Old Fashioned but pretty Balsam

My mother always grew Balsam. I always thought the flowers were pretty plus it was fun “popping" the seed pods when they appeared. So, one of the first thing I planted was a packet of Balsam seeds. Planted them on the south side of the house and they grew great. Over time the trees started to give enough shade that I had to revamp the south side flower beds. So I moved the Balsam to the north side of the house. Lo and behold, they did even better there. Balsam are sallow rooted plants, and loved the relief of some shade during hot spells. I haven’t planted Balsam in years. It comes up abundantly every year on its own. Every spring I have enough seedlings that the whole town could have plants. Thank heavens they pull out very easy, being sallow rooted, even tho I hate destroying them. And after a couple of mowings they totally disappear from the lawn. I still think they are very pretty and no I don’t pop the seed pods anymore.

Some interesting facts about Balsam:

“Balsam is a Victorian garden favorite. It is a quick growing summer annual flower, with gardenia-like blooms. Continuous blooms grow on top of a bushy plant with glossy leaves. You will get blooms in about 60-70 days. Balsam is a member of the Impatiens family. Colors include shades of white, pink, rose, violet, and red. Balsam are native to Asia, North America, and South Africa.”

Read more here, http://www.gardenersnet.com/flower/balsam.htm

or here.

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/balsam/balsam-plant-information.htm

Seed pod photo from http://davesgarden.com/

Photos of my Balsam,

If you are ever looking for a different "annual", try Balsam. They will come back year after year.

Have a great Thursday,

Rose

Beautiful day in Iowa

What a beautiful day we had here in Iowa. The temperature was in the mid 80’s. Nice breeze. Loved being able to turn off the A.C. and air out this old house.  We actually turned it off last night before bedtime. I love sleeping with the windows open. Love the night noise that insect make. The wrens and robins greeting the day at 4:30 maybe not so much. But with the cool breeze coming in the window, getting back to sleep was easy. On our morning walk we almost needed a light jacket or long sleeves. Just made us walk faster to warm up. Rather nice after the last scorching days.

Here are some pictures from our morning walk on the trail.

This fellow decided to join us on the deck. He didn't move the whole time we drank our Doctor Peppers.

It was a wonderful, relaxing weekend. I hope yours was the same. 

Have a good week.

Rose

One heck of a hot day.

Boy is it hot.  100 degrees here in Iowa. I haven’t heard what the heat index is but I am thinking I am better off not knowing. It is one of those days when you feel sorry for those who have to work out in this heat. We are in a heat advisory until 8 pm tonight and again from 2pm to 8pm tomorrow. Here in our part of Iowa, we had 2 ½ of rain. The old rain barrel is overflowing. And the resident tree frog is loving the damp area under the deck. Gardens are flourishing. And the humidity is high. Good time to stay inside where it is cool. Hope you have air conditioning or at least fans.

If you need something to keep the little ones quiet on this hot day, check out this free product.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Free-Math-Fun-With-Robots-Sampler-Preschool-Kindergarten-Autism-1879338

Enjoy your weekend. Stay cool if you can.

Rose

Check out this Freebie for your little ones.

We are fast approaching the middle of July. Summer break from school is half over. In just six weeks summer vacation will be over and school will be starting. For some it is an exciting time. Most kids entering kindergarten think this day would never come. And then there are the kids who wish summer would never end. For a lot of parents it means lower daycare bills. I was very fortunate when my girls were little, I was a stay at home mom. As they got older, I opened Rose’s daycare. I have spent most of my adult life with little ones. There were fun times and not so fun times. I always had mixed feeling when school started. Glad for the house to get a little quieter but also sad to see them go back knowing I would miss them. Thanks to the insistence of my daughters, I have put  that experience (40+ years running a daycare/preschool) into creating products for Teachers Pay Teachers.


Here is a Free sample of one of my products.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-GET-READY-SET-GO-PRE-SCHOOL-WORKSHEET-SET-831132

Enjoy the rest of the summer.

Rose

Do You like Summer or Winter better? Why?

Here it is July 8. Getting close to the middle of the month. I am beginning to think my hubby is right. He says he likes winter better because life is slower. When he would say that, I would say are you crazy. Cold, snow, high heating bills. No way is that better. But as busy as this summer seems, I am starting to agree with him. Time seems to be flying towards winter. But even though it has been very busy, I love it. I love spending time with family and friends. I love sitting on the deck drinking Dr. Pepper. I love not having to worry about who we are going to get to plow out the driveway. I love not having to worry about winter roads. I love the beauty in my flower gardens. I love summer and warm weather.

       Here are a few random pictures from my corner of the world  this summer.

What do you love or hate about summer? Do you like winter or summer better?

Take care,

Rose