I’ve always loved the beauty of blooms. When I’ve done the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop before, I’d post photos of my garden and blooms from the almond orchard where we lived in a hundred year old farm house. Since then we’ve moved into a house in the city.

So this year I have taken photos of the blooms of our very own trees that came with the house.

This one is from a lemon tree. The blooms have a sweet citrus-floral scent. The interesting thing about the lemon trees is that they produce two or more crops of lemons a year.

This lovely bright pink bloom is from the nectarine tree. Nectarines are my favorite fruit, so I’m thrilled that we get to eat from then fresh from our very own home grown trees. And they are good. I was privileged to pick them in the morning right after we just moved in and have had one or two for breakfast.

This one is from the peach tree.  The blooms look very similar to the almond trees and that’s because they are related. Decades of cross breeding was done, so that the almond tree can produce nothing but the tasty almonds. The peach on the other hands was developed for the fruit.They are also related to the nectarine which is considered a fuzzless peach.

This is the almond bloom just so you can compare the peach with the almond bloom. Sorry for the extreme close up.

I did manage with help from my husband to plant a small flower garden at our new home. I’m also working on the vegetable garden in the back yard. Its still a work in progress.

My best advice on growing a flower or a vegetable garden or fruit trees is take in consideration the amount of sun exposure you have and the size of the spot you’re limited to, then ask your local garden supplier what you can plant in that spot. Chances are there is something you can grow there that will be amazing.

Here’s some great tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSPlSwbArD4

Good luck. 🙂

In my recent book, Windswept Shores Two, I have a garden mentioned.

Blurb: Megan and Seth are finally rescued off their little island, but things are far from idyllic as they’re treated to one nasty surprise after another, which puts all plans of a wonderful future in jeopardy.

Will they ever get back together again or see the life they envisioned?

Except:

Handing him the loofah and soap, Megan turned away. Seth soaped up and started washing her back in small circles. “You know I love ya?”

She nodded.

“Liz really did sneak into the room, and I really was asleep.” He hoped she understood. He wouldn’t have brought her halfway around the world to then sleep with his ex.

Megan stiffened. “She wants you back.”

“I reckon she does, but I don’t want her. I only want you.”

After she rinsed off, she grabbed the soap and loofah from him. She gestured for him to change places with her. “I’m not one to fight over a man.” Megan worked her way from the top of his shoulders all the way down to his butt. “I never fought with Jonathan’s mistress over him. I told him to stop seeing her, but of course he didn’t.”

“Megz, I—”

“But if Liz gives me any more trouble, she’ll wish she hadn’t messed with me.”

Seth gritted his teeth against Megan’s hard scrubbing. “I reckon she will. Blimey, I know I am, and I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No, you just lay there, letting it happen!” The soap and loofah bounced off the shower wall.

Seth turned, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her against his chest. “I’m sorry Liz is giving you such a hard time. She’s a bit of bitch most days and a drama queen the rest. Why do you think I left?”

“Yeah, I kind of figured.” She sniffed and leaned her head against his chest.

“This is a right mess, eh?”

Megan sighed. “What are we going to do?”

“Once things get settled, I could get us a house, yeah? It’ll be a nice big mansion on a hill overlooking the ocean. In the master bath, the shower will look like your waterfall, and in the garden, we’ll have a pool and fix it so it looks like our old swimming lagoon. I’ll make us a pergola and more chairs, and you can weave the bottoms and backs. I’ll plant palm and banana trees. You can have a garden. We’ll pretend we’re still on our little island and make love all day long, eh?”

Megan looked up at him with sad sea-green eyes. “Seth, that sounds so lovely, but your father’s dying and your son misses you. You can’t leave. You’re needed here.”

He ran his hand down the side of his face. “Then what do we do, eh?”

“I don’t know.” She rested against him. “Just bide our time, I guess. But don’t blame me if you come home late one night and your ex is black and blue.”

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Windswept Shores (One):  http://www.amazon.com/Windswept-Shores-Survivors-Love-Story-ebook/dp/B00AS9NDNO/

Windswept Shores Two: http://www.amazon.com/Windswept-Shores-Two-survivors-story-ebook/dp/B01BPLNHTI/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

In the UK, Windswept Shores (One):  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Windswept-Shores-Survivors-Love-Story-ebook/dp/B00AS9NDNO/

In the UK, Windswept Shores Two: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Windswept-Shores-Two-survivors-story/dp/1523945117/

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***Contest Time***

GRAND PRIZE: We are giving away a Kindle Fire or Nook (winner’s choice)
along with a 2nd prize of $25 gift card.
To win the grand prize, you must visit each and every author on the hop.  Each site will post the links of participating authors but please feel free to visit www.diannevenetta.com to find the author link list at any point in time. Some authors might offer more than one entry to win.

How do I submit my grand prize entry?

Grand prize entrants will be entered via a rafflecopter giveaway widget, available on the initial and final landing page of this hop, located on BloominThyme.  All entries (and actions) will be verified to deem winners.

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Click
here to enter the grand prize contest.

(void were prohibited.)

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For Janice Seagraves’s contest, in the comment section, simply state what you love about gardening. (A nice comment on my recent book release wouldn’t hurt either. *wink*)

My prize is this conk shell heart choker posted below.

If you live outside of the USA or Canada, and win the prize, a gift certificate to Amazon for the equivalent to five (5) dollars in USA currency  will be substituted.

Tour ends April 16th at 11:59pm EST.  My winner will be announced by April 18th.

Void were prohibited.