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~~

Happy Spring...

And, we're pretty cold here, today.

But, maybe this cold front it Winter's last hurrah.

We just got back from a trip.

Did you miss us?

And, we came home to this.

I've been making some progress.

But, still LOTS more to clean up.

And, because the last Halloween Flood washed away all the mulch,

there will be that job to do, too.

Still...the plants are doing pretty well.

We even have some blooms.

 Mexican Honeysuckle

 Pansies, Primrose and 'Mushrooms'

Unknown Irises

Spiderwort

It's these beauties, that make me keep on working in the garden,

instead of throwing in the towel.

Today is supposed to be cool, but the sun is shining

and it's beautiful out there.

Hope your first day of Spring is just as beautiful.

Now...back to the weeding.....

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

New Paint....

Seems I haven't been keeping up with this blog

very well lately.

I didn't have much to talk about.

Now that will make some of you who know me best laugh...

me...with nothing to talk about?

But, there hasn't been much happening around here.

Oh...there's been some pruning going on.

I think I have everything cut back that needs it.

With temps going from 20s and 30s for lows, 

to 70s and 80s for highs, the plants are as

confused as we are.

Just hope we don't have anymore freezes.

There's a lot of new growth out there...

just like last year.  Things putting out way early.

I hope we don't get that late freeze, just like last year.

It was not a good thing.

So, just the same old, same old.

Then it dawned on me I didn't tell you we got the house painted.

It really needed it.

It was a light, minty green....all over.

Except for the front porch.  That was white.

This photo was a couple years ago...but, you get the idea.

Now it's still green....only different.

The main part of the house is Peppergrass...

under the porches are a lighter green...Muted Sage.

The porch ceilings are my version of "Haint Blue".

I think it called Streetwise.

"Haint Blue" is a color people in the South like to paint porch ceilings.

The legend is the color blue keeps away "Haints"...or Haunts...

ghosts.

But, mostly it's to confuse wasps into not making nests on the ceilings...

they're supposed to think it's sky.

We'll see....

Oh...and, we had the painters take out those old front porch posts,

and replace them with peeled cedar posts.

Looks good, huh?

We had them paint the doors with a cedar color. 

It all ends up looking a bit "cottage-y",

but that's ok.

The back porch is the same...the lighter green under the ceiling,

with the darker color as trim.

I can't get the colors to look right.

This lighter color is less minty than it looks.

We had them paint the posts that cedar color of the doors.

It does make it quite colorful.

The kitchen window was trimmed with the lighter color....

We're pleased with it.  

It looks fresh and clean.

What do you think?

We spend a lot of time on the porch.  We've been sitting out the 

last few evenings, listening to the frogs in the creek.

Now, I just hope this isn't another false Spring.

Hope things are good where you are.

'Til next time...

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~