The Hawthorne Puppies.

Dixie and Junior. Best buds.

They don't know it yet, but Giada and Dogwood will be joining the clan soon.

Dogs And Flowers At The Hawthornes'.

I'm taking a slight break from my cooking posts to blog about the dogs and my flowers.

Here's little Junior, taking a nap in his favorite position. Hopefully, no one will barge through the front door while he's sleeping.

This is the mimosa tree in my back yard. I love the smell of the silky mimosa blossoms. If the wind is just right, I can be sitting on the deck and catch a whiff of this intoxicating, heady fragrance. I also have baby mimosas popping up all over my yard. If they're teeny tiny, as in inches tall, you can dig them up with a shovel, as long as you dig very deep. If they're several feet tall, you can still transplant them, but do NOT dig them up. They have a very long tap root which you will damage if you try to dig. What I do is grab the tree by both hands and very slowly and gently pull it straight up out of the ground. Transplant it immediately in your desired location and water, water, water. (If you don't transplant it after pulling up, it will last in a bucket of water for a few days.) Usually after transplanting, the mimosa goes into shock and all the leaves drop off. Don't worry. Keep watering. And in a few days, you'll see new growth.

Heh. Beau just doesn't seem to learn. Beau, you do NOT come over in Dixie's personal space, NOR do you touch her blanky.

Echinacea and Rudbeckia, otherwise known as Purple Cone Flower and Black Eyed Susan.

Every year, this is the first glad that blooms. I love the coral color.

Junior and Dixie, sharing a special moment.

The sunset the other night was quite lovely.

The pink is tall phlox, not the creeping variety, and it's very aromatic.

My sunflowers.

My zinnias which self-seeded from last year.

Random rose.

The purple plant is Setcreasea pallida "Purple Heart." It looks very similar to a Wandering Jew, but it has tiny pink blossoms on it. It's a perennial here. It dies back during the cold weather, but comes back every spring. I have it all over the garden and I easily propagate it by cuttings. The green plant behind it is my Mandevilla I planted last year. It's not supposed to be a perennial in this climate zone and I've never had one come back before. So Rosie's happy about this turn of events.

Pink blossom of the Purple Heart.

My gladiolus. Which is on its side.

These petunias all self-seeded in my planter at the front steps.

Pretty clouds.

Dixie and Junior sharing her pillow.

And here's Dixie doing what she loves best.

More Of The Hawthorne Doggies.

Junior loves Dixie to death, but Dixie does not share the sentiment. This is strange: Dixie is allowing Junior yet again on her pillow.

Awwwwwww, cuuuuuute. Junior's back feet are touching Dixie's tail.

Here's Dixie doing her favorite thing - swimming in her pool. Dixie having more fun in the pool. She likes to splash. More splashy. Middle and Youngest Hawthornes started scuffling out on the deck this morning. Beau thought his Daddy was in peril, so he immediately ran to the slider to bark and try to break through to rescue Middle Hawthorne. Thank goodness he didn't do his battle-cry, which is a thing of beauty. I'll have to video that for you some day because it's truly awesome. The pack mentality kicked in, so all the others started barking even though they had no idea what they were barking at or why. Just another day in the Hawthorne Household. Rosie is stressed. Is it 5 o'clock yet?