Another One Bites the Dust...

Seems like just yesterday,

I was being amazed it was April already.

Now, it's almost over.

Another month, bites the dust.

It's been busy.

Weeding, and mulching, and graveling.

I got the fenced yard almost finished.

Just have to clean up that bed at the back,

and along the Rio.

I got some of the Virginia Creeper cut back.

It wants to take over the world.

This is the before...

I got some things planted in the Veggie Garden...

tomatoes, squash...and, transplanted these cucumbers

that came up in the compost bed.

Not sure they'll do anything, 

but, they were there.

Why not?

The grapevine is putting on buds.

It looked so bad last fall, we thought it had died.

The buds on the softleaf yucca opened.

Aren't they pretty?

As an extra treat, here's our neighbor's yucca blooming.

No wire around it, and the deer didn't touch it.

And, to finish out the month with more beauty...

Last fall I ordered some iris online.

I got them all planted and they all did good...except one.

But, that's a good record, for me.

And, they're blooming.

First, New Moon

Next, Peaches and Dreams.

And today, Discovered Treasure.

And, all together...

We had some light rain, and have a forecast for heavier rain tonight.

So, I went out and cut the open ones,

so we could enjoy them, inside.

Look how the peach of Peaches and Dreams,

and the peach in Discovered Treasure, match.

Isn't Nature wonderful?

So...that's it from here.

Hope you have a fun and safe weekend.

See you next month.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

I Did It Again...

April is this blog's anniversary month.

And, I almost let it slip by, again.

With all that went on last year,

it slipped right by.

But, I'm catching it this year,

just in time.

Seven years.

This all started in April, of 2009.

There has been progress, along the way.

I wanted this to be a garden journal.

It has been more.

I've talked about travel, and family, and friends.

I've met some really great people,

both online, and in person.

I've learned so much from those people.

I've "walked" through their gardens, 

and taken them through mine.

So far, it's been a fun journey.

And, I hope it keeps on going.

So...here's to anniversary number seven.

Thank you for taking the journey with me.

Now....back to more clean-up.

(Yes...it's still going on.)

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

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~~