Yachter, That's a very pretty water garden. And a beautiful little waterlily. I love elephant ears and have some in my ponds and some in the ground. Thanks for sharing with us.

Thats very pretty, I love hearing the water run! you can just close your eyes and off to another world!
Oddie

yachter, thanks for posting that picture, I love water gardens, I have a small one, but it only has a lily in it right now, just starting to put out some leaves. Yours looks much much prettier than mine.

That is really pretty, and I know the sound would be so nice and relaxing. I need to try to do some kind of easy water feature for my patio.

Neighbor put one over next to our mutual fence, so I can sit on my bench at the side of my house and enjoy the sound from her fountain! ;o)

Luvs

I don't have a water garden, but the lilacs were blooming a couple of weeks ago...

The Iris are blooming now:

We took a drive a couple of weeks ago and saw:

Hi2all, where are you located? Looks like maybe the midwest? I really miss lilacs, I finally found one that is suited for Calif. temps, but it isn't big enough to bloom yet. I love your Iris, they are so pretty. And I assume that bison/buffalo is on some type of preserve, right? Picture looks like you were pretty close to it, or did you use a special camera lens? Good pics.

Got any neat dishes or tablesettings to share pics of too? Just hoping. ;o) Luvs

Luvs, I am in Oklahoma. The lilacs were especially pretty this year. Unfortunately the blooms didn't last very long due to some very high winds that kind of shattered them.

I dug up the original white iris from the middle of a pasture we used to own. It was all alone, one tiny plant not over six inches tall. No others anywhere around. The darker iris by itself is from a bed that was here thirty years ago. All my plants have been neglected the last few years, and I hope to take better care of them this summer and fall.

We were driving through a wildlife refuge when the buffalo sauntered by. No special lens; he was just that close to the car.

Thanks all, I love water gardens, we used to have Koi, but with boating we're gone too much to deal with them anymore. We only do plants now. I haven't done that pot in a few years, but we do have a boat in our front yard that is a water garden now, I have beautiful pictures of it all in bloom with water lilies & hyacinth & lost all the pics when my puter crashed this past winter.

Hi2all, those lilacs are gorgeous, I particularly love lilacs but looks like here in Illinois we won't have any this spring, the cold temps seem to have gotten all of them while in the budding stage!! Those white irises are very pretty too, ours are just now coming up, we're about 3 weeks behind you on blooms it seems!

I have some garage sale finds to post, but been so busy this weekend haven't had time to post them yet. The marina messed with us again this year, our boat was supposed to go in this weekend and they called & said their lift was not working & they needed to order a part, so DH was furious as this happened last year too, so I pulled together my own garage sale yesterday morning & had great success two days in a row!!

I'm exhausted though, so heading to bed.

Yachter, we will be looking forward to your garage sale finds. Hope you get a chance to post them tomorrow. You know that Murphy's law thing--guess it applies to boats too! Sorry, but you know it will work out okay eventually. Luvs

Great pictures, everyone. Yachter, love your little water garden, and hi2all, those lilacs are beautiful! Cool buffalo, too.

Yach you better post Monday Acquisition photos. I haven't bought anything to show this time, back a mess again and not able to do much except lay down or pace the floor. I need to see your pix. Wish I could have come to your garage sale!
Karen

Lee, Those lilacs are just beautiful and catching a pic of that butterfly is awesome. I don't have any lilacs, but I have iris and just love them. Mine started blooming about a month ago, but not as prolifically as yours yet. And imagine having a buffalo be that close to your car! That's special!

Yachter, I'm sorry yall didn't get your boat in the water this weekend. I guess we know where you'll be next weekend. And congrats on your successful garage sale. I have 3 little koi ponds and we've almost got our 4th (and last) large one ready for the liner to go in. You're right, they are time consuming, but for me there is no therapy better than sitting there relaxing with my water babies, especially when they come to me begging. And I'm looking forward to your garage sale finds this week. I bought one little set of flatware that I've been searching for a long time and the rest of my money went into mulch. LOL

Judith, You better get busy on that fish pond. DH is dragging his feet on mine again this year. LOL

This pic was taken in May 2006.

hi2all, beautiful photos! The buffalo looks like he is saying "what do you have for me?" LOL

Sandi, I love your pond and 2 waterfalls I am soooooooooooooooooooooo envious!!!!!

This was a great treat for the eyes. All the beau pics, flowers, water features, etc. And of course the Beasty! Not a dish to be found, but all good...we are, as they say, eclectic.....
And Yachter, you didn't sell anything you need for your tables did you????

Sandi, what a great place to sit and enjoy. Lots of hard work went into all that I'm sure, but so worth it, right?

Can't wait for Monday finds post. I need a shopping fix--even if it is not mine! LOL

Luvs

yachter, Love your potted water garden. Gives me an idea for using some of my large pots!

hi2all, those lilacs are sooo pretty. The one with the butterfly would make a nice background for the computer, as would the Iris. Good Job. Good close up of the buffalo too!

sandi, Such a pretty pond! I can see where it would be a special place to sit and 'daydream'! Really pretty.

I'll add a couple of pics to the "eye-candy" list....it was so clear the other day after a major windstorm passed through....this is the view from our little house on the bluff:
looking directly ahead:

this photo looks out on greater West Los Angeles. The street where all the tall buildings are is Santa Monica Blvd., with the 405 frwy angling in from the right side. The Getty is in the hills above to the left.

to the left (west):

In the foreground of this last picture is the airline hangar (scheduled to be renovated) where Howard Hughes built the Spruce Goose.....we live above the former Hughes Aircraft site, now part of the Playa Vista development. Marina del Rey and the beautiful Santa Monica Bay is beyond.

lorinscott_1, what a pretty place to live!! AND I bet lots of good shopping! :)

After I saw Lorinscott's beau pics from CA, I walked down and took these...so as the song goes, From CA to the NY Island..
.

And Yachter, this is our little marina I walk to..it is just for this community, so very reasonable..

Too early for boats to be in the water, in the next few weeks people will start.

Lorinscott, are you near Hidden Hills, CA. My childhood friend lives there..

Kathleen, no....I believe Hidden Hills is in the vallley, but not sure. If you follow the 405 frwy in my pic, it threads through the mtns to the right of the Getty Museum.....after you get through the hills, the other side is the San Fernando Valley.

Your pictures of the Atlantic are gorgeous....how lucky are you to live so close! I've always loved pictures I've seen of the windswept beaches there.

I really enjoyed looking at everyone's pictures.

Yachter, your water garden in the pot is very pretty. I like that idea. Sorry about your boat incident. Things like that are so aggravating. Having a garage sale is a great idea -- get rid of things so you will have room to put the things you find! I like how you think. lol

Karen, I'm so sorry your back is still giving you trouble. I hope you feel better soon.

Sandi, I love the picture of your pond. I can see why you enjoy them so much. It is very pretty.

Lori, your pictures are really neat. It's good to be able to put a real face on the Los Angeles we hear so much about.

Kathleen, I can not imagine walking to the end of the block and having such a marvelous view available. It is very pretty. I see why you like it there so much.

Thanks everyone.

Lorinscott, What a wonderful view from your home.

Kathleen, Your beach and marina is also wonderful. Both of you are very lucky to live in such beautiful places.

Karen, I realize my back will always be a problem, I also have good times & bad, hope yours get better soon.

Sandi, your pond is gorgeous, we had two outside & did away with one & only have plants in the other, just didn't have time anymore for taking care of fish. They are fun & relaxing if you have time.

Lori, I am so jealous of where you live, what a view and can't complain about the weather too much either!!

Kathleen, you already know how jealous I am of where you live too!!! Like paradise!

For anyone wanting to make a pot water garden, the pot with the rocks in it has a hose running up thru it with a small pump in the bottom of the pond, it has water trickling out thru the rocks. Also, use plant hangers to hold the pots around the outside of the large pot. Really easy to assemble.

If anyone is thinking about making a small water garden in a pot the small pumps are available at Harbor Freight for much better prices than places like the big box stores. I think I paid $5 each for my fountain pumps.