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~~

Late to the Wideshot Party...Again...

 My Daddy used to say, I was always a day late and a dollar short.

I would tease, if he gave me the dollar, we could fix that part.

But, seems I am a bit late with the Wideshot, every month.

Heather, over at Xericstyle,
started posting a wide shot of her garden at the first of every month,
and asked us to play along.

It's a good way to see how the garden is progressing.

So, let's start at the front, and go around.

I had too long a lens for the whole front.
So, we have sections.

Don't you love that power box and poles?

A closer look at the Front Beds.

And, the Drive Bed, on the other side of the circular drive.

The view from the mailbox.

The Fenced Yard.

With our crazy spring weather, things are way behind last year.

Some clean up and edging needs to be done.

Outside the back gate, this bed is beginning to fill in.

The Back Bed, along the back of the house.

Again, things are way behind.

And, finally, the view from the back, toward the mailbox.

You won't see the veggie garden this time.

It's pretty pitiful.

Go see Heather for more Wideshots.

(Blogger's not letting me do links today.  Go to Xericstyle.wordpress.com.)

Here's hoping I get my act together and do this at the first of next month.

Yeah...right...

**********

'Til later...

Take care...

~~Linda~~

Foliage Follow-Up...May, 2012...

After a day of rain yesterday, today dawned sunny and cool.

Today is Foliage Follow-Up day.  The day we join
Pam at Digging,
to show off our foliage.

Let's start in front.  This is one of two Squid Agaves we have in containers,
at the front entrance.  They're doing quite well.

In the new Driveway Bed, the Mexican Feathergrass is growing fast.

Diamonds of moisture were shining in the early sunlight.
This is becoming one of my go-to plants for around here.
Last summer's awful heat and drought didn't faze the Feathergrasses we already had.
The deer don't touch it.
It's pretty.
What is there not to like?

The Unknown Agave is about to out grow it's protective covering.
I hope when I take this off, the deer will leave it alone.

Over in the Island Bed, two more of my favorites..
Lamb's Ear and Artemisia 'Powis Castle'.

We've had this Sago Palm for years.  It moved down with us from our old garden.
Last year, the hard, long freeze we had really stunted it.  This year, it's looking good.
That makes me smile, because this is the centerpiece of this bed.

Around the side to the Rock Bed.  This is a bed that gets no more than one watering a month, even in last year's hot, VERY dry summer.  You see why these are some of my favorites.
Mexican Feathergrass, Prickly Pear, Rosemary, Autumn Sage...

And, the agave I rescued from Elli's redo.  It's put on new growth.  These are tough plants.
And, that bed really needs some cleaning up and new mulch.

The Agave lophantha in the wheelbarrow is growing.

In the brand new Back Bed, the Candy Lily and Iris are adding interest next to the pot of Prickly Pear.
There are lots of 'Tunas' on the Prickly Pear.  I hope the deer let them ripen.

Up onto the deck, here's one of the three Hawthornia we have in the copper windowbox liner.
You can see why some people call this Zebra Plant.

My aim here was for a vignette of orbs.
Golden Barrel Cactus, Blue Fescue, and a hummingbird feeder that's pretty, but leaks.
So far, so good...

The Wall pocket with Liriope.
Notice the wren's nest.  She worked hard on this, then never came back.
We're leaving it for a while, just in case.

In the Fenced Yard, Liriope is a favorite.

Along with Aztec Grass.  I'd use them all over the whole place.  But, deer eat them, so they have to stay behind a fence.

The Cannas are beginning to take off.  I hope they bloom this year.  The burgundy one didn't bloom at all last summer.  It's supposed to be red.  The Striped leaf one did bloom, and it had some really nice blooms last year.

Purple Heart is a good performer, in sun or shade.

And, I like the Silver Ponyfoot, too.  It's a happy little ground cover that looks really good spilling over the sides of containers.  I'd love to have it out front, too.  But, the time I tried, the deer ate it all, but left the Holly Fern behind.

gratuitous picture of the view


We have a lot more foliage.
Foliage is a favorite around here.
It's always giving interest to the garden, even when there are no blooms.

What kind of foliage to you have?
Go over and join Pam, for more Fabulous Foliage.

Happy Gardening...
~~Linda~~