke

Prairie smoke, geum triflorum, is a common wild flower found in North America. Also known by the names old man's whiskers, purple or red avens or three-flowered avens.  It gets its name from the seed heads that have a smoky or wispy appearance.

I just love its danty flower.  The flower head is less than an inch long.

To learn more about this plant check out this great Minnesota Wildflower Website here.

Pasque Flower

Pasque Flower

pulsatilla hirsutissima

The pasque is the state flower of South Dakota. It is also called the May Day flower. It grows wild throughout the state, and its blooming is one of the first signs of spring in South Dakota.

The early blooming time of many Pulsatilla species gave rise to the common name. Pasque refers to the Paschal, or Easter , season.

It is a member of the Ranunculaceae family, which is Latin for little frog. The name was given to the family because a group of plants in this family grow where frogs live.

The Pasque flower grows low to the ground to keep out of the cold climate. It is also covered in fine silky hairs, which help insulate it. Silky hairs cover not only the leaves but also the stems and buds of Pasque flower.

Today is also Mosaic Monday. Please check out the others here. Thanks to Mary at Little Red House.

I hope to have more plants blooming later this week.

First Bloom - Daffodil

Here is my first bloom of the season.  To learn more about Daffodils check out this wonderful site from the American Daffodil Society.

I am linking up today with Jean over at Ms Green Thumb Jean for Bloomin Tuesday. Check out the other wonderful gardens here.

Eagles

It was windy and raining when I took these photos, but it is always fun the see the eagles!

Primitive Apothecary Jars

These are a new addition to my sewing room.  Check out A Diamond in the Stuff for the wonderful directions to make these. I used old 2 quart Ball jars and a recycled post from my remodeling project. I have old wooden spools in one, buttons in another and ripped rag balls in the last one.  My friend, Rose, helped me make them look more antique by adding some brown paint over the white paint.  I just love them!  Thank you Courtney, for the great directions.