Not only has our spring weather been topsy turvy, with hot summer temperatures one weekend and rain, wind and snow the next, but life in general has been a roller coaster ride for us lately.
On May 6th my dear hubby was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance and diagnosed with pneumonia.
That day was the scariest of my life. He is on oxygen 24/7, so breathing is never easy for him.
He spent the next 5 days in the hospital before we were able to bring him home. Our oldest daughter came up from the city to stay with me, and what a blessing it was to have her cheerful presence to lift our spirits.
Our son and daughter #2 were in touch daily, as well as family and friends. We're so very grateful for all the tremendous support and prayers.
The nurses were wonderful - cheerful and caring. They took such good care of him. His day nurse was our own special angel, with the sweetest smile you could ever hope to see.
We're praising The Lord for his loving care.
Hubby is recovering his strength and feeling a little better each day.
Needless to say, blogging has taken a back seat these past few weeks.
Needless to say, blogging has taken a back seat these past few weeks.
Meanwhile, the garden is bursting with blooms!
Click on any of these photos to enlarge for a better view.
Click on any of these photos to enlarge for a better view.
Those 2 large lilacs are showing off their lovely flower clusters and permeating the air with their glorious scent.
There are still some tantalizing tulips providing bright spots of color.
Purples and pinks are looking lovely in the Lily Garden. 
Hannah and Jasmine were tiptoeing through the tulips, providing me with plenty of Kodak moments. Actually, they were chasing each other through the tulips and I had to shoo them out before they broke something.
These Angelique tulips are in the lower Rock Garden. The Johnny-jump-ups and yellow perennial Alyssum make pretty companions and are especially beautiful backlit by the afternoon sunlight.
I'm very excited to see 2 Poet's Daffodils/Narcissus poeticus blooming in the Rock Garden. I planted them in the fall of '08 and, to my disappointment, they didn't bloom last spring. Perhaps next year, with a little luck, there'll be quite a few more.
Another very exciting new plant is Spanish Blue Bells/Hyacinthoides hispanica, blooming beside that lovely yellow-flowered Lamium. Both were given to me last year by our niece.
These deep purple iris blooms never cease to amaze me.
The Spring Garden is overflowering with Bleeding Hearts, both pink and white, plus Arabis/Rockcress, Forget-me-nots and a few tulips. The Bleeding Hearts were knocked down by a hard frost on May 11th. They're looking a little sad but they'll recover and perk up after a while, although they won't be quite as perfect as they were before the frost.
In the Pink Garden those soft pink tulips are wowing me once again, accompanied by
Creeping Phlox, and purple-flowered Lamium.
I hope to post pictures of more blooms soon. There are quite a few more blooming plants but I didn't have time to photograph many of them today. My hubby is so happy to be home enjoying the gardens and our many feathered friends visiting the feeders each day, and I'm extremely thankful to have him here.
We saw our first hummingbird today! What a treat to have them back!
Be sure to visit Carol of May Dreams Gardens to see what's blooming in other mid-May gardens worldwide.
Happy Bloom Day everyone!
We saw our first hummingbird today! What a treat to have them back!
Be sure to visit Carol of May Dreams Gardens to see what's blooming in other mid-May gardens worldwide.
Happy Bloom Day everyone!
26 comments:
Dear Kerri,
What sad news. Good that he is recovering though. What a time you must have had. These violent fluctuations in temperature play havoc with precarious health. I am so glad that your family mamaged to gather round
What a joy that the garden was welcoming him home so beautifully. You're in my thoughts, with best wishes for a continued recovery for your husband and strength for yourself.
What a awful scare. I am glad to hear your hubby is feeling better. Your garden looks happy to have him home too. Love those tulips and lilacs. They just scream spring to me.
We are relieved to read that he is home and well and sad to read what you went through! The flowers and animals are the best therapy, as you know, except for his loved ones. I posted a bunch of flowers yesterday...not knowing it was a bloom day, but just so happy that my flowers have survived the tearing up the the driveway and the endless dust!
I am sorry to hear of your husband's health problems; the support from the family and the beauty around him will no doubt aid in his recovery!
Dear Kerri,
Please let Ross know that Bill and I have him in our thoughts and prayers.
I rarely comment on blogs anymore, but do follow (silently) a few dear friends. Your gardens, birds, and sweet kitties will no doubt comfort both of you as he regains his health.
Much love
xoxo
hi kerri, happy to hear your hubs is home and recovering! you are in my thoughts... i'm glad its spring and not winter... take care, hope you are getting rest too... beautiful photos... i haven't been well this spring and it seems so many flowers just blew by me. again, all the best to you and hubs!
Dear Kerri....you tulips are as perfect as usual, and that lovely narcissus is one I've not seen before. How pretty.
Beautiful as your garden always is at this time of year, I know the most welcome sight in your garden and home at the moment is your dear Ross.
I'm so pleased that he is home again .... even if he was reluctant to leave those lovely nurses .... and hope he continues to recover steadily and completely. You aren't spoiling him with breakfast in bed, are you?
Hugs and kisses, Ross...and a couple for Kerri too.
I can easily believe it was the scariest day for you and your children. I hope your husband recovers quickly with no ill effects.
Your gardens are always lovely. I've been admiring those Spanish bluebells on blogs and hope to add some to my garden this fall.
I've been looking at rockcress at the garden center. It looks beautiful in your garden.
Marnie
I'm so sorry to hear that your hubby has been so ill. I don't blame you for worrying, that's what I do! My dear hubby has heart disease, and we've been through many scary moments together including a triple bypass last summer at the tender age of 50. But this weekend, he ran in his first 5K, so we have much to be grateful for. I'm sure you will soon.
I love all the purples! You plan your colors well. That is something I need to work on.
Kerri, those cats are real hams!
I am so glad to hear that your hubby is doing much better. When a loved one is so ill it is truly a big scare for us. Your garden is looking lovely despite the topsy turvey weather that has been happening!
You asked about the Cl. Old Blush -- it is a repeat bloomer, although caterpillars and JBs take their toll during the summer. It generally has to wait until fall to have a real show again.
I was just admiring your beautiful garden photos again -- the golden light in them is always so lovely.
Kerri girl .. I know how that must have felt with your husband. My husband developed a pnemonia when he got back from his tour just after the first Gulf War .. the doctors had only read about this particular one in text books .. so many more health issues continued but that was the first dreadful event .. if I hadn't insisted that he be seen, well I don't even want to think what would have happened .. I made such a fuss at the local hospital until husband was evacuated to the large military hospital in Halifax ..it was so frightening .. I understand your situation all to well.
Best wished for a continued path back to health and happiness for your hubby and yourself : )
Now to something less stressful and happy ? LOL
Your gardens are looking gorgeous ! I love seeing your kitty kids in the pictures : )
The gardens and birds are truly wonderful therapy for you two to feel much better ! : )
Joy
I'm so sorry to hear about your husband being sick and pray he will have a fast and complete recovery. What a sweet daughter to come and stay with you.
Your flowers are wonderful Kerri. I recently got a dwarf campanula and am wondering if the deer like it. I have been having a terrible time trying to save my flowers this year. They even got into my Lovely clematis Paul II but at least I got a picture before they ate it.
I'll have to use more blood meal I guess. I have been using Irish Spring soap and it was working for a while but not anymore.
I pray your husband is doing much better soon.
Hugs!
Oh dear, so sorry! Hope he continues to mend.
Garden lovely as usual but - argh - those Spanish bluebells! I would dig them up right now and you'll still find them all over the garden in a couple of years. Mind you, this may matter more if you have a wee patch like mine rather than your rolling acres.
Oh Kerri - what an ordeal! I'm glad to hear your husband is home from the hospital. This post is a week old - so sure hope that by now he's starting to heal and feel a bit more like himself again and regains his strength day-by-day with his dear partner by his side.
With any luck you'll soon be getting requests for favorite dishes and home-baked goodies.
It sounds goofy, but the thing I remember most about having pneumonia is how much the physical weakness would set off fits of weeping... just lifting a glass of water was so difficult... so heavy... it was hard not to sink into immobility.
Is Ross near a window so he can see the beauty of your country garden in May? A click on the pretty purple iris photos showed me the clematis stems shooting up like a forest - ready for a big show in summer.
Hugs from Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Your garden is so beautiful, Kerri! Is always a pleasure seeing your flowers blooming. Love so much your gorgeous tulips.
Have a nice week ahead.
Best wishes, Sonia.
Pretty flowers! Seems your garden was so healthy. Wish I can have a healthy garden too. I'm been looking for interesting topic as this. Looking forward for your next post. Keep posting!
-pia-
Hi Kerri: I'm sorry that hubby and you had such a scare but grateful that he's home safely. Hopefully he's fully recovered now and you and he can relax a little. The gardens look fabulous despite the topsy turvy weather--we have had some of that too!
Hello,
Hope your hubby is feeling better, and gaining strength day by day. I love your garden pics.
Take care,
Suzanne
It looks beautiful in your garden.
You plan your colors well. That is something I need to work on.
Hi Kerri. I haven't been by in a while ~ Spring gets so busy. So sorry to hear about your husbands scare. I know exactly how terrifying that can be as my daughter spent 8 days in ICU because of double pneumonia (Swine Flu complication) last fall. It's nothing to take lightly for sure. I hope by now he is fully recovered (or well on the way). Your new bulbs (and old ones) look terrific. Hope your summer is carefree.
Kerri, I haven't stopped by for several weeks and was so sorry to hear your husband had been ill. I hope he's doing better day by day. Your garden is lovely, as always.
I just came upon your blog and I'd like to know what the purple flowers are in the picture of Oct. 2009 with the wheelbarrow in the picture. Love your poppies..did you grow them from seed or buy starter plants? I tried Wintersowing for the first time and had reasonably good success but will only use milk jugs in 2011 and will limit what and how many jugs I sow. It sure helped wile away the snowy month of Feb. we had(55 in. in one week) which is unusual snowfall for our area. Closed up most of the area. Sure was pretty coming down but getting it moved was a different story.
Betty, thanks for stopping by and saying hello. I'd love to answer your question about the purple flowers, but can't find a photo with a wheelbarrow in either of the Oct. '09 posts I did. Could you tell me exactly which post you found it in? I bought the poppies as plants. I wish I could reply to you directly but you didn't leave me a link or e-mail to contact you, so I hope you stop back to read my reply.
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