Wednesday, May 1, 2013

a new hobby

In an effort to get all of my work accomplished in the garden, I have taken on a new hobby....
night gardening! 

My neighbors just laugh when they drive by and see me out with my shovel!  But for a gardener with 3 beans under 4, I have to find creative ways to get it done.  All I need now is a headlamp!  With warm temps for the last several days the garden is FINALLY waking up!


Our fairy and gnome house is now settled in the rock garden.









My Lamium and Lungwort are starting to spread and stretch between the rocks in the shade garden.



The Hellebores are blooming.


And the beans were able to paint their bird house.  My little man is a bird lover!  As he was painting he said, "Mom, the birds are gonna love this!"




Here is to the new garden season and all the beauty it brings!

  
It feels good to get back in the dirt!


32 comments:

  1. I love these delicate little blooms. Think it's fabulous that you're out there, after hours...too funny. The things Mom do for a little time to get certain things accomplished. The fairy/gnome condo is absolutely darling, and your #2 Bean is right - the birds ARE gonna love that house, because the paint job ROCKS!!! Happy May Day, Nicole...XOXO

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  2. look at all that green! I can't wait - we have a few green things; some chives, a few blades of grass, but we're still fairly brown around here. I am so excited for leaves and lilacs.
    I've been known to night garden too - but this far north the sun is up till midnight in summer so it's not particularly dark - and there's nothing like a little to help one get to sleep!
    Also - I adore the fairy/gnome house. I've been hatching ideas for one in my head for some time now to make one for Evening

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  3. I bet the birds will love there new home. Good luck with the night gardening.

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  4. such a lovely post-it would be cooler working the garden in the evening too-

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  5. Your little beans are adorable! I love the fairy/gnome house you made, it's looks great! xo

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  6. I laughed when I read that you're "night gardening" as well! My neighbour cuts his lawn with a ride on mower as it gets dark (using his headlight!). Sort of annoying really. Maybe the little guys can help you garden ... you know, before bedtime ;) Things are looking good in your flower beds ... love the gnome house! Wendy

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  7. Too funny! We did a summer of night gardening a few years ago! Our neighbors thought we were crazy:)
    Love your fairy gnome garden, very cute!!

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  8. Ha, yes--you HAVE to take advantage of that post bedtime period! I am still so in love with your gnome/fairy house :)

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  9. Yay! I'm so glad you were able to get out in the dirt! And night gardening ain't too bad. I've been known to go out with my flashlight to hunt slugs. :)
    The fairy house is too fun. Ours had seen its better days, so I took it apart early this spring, but have plans for a revamp one of these days.
    What's the plant blooming to the left of the gnome closeup picture?

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  10. Everything is so cute - the children, the gnome, the plants, and birdhouse.

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  11. Your shots of the little beans are priceless, especially that last one. I never had a daughter ( just a son) and I think I missed something. What a sweet little garden helper!
    I am amazed that you are able to do any gardening with two young children and a baby. I bet they keep you busy! Glad to see the garden start to come along. Hope your basement flooding is working itself out.

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  12. Ok, now I just want to go home and make a fairy garden! Too cute!!

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  13. That is awesome, I have a few head lamps for running, that would totally work in the garden! I love that you are doing night gardening! It is the only way to get things done with kids that close, I understand! Ummm your fairy and gnome house is so so cute! My kids would love to do one....I really should. So if I had a question on good hearty ground cover you would be the one to ask? I have an area in my front that my kids are quickly destroying because the like to walk on the rocks, but they seem to miss the rocks more than they are stepping on them and my plants are suffering!!! Any suggestions?

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  14. So very sweet! I love that you have included your darling children in the garden plans. The fairy house is precious, as are your little ones. xx

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  15. This all looks fun! I've gardened at night too.. Well, a strong wind blown down our corn stalks, so we had to stand them all back up at 1am! They kept growing though, and made corn! It was worth it in the end. :)

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  16. It is so much cooler at night to garden too and I'd tell my laughing neighbors that it is the best sunscreen!! Loved seeing your kids in the garden. It must be so nice for them to get out on a sunny day!

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  17. Your beans are totally making me smile!!! And I get the whole night gardening thing, lol. Whatever you're doing -it's working! Everything looks amazing!

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  18. Your children are adorable. I love the painted birdhouse! What fantastic memories the sight of that birdhouse will hold. And I love the gnome and fairy house, too.

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  19. I love your fairy and gnome house. We are in the process of putting together our fairy garden too. Can't wait to show you. Your beans are so cute xo

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  20. I just learned 3 new words/plants today - lamium, hellebort and lungwort. I must go to the nursery to see if I can find them and if they will grown in my sandy soil. I told you when we first met February that I would learn a lot from your about gardening.

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  21. Nicole, your beans are soooooo adorable! My little guy painted his first bird house a couple of weeks ago. He was so proud that he was making a pretty home for some birds. :)

    Have fun playing in the dirt! :D

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  22. Have you considered night vision goggles? Nice to see your kids engaged with you in the garden.

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  23. the little fairy house is absolutely adorable!

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  24. Awww such cute beans! We had three children under three and we had an interesting time gardening with them - fond memories of a hundred Crocus bulbs all planted upside-down and carrot seeds flying all over the place.... happy days...

    I have night-gardened for years - if you work long hours it's the only way.... have you tried one of those torches which attach to your head? I think we should invent an illuminated garden trowel.

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  25. Hey with little ones ,you gotta do whatever it takes! Glad your kids love to dig in the dirt with you. That fairy house is so cute! My sister is hinting for me to make her one. Warmer temps for next week!! Yippee! Can't wait to see what kind of bird takes up residency!
    Liz

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  26. Haha I love the night gardening! :) Also your garden is absolutely beautiful

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  27. It's beautiful Nicole! It cracks me up that you are now a nighttime gardener, though I totally understand. Most of my crafting is done after bedtime as well. Love the birdhouses they painted. At least yours is actually large enough to contain a bird. I had to break it to my kids that the ones they painted are more decorative and probably to small to house most birds.

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  28. Love the fairy gnome house! Makes me wish I still had littlies.
    Night gardening is great unless you have mosquitoes! Then it's awful!! x

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  29. Oh I just love the rock garden! Rocks are my favorite! I think your little one has more paint on her then the house!! The little gnomes are adorable!
    The place looks fabulous!

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  30. Night gardening is absolutely perfect. I plan to drag out a sleeping bag and spend the night in the garden this summer. I'm expecting to hear lots of things I wouldn't hear during the day. As for the adorable beans here is a book they might enjoy when they are older-Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce.

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  31. Your kids are cuties! My neighbors drive by and think I'm crazy in the DAY TIME when I'm outside doing all my work, lol. We also own several head lamps around here. The best thing I've put in my yard is a fence and two gates. My little ones can't open either one and I can go about my digging and not worry about them running away!

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  32. I love your fairy garden!! My niece is going to be 3 in July, do you think that's too young for a fairy garden bday present?
    Loving all th pics, friend!
    xoxo

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