I slept most of today away as I was recovering from night shift, but I was able to spend a good three hours working outside.  Also, my parents are visiting for a few days so we had a lovely dinner in the front yard, built a poor man’s firepit, then had a soak in the hot tub.  What a great Sunday!

Our poor man’s fire pit built out of an old tire rim we found in the garden when we moved in.  I still want a grate and maybe some sort of surround.   It’s not pretty and not kid friendly but it will do the job for now:.  Any suggestions on how I can tart this up on a budget?

Some hens and chicks that I stuffed into a driftwood border:

A flowering stalk.

‘Upon maturity (usually around 3 to 4 years old) the plant will send up a single stalk that can reach 5-15 cm tall. The head of the stalk is a cluster of star-shaped flower buds 1-2 cm in diameter, which range in color from dark pink to yellow and that flower for several weeks. After blooming, the plant will die. Usually by this time it has produced many offsets (‘chicks’).’

What’s blooming in your garden this week?

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.