The Ugly Truth About Gardening!!!

Good Morning Sunshine the gardener is still under the weather with Bronchitis-ugh. But now I have real presciption drugs to fight my battle for me.

The Truth I'm talking about is "Weeds" no mater if your out of your garden for one day or 21/2 weeks the weeds are there to greet you when you come back. And mine have grown with leaps and bounds. Didn't realize I had so many weeds. I think I'm pretty good about taking care of these guys when I do a new bed and I even use layers of newspaper and mulch to amend the gardens each year!! I don't like to use chemicals of parts of the gardens because of run-off to the bay and I don't want my animals to get sick. Plus I love the birds and butterflies that visit my gardens.

 With that said, moving on to the garden walk this morning. So many flowers are just busting at the seems and I have alot of shifting all of a sudden. I guess my gardens are coming full circle when it comes to space. So I really need to get out there and dig and move. Usually by this time of year I'm pretty much done moving everything I've wanted. I haven't even put in annuals yet-ugh. If I'm up to shopping for plants I think I might go out this Holiday weekend and catch some sells maybe!!

I did go out and take some pictures of what's blooming this week in the garden. I have a "Mystery Plant" coming back that I guess I put in a couple of years ago when I made  this bed ,but it's never bloomed so I don't know what it is. I know it's not glads. don't put those in. So I'm waiting to see if it will bloom this year. Don't you just love surprises and gifts in your garden, I do!!

 The First Asiatic Lilies are up (yellow) so pretty! The pink and orange/black ones aren't blooming yet.

And while I've been inside sorting seeds and writing in my journal I've managed to plant up a couple of plastic Salad containers of seeds that I punched holes in and now I'll wait to see if I get anything. Here is the pick of one:

I also managed to squeeze out a new card for the Friday nite Card Club here it is---

Have a blessed day and remember amend, amend, amend!!!! Peace Out

Here's The Plan!!-Garden Spring 2010

Afternoon All!! A new garden season is amongst us. The sun is shining, the temperatures are up and staying there and I've got a "Plan in my Head". See What happens when you give me Sun!!



The other morning for some oddball reason found myself dreaming about garden changes in 2010. I immediately awoke with a plan to take away more grass, move stuff around and beautiful my little corner of the world. So with that in mind I went into the office and started drawing everything down on paper, so I wouldn't forget what I had seen in my dream! Sometimes if I don't jot stuff down then it's forgotten about. And I really liked this one. Here is the plan:

I'm always changing with and in my gardens. If I were finished the garden would be done and then what would I do? Pick-up another hobby, oh no that's dangerous. I already have to many to speak of !! Anyway, come spring my mind is all about the changes to the garden before it gets too hot to enjoy. I love to create...and every year I sit back and think what can I do different this year to make it enjoyable..Ok here's a pic. of the "Before"...I took these photos 7:00am so the shade is still on the garden. And the big tree doesn't have all it's leaves.

#1-Big Picture














#2-Trellis Area, this will be moved over to make the Entrance to the side garden. Yes, the trellis it will be Painted!!!


#3-This area is under the big tree which I'm enclosing to make a big Shade Perennial Area. I will be putting a "White Hydrangea" in this bed. I love white flowers in the shade. They really pop!



#4-And the other project this year is to actually have a concealed "Compost Area" for my garden and PAINT my little shed. I'm leaving the shed "Tan" with a bright color to accent, not quite sure yet, maybe purple, maybe pink? I want this area to be fun and up-lifting. Have more projects in head like using "windows" and "Seaglass" and fun stuff.



Ok, well this is my plan I will keep you posted on my progress with photos and thoughts. I moved the 10 big rocks yesterday-ugh, have more to move today plus trellis so if I don't shut-up and get moving it's gonna take longer and I'll lose the SUN. Plus I have eggs to dye!!!

*If you would like to see photos "Larger" just click photo!!*

What is that I See-Could it be the "SUN"!!

What a beautiful day. The Sun is shining and I'm able to get outside and walk around the gardens since the snow has disappeared!!! Now everything is a "Muddy Mess" but that's ok,mud you can get rid of real quick, snow stays around and lingers a while.





I just love, love, love this time of year. Everything is starting to come alive again, including me :) Been battling a wicked Sinus Infec. for the past week and have been feeling like crap, I'm also getting a little "Vertigo" with it so unable to really get outside and work much less think.

Hey but I'm getting ready, and here are a few new additions for my gardens.
Bought 2 new plants to stick in and try. My first is a bare root Peony named "Karl Rosenfield" I think he had something to do with peonies. It's a beautiful Red with flowers it says to be between 6-8" across. I can't wait but I have to wait until the ground is workable before I plant because if I plant in the muddy soil it will turn into concrete and kill my plants!!! But I know this will take about 2 or 3years before I get one flower. He might surprise me, let's wait and see.

And my other addition is 4 "Rosemond Cole Canna Rhizomes" they look to be Orange and yellow and standard size. Won't plant these until the ground warms up a bit!!! I saw these in the retail garden section and had to have for a fix. Yes they only cost $5.00 a piece but if all turns out this is a real bargain. I like to buy things and watch them grow into beautiful plants. I don't think price matters, just look over what your buying really well.
I can't wait to get some good deals on "Perennials" this season. I like to buy the bigger pots and then divide and watch how my gardens will multiply over the years. I sometimes can be a patient gardener when it comes to what I can afford at the time and planning my yard.

I did want to start cleaning up but I'm a little scared of what "Mother Nature" will do here, don't want to rush taking off protection from around my flowers and then have them freeze and die. I've worked too hard to cultivate what I have to be disappointed by a freeze warning!! And then "BAMM" before you know it there's a foot of snow again, I know "Shhhhh". So I will wait to pull stuff off. I will cut back the "Sedums" I left over the winter, they are so pretty all dried up and standing tall in my gardens over winter. That way I will get a little bit of a garden fix just being outside doing a little pruning.

And this is kinda funny, I said I wouldn't buy one of these but Jerry got a good deal and so I am now the proud owner of a "Topsy-Turvy" thingy. I will give it a shot. And I'll let you know later how my experience is going. Not sure if I want to put a "flower" or "Vegetable" in it. Decide later.
OK, so don't want to lose your attention so I think I will sign off for now and here is a cute picture of those two legged friends with a goodbye salute to you-"Bottoms Up" until next time.....

Leaves on the Impatients

Another beautiful fall day to wake up too. While doing my morning rituals of taking the 4 legged children out to potty I looked over the gardens as I always do. I love walking the yard in the morning it has a calmness to it. And the fresh smell first thing really gets your body pumping into full gear for the day.

The gardens are so pretty on fall mornings with flowers that have dew dripping off of them and the spiderwebs with little droplets of morning dew that make the webs look like "Strings of Pearls". (I think these are the only pearls I will be able to afford) but these are most price-less.

So I continued my walk around and gathered a few of the last remaining Cosmos flowers blooming in my little gardens to press for winters projects.

And one of the things that caught my eye this morning was the leaves lying all over the impatients like fall blankets protecting them from the chilly nites not yet awake. I had to run and get my camera because I couldn't pass up the thought of not remembering the feeling I had when I saw that. My Camera is my best friend because we share so much of the same passions like when it comes to the gardens and places where I've been. I need to capture the moment right there and then. So I can remember what it was like-that day, that time, that plant, that moment.

Another interesting site this morning was a big ole fat caterpillar chewing on the Yellow water iris leaves getting fat before he has to hibernate for the winter.

These are the things that I appreciate the most and "Thank "God" that I have the sight to see all these wonderful things around me inside and out.

Until next time.......Who knew keeping a blog would be work-VBG