My Flower Garden

In May, the sight and fragrance of peonies fill the air of the walkway to my front porch. Although the joy is brief, we look forward every year to the blooming of the peonies.

All of the peony blooms pictured here are from bushes which have been in my family for at least a half century.

The white blooms are our favorites because they are the largest and the most fragrant:






Some of the blooms are smaller and of a different type. The following picture is slightly out of focus, but gives an idea as to what the pink blooms look like:



This year, we had fewer and smaller blooms. I must remember to feed and water the peony bushes this fall.

My Front Porch

As you enter the gate and walk on the flagstones leading to my front porch, you'll first notice a big planter. Every spring, I buy some annuals to fill the planter, which is at least years old and make of solid concrete. Talk about heavy! My aunt wanted to take the planter with her when she moved from this house, but the management at her apartment building said that it was too much weight for the balcony.

This year, I chose purple petunias:




On the northeast side of the above antique planter sits a rain gauge, a Christmas gift from Claudia. Isn't he a cute little fellow?



Ever since 9/11, I've made sure that a flag is hanging from my front porch, except in the most inclement weather. I've had to replace the flag three times, and the present one is getting pretty battered now. The flag is probably the first thing one notices about my front porch.

This picture was taken in the fall of 2006:




Once you climb the few steps to the porch, you'll notice Mo and Osama, both enjoying a life of leisure next to the Adirondack chair which sits under my dressing-room window:



Turn right to enter the front door. Look who welcomes you!



Muslims aren't fond of visiting my front porch. LOL.