Lazy Sunday Afternoon...

The middle of April.

Can you believe it?

There has been some hard work going on here.

More weeding.

More mulching.

More graveling.

Because of some health issues I had last year, 

that kept me out of the garden, 

and two flooding rains that washed

away mulch and some gravel... 

there is even more to do this year.

Yes, I know there are people you can hire to help. 

I'm just too hard headed

to hire them. 

There will come a time when I don't have that choice. 

So, for now...

Things are looking better. But, the end is still a way off.

Take a walk with me. I'll show you what we've been doing.

We'll start at the front...

This is some of the mulching and graveling.

We had mulch down in this path before. It was washed away.

So, I raised the edge bricks and we're trying gravel.

Looks like this, from the other direction.

Across the bridge and into the Grass Bed. 

We had a hard rain the other day, and water washed across these bricks...

and around these rocks. I put them there to keep debris out of the agaves.

No fun getting it out.

Water went around, but washed a trail through the Grass Bed.

The black edging worked to keep water from flooding here.

And, the new rock edge by the Yuccas kept it away from them.

I left it this way for a few days. More heavy rain is forecast.

Just let it follow this path, until I can raise up another barrier.

The irises have been doing really well, this year.

Even some of the new iris, ordered and planted last fall,

are budding.

I'm loving the Yarrow. It's finally looking good.

The deer are finally leaving it alone.

Around to the back....

the rye grass (from the golf course) and Horse Herb are nice and green.

The Jerusalem Sage is blooming nicely.

Love these blooms....

Looking back the other way, from inside the fence.

I took a water break...also known as 

"Admire the work, and plan more".

No...he's not real. I placed this little resin frog in the birdbath for 

a place for the birds to sit.

The Japanese Aralia is taking off this year.

This Softleaf Yucca will need to be cleaned out.

Waiting until all the Brown Squigglies have fallen.

The new and improved AC Bed.

I'll put a vine on the trellis. Just have to decide what kind.

The Front Fence Bed is cleaned out. 

I have a few things I want to plant, but it's cleaned out...soon to be mulched.

And, back to the front.

That stone drain was here when we bought.

We added the Rio for more drainage. Sometimes, it's just not enough. 

(sigh)

The yucca stalk is coming right along.

We won't be sitting in the swing tonight, enjoying this view.

It's storming here today. We've only had a lot of noise, and some good rain.

More is coming, and we're hoping no really heavy rain comes

and washes away our hard work.

Still and all...

Life is Good.

I hope all is good where you are.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

April 1....

April 1...

Already...

Yesterday, it was in the 80s.

Then, a cold front came through, and today it's in the 50s.

This morning, the sun was hitting the tops of the trees.

But the storm clouds were forming. 

Soon it was raining, and we had tiny hail...no damage.

I've been weeding...and, weeding...and, weeding.

Oh, yes...and some mulching and graveling. (is that a word?)

The front beds are done.

And luckily, I finished the Island Bed yesterday, before the cold and rain.

The Veggie Garden is weeded, and ready for some veggie plants.

The Round Bed (which isn't really round.) is ready for mulch.

The Back Bed isn't completely weeded yet, but it's doing pretty good.

The leaves I put down in the fall have done a good job of keeping weeds down.

The purple iris are done, since this photo.

But, the white ones, and this one have started.

The stems on this one are so short, it's like it's hiding.

The Crossvine isn't hiding. It's finally really blooming...for the first time.

Other things showing up...

 'Hot Lips' salvia

 Purple Heart

 Silver Germander

Looks good against one of our fountains.

 Jerusalem Sage

The other Jerusalem Sage 'Edward Bowles', has bigger leaves and didn't like FULL

Texas, afternoon sun. So moved it to the back. It's looking good,

But, no blooms, yet.

And, look at this!

The Softleaf Yucca, at the front corner of the house,

has a bloom stalk, for the very first time.

It has been properly caged, against the constantly foraging

horde of deer.

****************

So, that's what's been going on here.

Still have lots more weeding to do.

And, cleaning up Live Oak leaves, and soon the catkins (brown squiggleys).

Then, more mulching and graveling.

It just never ends.

Happy Gardening...

(and, Happy April)

~~Linda~~

This and That on Tuesday....

Yep...it's that time. 

The brown fuzzies from the Live Oak trees have finished falling (I hope).

So, let the mulching begin.

The past few days have been full...again.

Yesterday, we attended a memorial service, for another one of our neighbors.

Another sweet person, taken from us too early.

She will be missed.

Saturday evening, we went to The Backyard for a concert.

The Backyard is an outdoor venue, in Bee Caves, TX.

It used to be over on Hwy. 71.  But, because of all the retail going in there, 

they moved over to a new area on Hwy 620, not too far from the old place.

There were the three of us....father, mother and son.

We got last minute, general admission tickets, which means sitting on the ground.

As this t-shirt on a young man in front of us shows, 

we were there to see Willie Nelson.

There were two lead-in acts.  Laura Nelson...Willie's daughter.

And, Jamey Johnson.

Both were very good.

It was after dark, when the main attraction came on.

After a fairly slow start, he put on his usual good show.

The years and hard living, are showing on this man's face.

But, he can still play that guitar and put on a show.

We had a good time.

****************************

Editorial Comment:

The Backyard has the potential to be a great outdoor music venue.

BUT...the bathroom situation is awful.

Although I don't like cutting down trees, if you have an area where people are trying to see a stage,

 trees left in the line of view, don't help.

It's been a long time since we sat in the 'lawn area' of a concert.

But, I don't remember people being so rude in the past.

We wondered why a large group of young women bought tickets to sit on the ground, show each other pictures on their phones and laugh and talk so loudly it was hard to hear the music.

And, then the not-that-young men yelling obscenities, as they took pictures of each other with their phones.

They all could have done this somewhere there were not people who actually came to hear the concert.

Maybe we're just getting old.  But, whatever happened to common courtesy?

OK...that's my soapbox comment.

********************************

Earlier on Saturday, we watched our granddaughter's soccer game.

She scored three goals!

Then, she had a spectacular tumble.

And, yes...after a trip to the doctor on Sunday....the wrist is broken, AGAIN.

Understandably...she is NOT a happy camper.

She's a tough kid, though.  She'll be ok, and back out there again.

And, that brace will be on that arm when playing, from now on.

OK...back to mulching. 

Hope you're having as beautiful a day, as we are here.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~