I spent the winter blogging about nurturing our puppy garden with our new addition, Sam, and as spring has snuck up on me, I find that I am not only behind on my garden chores, but sharing the ebbs and flows of my garden.
As usual, my project list is long and and my desire to accomplish less grass and more plants is ongoing. However, there are lots of hardscape projects on the agenda this spring.
First on the agenda is the pool area. There is a little strip of weedy grass between the decking and the flower bed I put in last year and it's been driving me nuts. More specifically, pretty much all of the grass around the pool, because every time I mow, guess where the grass goes? But around the pool is alot of ground to cover at one time, so I decided to start with the part that we see when we look out the window.
I have a new supervisor in the mix this spring and he's been very good at helping out. Not so good at moving when I get to his spot, but thankfully, his sister will get his attention elsewhere and eventually he will run off to see what she is doing.
He has also continued to hone his helper skills when I have a digging projects.
I got my first batch of flagstones home (400lbs.) and laid them out to see how my grading was and to see if I liked it. With all of the rain this week, I definitely need to regrade a bit, but I also decided I wanted to flank the flagstone with a river rock border. I already have the river rock, it's just a matter of getting everything in place. I should hopefully be completing this project in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for updates.
Once again, our new addition has kept me on my toes. He was after a squirrel and just about knocked my wagon wheel over. I decided it would be better if I took it down until I could get around to reinforcing it a bit better for our rowdy boy who is a bull in a china shop!
I do actually have a few things blooming besides weeds right now...my unknown yellow rose that was rescued from a friend's trash is oh so happy and blooming away in the front beds.
And my goodness , I don't think I realized that flat leafed parsley could get this big! The curly leaf is really happy too.
Then there is the not so fortunate....you know that great post about all of the wonderful garden plants my sweet hubby bought me last year?? Including my special big 4 0 palm tree? Somehow, I managed to kill it. It survived all summer and most of the winter. I really did try to baby it, but it just gave up. I was really sad.
Thankfully my husband is not mad and actually, I found a great deal on a replacement that was alot more palm for the money, so I guess there was a sorta good side. As soon as the ground dries out a bit, our new palm will go in it's new home.
Of course there have been a few goodies that I have collected over the winter. The wind chimes were a gift from my wonderful MIL. I just got them out a few days ago and I just love them! You can sorta see they are hanging off the pergola of my deck, which happens to be another of my hardscape projects this season. It desperately needs to be repaired and stained. The climbing fairy rose that I started up it last year is growing like crazy, so I need to get a move on before it takes over. I just love my fairy roses.
I still have not decided where this little gem will go. I just love the sparkly. It was an impulse buy from big lots of all places.
Still have alot of projects on the agenda. I will continue to share as the spring continues!
My Hot Lips Salvia is a happy camper! You can't really see it in the picture, but just behind the yarrow is my new baby vitex that I planted. I can't wait til it's gets big!
I had to abort working on the stone path for a spell as the hedge ( I think it's Cleyera) is blooming like crazy. We've never seen it bloom like this in the year and a half we have lived here. It's pretty but boy the bees are going crazy around it. We've watched countless bumble bees spar in front of the hedges and knock each other into the pool. With me having a venom allergy, I decided the path would wait until all the hub bub passed.
I have to admit, I've already hit the nurseries shopping. I have a wish list of roses that I want to get started this year and I am excited that I have found 3 of them locally already!! Below is a climbing Iceberg Rose. I also found Mrs. Dudley Cross ( yellow) and Climbing Pinkie as well!! As soon as I am able to get them in their new homes, I will share where they went!
I have told myself no new beds this year! I have others projects to focus on this spring and yet here we go. I just couldn't help myself. I really do want to work more on the front yard, it's just that my backyard is my paradise. However, just about everyday when I am walking the dogs, I see my naked mailbox when we come home and just had to spruce it up.
