Freedom Isn't Free....

Memorial Day

The day we honor those men and women who paid the highest price for our freedom.

Let us all take a moment to say

Thank You.

Everyday should be

Memorial Day.

God Bless America

The Best Laid Plans....

Sometimes, no matter how carefully you plan, things just don't work out.

I worked really hard in the garden, the week before Mother's Day.  I laid LOTS of mulch, and did some more planting.  I wanted it all done that week.

I had plans...

That Friday evening, I was really feeling tired...and not so good.  But, after all..I'd worked really hard.

On Saturday, not feeling much better.  But, I had plans. 

We had tickets for the

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Gardens on Tour.

I'm a bit hard headed...can't let a little feeling bad get in the way.

We enjoyed the many landscaped gardens.  Loved the hardscaping.

Our final stop was the Wildflower Center.  The baby owls enjoyed watching us, as much as we enjoyed them.

The Wildflower Center was it's beautiful self and we...my daughter-in-law, two granddaughters and I...had a great time.

I was dragging by evening. 

Next day, still feeling under par... but went to our son's for a nice Mother's Day dinner.

After a pretty bad night of feeling bad, I awoke with no fever and feeling good enough to travel.  I was headed for the annual 'girls' trip.  We were going to a Florida beach.

I had plans.  And, being hard headed...I wasn't going to let a little feeling bad to get in the way.

Our house was right on the beach.  This porch looked like the perfect place to rest and recuperate.

We even got in our annual group picture.  This is right before they took me back to the airport.

Back home...a trip to the doctor...some imaging and diagnosing..

Seems I have pneumonia!

One minute, I'm spreading mulch..the next minute, sick!  No fair warning!!

And, I had plans.  The Travis County Master Gardeners Inside Austin Garden Tour was coming up.

I hope those same gardens are on tour again sometime.

Because, no amount of hard headedness was going to let me go to that.

There won't be much gardening going on here for a while.  Mr P is taking good care of things.  Even if I felt up to working...and, this stuff knocks you down... Mr P would kill me. 

I might have to tone down some hard headed ways.   Hard lessons are the ones we learn the best.

Hope all your plans are working out.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

Again...

Agapanthus and Silver Ponyfoot

Again...I've been planting more plants.  I was up in Austin... and since I was so close... I stopped in to Barton Springs Nursery, looking for a few things.  Well...I didn't find what I was looking for...Cuban Oregano.  But, you can't just leave a nursery empty handed.  Right?

Again....I believed the 'deer resistant' claim.  I'd seen posts of Texas Betony, and liked what I saw.  And, some people seem to have it outside fences, in deer country.  Well...you see what happened to it here.  I'm leaving it there.  It still has some life, and maybe, just maybe, it'll come back and they'll leave it alone.

Again...I'll be moving this basket...and other baskets and pots...inside tonight.  Yesterday, the high was 95...then a cold front came in.  This morning was 45 and predicted colder tomorrow morning.  This is MAY...in CENTRAL TEXAS...it's been way hot, way early, already....and now a 'cold snap'.  It'll be back to hot, by the end of the week.

Again....the rain missed us.  We had a 60% chance....but, it was not to be.

Today is cold and cloudy.  We have another slight chance for rain.

 But, the fenced yard is coming along.

And, the Veggie Garden is, too.  It's a bit behind schedule.  Too busy with other areas.

The bush beans are looking good.

Trying squash, yet again. 

The okra is coming along.

And, the cucumbers are taking off.

We have tomatoes on all the vines.  I have to decide if I'm covering these AGAIN tonight.  We could get down to the 30s, if Austin gets low 40s.....ugh.

One that the deer don't bother....Black and Blue salvia, Salvia guaranitica.  Don't you love that blue, with the black calyx?  I've read this can be invasive.  It spreads by roots, like mint.  That's ok.  Lots of something this pretty that deer don't eat, will be ok with me.

And, look at the new growth on the spineless prickly pear that Elli gave me, when she redid her beds.  The deer had ruined the large plant, rubbing against it.  The bucks rub the 'velvet' off their new antlers, against small trees, yuccas...anything they can.  It can kill young trees...rubbing off the bark. 

The deer are pretty...but, they're pretty pests.  We just have to learn to live with them.

 The weather has been a real challenge, so far this year.  The terrible storms in the southeast...the floods in the midwest....our daughter had a blizzard in her part of North Dakota, over the weekend, after warming up there..they have floods up there, as well....most of Texas in drought, and wildfires breaking out daily.  Hopefully, things will get to some kind of normal soon. 

I hope, wherever you are, you're having a good gardening day.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~