Saturday, July 9, 2011

~HOLLYHOCKS and the OKLAHOMA SUMMER SUN~

 
 ~GORGEOUS HOLLYHOCKS~

I'm still working in my studio sprucing things up for the "Where Bloggers Create" Party that begins on the 15th of this month!  I'm excited about showing you some of the changes in my workplace!
 ~ARE YOU IN FOR THIS YEAR?~

Currently I'm face-deep in the makeover of two vintage Gathering Cases (Train Cases) and that is keeping me really busy!  They truly are my passion.  This year I've somehow managed to finish eight if my count is right.  With these two I'll be at ten for year!  Whew!
 ~CREATING WITH JOY~

Busy or not I just had to pop in to say hello this morning and give you a little peak at the flowers growing near my momma-in-laws Nebraska garden.  Nothing takes my breath away like Hollyhocks.  Especially bright pink ones!
~SIMPLY LOVELY~

I absolutely love this vintage flower!  Just after the last frost here in Oklahoma next year I plan on sowing some seeds in HOPES of growing this beautiful bloom in my backyard garden.  I'll need  to do some research on growing them beforehand though since I DO NOT HAVE A GREEN THUMB!
 ~TIMELESS BLOOMS~
 ~LOVING THE PINKS~
 ~OLD FASHIONED and ROMANTIC~
~LOVING THE SWEET FENCE, TOO!~

Nebraska got all our great dirt and top soil during the Oklahoma Dust-bowl!!! :(  That is why their farmland is dark, rich and fertile and ours in red and brown.
(That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!)
~PRETTY ROSES~

I was shocked to find Nebraska was so HOT this year.  You can tell by the photo of the roses above they are surely suffering from the heat!

Hope you are having an awesome summer day.  This morning my Mr. AGPMan and I are working in our overgrown garden.  It really looks like the PITS this year!  Soooo depressing.  I heard we hit 107 on Thursday.  WHAT???  The lemonade (Weight Watchers brand, thank you!) is already calling out my name!

Love to you...

17 comments:

Stacey said...

Hi Rebecca! Those hollyhocks are amazing. For a second I was going to be so jealous that you have those in the yard...till I realized they are in Nebraska. It's so hot! Stay inside and work on your train cases.

Ginger said...

Oh Rebecca I love hollyhocks and those are some beauties. I have tried growing them but haven't had much luck. Can't wait to see your work space makeover. Have a COOL weekend. Are you ready for fall, I am.
Hugs to you
Ginger

donna!ee said...

oh my, those hollyhocks are gorgeous. they are a very sturdy perennial. just make sure you bury them deep enough. they do well in clusters. and i trim mine back each fall and cover them with straw so they pop up again next year! blest be :)

Chatty Crone said...

I love looking at flowers - the weather around the whole world seems like it's crazy. We need rain too!

Cherished Treasures said...

Dear Sweet Rebecca,

I just love the bright pink - fuscia hollyhocks.

My grandmother didn't have many flowers in her yard, just a huge vegetable garden to tend to, but she did grow hollyhocks. Seems that in the old days in the south, when I was young ( LOL ), people would plant hollyhocks around there out-houses so guests would know where it was with out having to ask. Being a Cali. girl I bet you never heard that piece of trivia. ;0)

I think I might just hang a print of hollyhocks in my master bath just to remind me of those not so good ole days.

Have a blessed weekend.

Hugs, Carol

KatyDidStitches said...

Criminy Dutch, I'm So JEALOUS! (Jumps up and down and stamps feet.)

I don't have any Hollyhocks in my garden...not enough sun...but I do adore them! So old fashioned and sweet...and perfect for the slightly disheveled English-country-garden look that I love. The hubbin and I were out and about yesterday...and on the way home I saw two gorgeous spikes just growing by the side of the road! And I can't grow them to save my life. Phooey!

I'm headed out to garden right now...for some primping and deadheading and (hopefully) a blog photo. I've been complaining about the heat...but your 107 makes me feel like a wimp. Have some lemonade for me, OK?

Kathy

Nita Stacy said...

Hi! I've come over from Poofing the Pillows. She featured her favorite Oklahoma blogs and I was one along with you and I couldn't believe I've been missing out on you. So I just wanted to say hi and that I'm following you now and have added you to my blog roll. The hollyhocks are so pretty. There is a house not far from me that has a white picket fence and lots and lots of hollyhocks each year ...but not this year...the heat just burned them up. Everything in my yard is struggling this year. So happy I found you...

Marilyn said...

I LOVE hollyhocks-my lonely one is a double and barely grows before the bugs get it. And, hey! I thought the wind blew the dirt blew south so you and I have different stories. Here it just depends on where the storms come from as to which way it blows. The worst is in that circular pattern aka tornado! Hot here, too, but it seems to rain/sprinkle every afternoon and cools down for a bit. Have a great weekend. ♥♫

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Hello Rebecca
Your hollyhocks are so pretty. I planted some from seed in the spring but I doubt I'll see flowers, likely as it was so wet in June.
We're lucky, the temperature here has been mid 70's to low 80's without humidity, a perfect summer so far but we do need a good rain.
Judith

Heaven's Walk said...

I love your hollyhocks, Rebecca! They ARE so sweet and vintage looking. Debbie at houseatthelake grows some spectacular ones, too. She gave me some seed which I planted. I got nuthin'. :) Oh, well. I'll try again next spring....Until then, I'll just enjoy yours, my dear! ♥

xoxo laurie

Mariette's Back to Basics said...

Dearest Rebecca,

Hollyhocks are so lovely! Indeed, the heat is killing. We lost already several plants. Our roses are brain-dead... passing out totally. But we're all alive and it could be a lot worse.
Have a great Sunday!

Lots of love,

Mariette

The Polka Dot Closet said...

Your train cases are gorgeous!! We wait all year for gorgeous gardens and then in the blink of an eye they are over grown!

Carol

NanaDiana said...

Your train case is amazing! Beautiful and I can't believe you have done 10 of them this year (counting the 2 you are finishing). They are perfect! Your hollyhocks are gorgeous too. Ours won't bloom for about 3 to 4 weeks yet. We have such a short season here. xo Diana

Dawn Marie said...

My hollyhocks look amazing. I planted mine from seeds from a former client i had worked with. All I did was place the seeds in the ground and thats it. They are doing amazing. Dont be afraid to get some seeds from someone and just plant them.

Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...

Hi Rebecca,

I had a case like that. It was a light blue. I can think of several that were in the house while growing up. Wish I had them now.

The flowers are so pretty....as for heat...we have a heat index today of 97. We did have a few weeks of seasonal summer weather which is supposed to be in the 80's!

I'm working on an additional blog just for my creative works so yes, I'll be there for the party for the third year in a row. It's always fun to see everyone's creative spaces.

Thanks so much for visiting with me!

Pink Sparkles,
Stephanie Suzanne ♥

Julie Marie said...

Hi Rebecca... first off, thank you so much for checking on me!... I have been a little out of sorts, thought I had another kidney stone... yikes! None so far, but I was too tired to get a post together!... Love, love love the Hollyhocks!... the wind has whipped mine around so, but I still love them... they are one of my very favorite old~fashioned blooms too... did you make Hollyhock dolls when you were a little girl like I did? Your photos are gorgeous... there are some stunning ones around here where we walk, I need to post some of those too... wishing you a beautiful Sunday my sweet friend... xoxo Julie Marie

Cheryl said...

Rebecca, as an owner of one of your incredible train case creations, I just can't say enough about how much I love the piece. I have had it now for a couple of years, it sits on my guest room bed and I greet it each mornig with a smile.Thank you again for my little beauty!!! the recipients of these new cases you create will be so in love with theirs too - and so blessed to have one of your great works of art!
xxoo Cheryl

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