Tuesday 13 June 2023

Rainbow House, Garden Blooms, Cardinal Couple

I showed you Mr. and Mrs. American Goldfinch- here are Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal. Not a great photo but it isn't often they are this close together. They are around a lot so I think nesting nearby. 

My arms are a little tired typing. We trimmed low hanging branches up and down the laneway and it was my job to gather them from the ground and take to various big piles around the property. I used the wheelbarrow and my arms got a bit of a workout which is good for them. Much more of this to be done. I couldn't resist taking a few photos of the garden growth.
Gardening is very rewarding.

I especially enjoy seeing the flowering bushes I've planted come to life each summer.
 It's also fun to have another house finished for the Rainbow Neighbourhood QAL
This one looks summery to me and I used Kona Carnation fabric for a few of the sections. 
Up close I loved the shade which is hard to capture in a photo. It's between pink and peach to my eye. Joann's has it on sale right now I noticed (not affiliated).  I wonder where else I can use it, perhaps the Monarch project. Speaking of which, I've started drawing and cutting the freezer paper templates for that project. Can't wait to get it started as I love applique. But first I have to decide about borders/sashings for the Rainbow houses. That's up next.  I have a few ideas.

I very much enjoyed a family birthday get together on the weekend. It was good to get out the nicer things, enjoy Chinese food which we hadn't had for a long time and especially to have a few laughs together. 
I hope your week is going great. 







15 comments :

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

The cardinals are such beautiful birds! Your garden is looking lush and green, too, Jocelyn. I love that peach house! Pretty quilt block for it, and combination of prints and solids as well. Are you getting close to the total number of houses you want to make?

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I was trimming some branches last week - it is a lot of work to get the clean up done

Michele McLaughlin said...

Instant gratification in the garden! So delightful to see your blooms! I love your bird photos but I noticed how difficult it is to get my cardinals in a shot when they are together or my catbirds (although they all sure loving calling to each other). I love your house! That coral color is lovely! Looks a bit like sherbert! Have a wonderful day Jocelyn!

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

And I thought I loved the red!!! I love this one too! Very pretty!

Jenny said...

The bird photo is beautiful, well done. You have been busy wheeling that wheelbarrow around, no wonder your arms are fired. I'm sure the family festivities were a great pick-me-up.

Brian's Home Blog said...

The Cardinal couple sure are cute and your flowers are looking so pretty!

PaintedThread said...

Mr and Mrs Cardinal almost look like a painting! Beautiful flowers all around. I like your peachy house.

Jenn Jilks said...

It is wonderful seeing all the seasonal colours. So joyful a time of year. Time to expand, and breathe, and appreciate it all.
That said, we've lovely rain, but I ought to clean the eaves, as it is overflowing. sigh

Cheree @ The Morning Latte said...

Love the colors and fabrics in that house!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Amazing to manage to get a photo of the cardinal couple. We hear them in the trees behind our building but rarely see one.
Enjoyed seeing your garden blooms too!

Jackie said...

What a pretty couple. I never realized the difference in colour between male and female cardinals.

You have a lovely garden.

God bless.

Cathy said...

I love your garden photos, they make me miss Canada at this time of year (we recently moved to Chile and it’s late fall here right now). I was so happy to see your email show up in my inbox again, they stopped coming in April. I’ve been searching your blog every few weeks so that I could see your quilts developing, but it’s so much more convenient that it just “popped” in today. Have a great week!

Karrin Hurd said...

Beautiful pictures of the cardinals and your yard!

Linda said...

Aren't birds wonderful! We still have barn swallows under our patio. We watched the last family all learn to fly, and apparently another mother has moved in to the nest, we assume to hatch eggs but we haven't climbed up to check. Guess word gets around! I love your peach summer house. Your garden is glorious, Jocelyn! I love seeing photos of how it is thriving. Gosh Chinese food sounds good - we haven't had it in months!

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

What a beautiful garden!! so green and colorful!