Heart House flowers always have a progression of blooming, dying, then another round coming into bloom. This post will cover some of the early June flowers and a look around the yard. A few more critter photos are also in this post. Enjoy!

The iris and allium are done blooming but the peonies are just starting to hit their stride. We have three varieties/colors: deep red, pink, and white, all blooming at the same time.

Close up, deep red peony
White peony
Pink peony

Honeysuckle and tiger lilies are also in bloom.

Honeysuckle in corner of the garden
Tiger lilies under the oak trees

Grandpa Otts and hollyhocks are doing well; the hollyhocks and day lilies are budding out and will be among the next round of blooming flowers.

Various other tasks have kept us busy. Pam planted our newest spruce tree and cleaned out the patio building (annual job after cats use the space in the winter). She is relocating the rhubarb plants and generally keeping the flower beds clean and neat. I will add that the north bed looks excellent this year, probably the best it has since we have been here.

Cleaning out the catio
A portion of the north flower bed
Newest spruce tree planted this week

I have been working on the Gilson lawn tractor and ordering parts as needed. It has been a slow process and still no guarantee the resurrection will be successful.

Another task: cutting and stacking firewood created by the oak trimming project. The wood is now stacked up along the side of the catio.

Oak firewood to be given away

Keep in mind: These chunks are from branches of the old oak!

We did take a trip to eastern Iowa to drive by a few houses Pam had seen advertised for sale. Only one seemed worth the drive, a 5,000 square foot monster in Clinton, Iowa, but it needs more effort and money to repair than we want to take on at this point in our lives.

On the way home we stopped for gas at the Iowa 80 truck stop, billed as the “World’s Largest Truck Stop.” It was no great thrill.

Iowa 80 truck stop

As the last part of this post I am going to include a few cat photos. These seem to be popular with readers of this blog, so here you have Reese and Stirling.

Reese on top of the cat post.
Stirling on the back of the rocker

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

Taking a quick look at events in 1776: Thomas Jefferson spent most of the month of June 1776 in his Philadelphia [rented] room, drafting the Declaration of Independence. For inspiration, Jefferson used as reference various philosophical ideals of governance, as well as the new governing articles of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Undoubtedly, Jefferson realized the long-term historical importance of the document he was being asked to produce. Pressure!

Rock on.

Today’s Humor: