GARDEN DREAMS

The Hole is Under Construction... AGAIN!

2012-01-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

Scott has decided to re-do the Pond. The liner had some leaks where he had spliced it. So while he is fixing it, he decided to make it a little smaller and less complicated.

The "moat" is going away! YAH!

There will only be one water fall now.

He is hauling a lot of broken concrete in which is actually looking pretty nice.

Of course Sasha is supervising as usual.

A co-worker gave me a Christmas gift of Sweet Pea's. I sure hope I dont kill them.

Planted them along the East side of our property line. They will get the morning and some afternoon sun.

Now just have to wait. I hate waiting, dont you?

Pond Re-Do

2011-12-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

The pond is officially in RE-DO mode. Scott finally got tired of the leak in the spliced liners.

He is taking out the "mote" and making the pond a bit smaller.

The entire water fall and pool above it is being reconfigured.

The yard is not a pretty site right now. Between piles of leaves, piles of rocks and piles of liners. I just close my eyes and look the other way. I know the finale will be worth it.

Waiting patiently.

Trying to Hide a Tree

2011-10-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

There is a huge rootball and roots shooting out from around this Mulberry Tree. Plus the lawn slopes down toward the house at about this level.

So decided to create a visual point.Maybe a little garden box around the tree. We seem to have no problem locating broken concrete, so we started stacking today.

Well, I should say, Scott started stacking and I directed. Really, I did want to help more, but he said there was thinner and thicker peices and I could not tell the difference, so that sort of kicked me out of the placement job.

They are pretty close to sitting height. We will fill the middle in with dirt then put some shade growing plants, probably baby's tears and such. Actually we cheated a bit. Scott had piles of leaves around the yard, so I threw that into the hole for a start :-)

Cant wait to see the progress!

Our Friends

2011-07-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

The back room of the house, our office/craft room is one gigantic wall of glass. The bottom portion is glass blocks, the top portion panes of windows. It is a bright room and wonderful see outback to watch the plants grow, weather change and birds fly by.

However, sadly, on occasion, a bird will go off his radar and fly into the window. I will be typing on my computer and hear a loud "THUMP", which sends me to the ceiling at first. Then I realize it was a bird and not a ball or bullet.

The past couple weeks, I have been bugged by all the bug muck on the window (bugged? HAH! I made a pun... get it?), so I wanted to get some of the windex cleaners out and get it cleaned up. But, I guess for the birds, it is clean enough, as today I had another one hit the window.

I'm typing away on the computer and SMACK! I knew right away, guess I am getting used to it. So went outside to check, and sure enough, a bird is sitting under the window looking dazed. Poor baby. So I got a little shovel and moved him to higher ground (safe from cats). I noticed it already has a growth on it's beak, so I wonder if it has flown into window's before. There are some blood spots on the growth, so he probably hurt it again. Poor thing. But of course, I think, "This is a BLOG POST!", so I run and grab my camera and add to it's humuliation and take a shot. To redeem myself, I grab a crust of bread and little cap of water and come back to leave for it, but it takes off in flight.

Guess all is well in the bird world again, as I notice about 10 other birds flying about the yard.

I come back in to share this on the blog, and I hear a lot of chirping out back. I will accept that as my...

THANK YOU!

Fruits of Our Efforts!

2011-07-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

The Harvest has begun!

First 2 cucumbers, taste GREAT!
Tomato's (Celebrity and Early Girl) are finally starting to ripen. Have already enjoyed a pasta salad and a capri salad. YUM!
Strawberries are still a bit small, but still worth tossing into a vanilla ice cream concoction.
Basil is hanging in there. The leaves arent as big as Trader Joe basil, but enough to add flavor to my salads!
Garlic was harvested on June 22 (2nd day of summer) as instructed. Very puny cloves, but have tried in salads and on homemade pizza and just as flavorful as the store bought big cloves. Not sure if we will harvest again, as it is not expensive to buy throughout the summer. They were a bit of a dissapointmnet when we pulled them out. Looked more like green onions than garlic.

The Reveal

2011-06-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

Remember when we started?

I was the inspiration for this nifty gadget to hold the spa lid when spa is being used.

Our new new oasis!

Step inside and check it out...

Tonite we CELEBRATE!

Proud Mama

2011-06-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

The babies are arriving! Arent they cute!

News Worthy?

2011-06-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

The strawberries are ripening, but the pill bugs munch into them before I can pluck them. UGH!

So read about some different suggestions, one discussed using a weed barrier. So trying the old newspaper trick. I cut slices in the center of the paper, gathered the plant and brought it through the center. Now the berries are laying on the paper, not the ground.

One theory mentioned in my many readings, was that the pill bugs will only eat them if they are laying directly on the ground, they wont climb up the plant to get to them, so a few other plants, I moved the unripened berries to lay on top of a leaf.

Experimenting to see what works best. Shall we start a wager?

Pond Guest 2011

2011-06-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

Back in 2009 Rumplestillskin came to visit us. Remember him?

I hear that the lifespan of a dragonfly is not very long and of course we havent seen him since, but we have new visitors each year.

Today I ran across this guy.

He was actually sitting in the grass and didnt move when I came near. So I grabbed a stick and he crawled onto it, so I could show him to Scott. Then he flew off, sort of crooked into a plant on the other side of the yard. So I got him on the stick again, and took him over to the pond, as he flew off, swooping over the pond, I cheered, until he landed in the water, just below the water fall and began to just float. OH NO!! Do dragonfly's swim? I dont know, but he wasnt moving around. So I ran around to the other side, leaned over as far as I could (Am I REALLY doing this for a dragonfly?) and sent a stick to save him. He grabbed on, and I brought him up to a rock. I am guessing he is an old DF and maybe on the last of his flights.

I love my new camera, I can get in close so you can see him. There is a baby dragonfly on the other side of the rock. He keeps raising his tail, I assume, trying to fly, and hasnt gotten far. We have lots of these around the pond right now.

Did You Know...

2011-06-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

I bet you didnt know that today is:

Yep, truly it is. Read how to celebrate it here!

And ironically, without knowing this, DH had already promised to start on the deck for the spa today. So, without further adu...

The Beginning

Don't forget the BEFORE shot.

Mystery Guest

2011-05-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

While out weeding, I ran across this interesting guest. Since it looks like a vine, I decided to save it and see what grows. It would be an odd weed. As far as I recall, no plants were put there last year, about 3 yards away I had tried watermelon, but nothing fruited. There is a lot of shade in the this area, so will be fun to see who it is.

27 days later and tomatoes are growing nicely. A few blossoms are popping out.

Look Who Came to Visit?

2011-05-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

After reading an article in a magazine about watching Amarylis grow in a vase at Christmas, I sent away for one. I took the bulb and vase to work and everyone enjoyed coming by my desk to see the progress of the growth. This Amarylis was called Dancing Queen, so we nicknamed her Abba. Each day, I would be asked, "How is Abba doing?" For the longest time she was just a long stalk, with a closed fist at the peak. There was a temptation to just cut her open. I remember that Christmas season fondly as it brought us co-workers a shared conversation peice. Abba did not bloom until the week after Christmas, but what a BEAUTY! Everyone was impressed. I brought her home and planted her into a pot and set her in the front garden. We havent seen her since. That was 3 jobs ago, back in 2008.

Yesterday, we received the surprise of this BEAUTIFUL bloom! I didnt even notice the stalk growing. I admit I feel like a negligent parent. But I am also enjoying the fond memories of her first Christmas and that last job, which I do miss often.

Also new in the yard this season: Four Cucumber plants. Last year the cucs were too close to the Zucchini and got crowded out. They did try to choke some of the Zucchini, and after the HUGE batch I ended up with, I wish they had succeeded with at least one of those plants (did I say that out loud? Oops!) This year, I got creative making a trellis from an old window that I refused to let Scott take to the dump, because I just KNEW that ONE day, I would be able to use it for something creative. Cucs.... meet.. CREATIVE!

I ran out of room for planting, so moved to a different part of the yard. To the side of the spa is a nice long patch of area that seems to only want to grow weeds, not grass. So I cleaned out the weeds, and planted Yellow Crookneck Squash. Not that I need that much squash, but how could I pass up the deal, 4 plants for $1.99! Will be fun to see how this area grows.

Changes Everywhere!

2011-05-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

Since the garden was moved, now we have a big blank slate of dirt. Oh what to do? Wait, I have a FRUGAL idea!

Use those FREE tiles Scott brought home from a job. Additional patio space! YES!

And a GREAT place to put the FREE Wicker Furniture Scott rescued for me.

How is THAT for a Frugal Space?

TTTTTAAAAAAA DDDAAAA!

Salsa Garden on the way

2011-05-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Started planting the tomatoes this weekend. They were on sale at Lowes, 2 for $1, Celebrity and Early Girl. So I bought 3 of each.

We moved the planter box from it's old location, as DH thinks there was not enough sun. This spot seems pretty sunny. It gets sun from noon until evening.

Pretty Start!

Also got a good deal on a Lime Tree. Already smells good. Will have to be patient and wait for fruit next year.

I held off harvesting the Meyers Lemons this year. It was just never warm enough to make Lemonaid. DH told me the brances were almost touching the ground, they were so heavy. So had him pull off half of them. They filled the sink!

They were HUGE! But there was also a thick rind. After trying to juice 1/4 of them, I gave up, and went out and bought a juicer. I am in LOVE! It zipped through those babies. Now we have half a gallon of Lemon juice to make lemonaid on demand! YAH! :-)

Garlic is still going strong. The peppers continued to fruit throughout the winter, so we are going to wait and see what happens this summer. Maybe plant a few more along with some sweet peppers.

Cant wait for summer!

DEEP IN THE GARDEN

2011-03-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

I've noticed something about gardening. You set out ot do one thing and pretty soon you're doing something else, which leads to some other thing, and so on. By the end of the day, you look at the shovel stuck in the half-dug rose bed and wonder what on earth you've been doing.
~Anne Raver (1995)

GARLIC!

2011-02-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

After asking around, I got a great tip on planting and growing garlic.
Plant on the shortest day of the year. Check!

Harvest on the longest... That is Scott's birthday. Great reminder!

Well, I got the advise shortly after the longest day of the year, so I was a couple weeks behind, but I planted again. And here is the outcome a month later...

sure looks pretty. Now I need the patience to wait 4 more months!

GROW GROW GROW GROW!!

Gilligan Island?

2010-11-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

Keeping Sasha away from that back fence has become quite the challenge and full time project for Scott. Recently we ran across bamboo for free. So it became another attempt.

Welcome to our Gilligan Island Back yard!
It is hard to tell from the photo's but he wove the horizontal stalks in and out of the vertical stalks, so the fence it pretty sturdy.Let's see what Sasha tries with this. I think it adds to the ambiance of our paradise!

STEPPING STONES

2010-09-23T17:00:00.001-07:00

This spot had an assortment of stepping stones, but at a width that was not a comfortable step for short-legged little 'ole me. So I repositioned them and added a few more. Much more pleasing to the eye and short legs. Back in 2008, while Scott was trying to regrow the grass, I placed a path, using Mulberry branches. The path has been evolving ever since. After awhile, we placed decorative bark into the path. Then we removed the branches and started placing stones along the path. Both of these options were driving Scott a little crazy when he tried to mow the yard.

The path is evolving again. I talked Scott into picking up some broken concrete, so I could place about the yard, making a grass and concrete path. My original idea was for around the pond, but then I thought of this idea and figured it would alleviate some of Scott's frustration.

Today I got about 1/2 way through with the path. Using up almost all the concrete we picked up. So back to craigslist to look for some more.

After the original path is completed, I would like to add a path to the spa also. And then plant grass between the stones, for a garden path. I am pretty pleased with the look of it.

WEEKEND UPDATE

2010-08-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Starting out in the shade, I created another border (right) in the yard. This replaces the Mulberry Branch borders I had started with, just to get an idea of what we could do. Behind the little log stump is a Watermelon plant that seems to be starting well. In front of the loop was a parsley plant, that bloomed before I got a chance to use it, and now it sort of "twiggy". But I uplifted and moved it closer to the inside of the loop. Since there was a huge empty space, and this being mostly shaded, I decided to replant a pup from our Sago. So DH went out front and shoveled out two pups from our male Sago and I planted them in front of this stump. Now we will see what happens. I wanted to add more color to the pond, and always love the look of little color hiding under taller plants. So I am taking a chance with Caladium (pink). I know I said I hate to plant annuals, because they just die, but for $2.18 each, I thought "What the heck?!" Another was planted under the palm on the mirror side of the water fall.
My aunt took me shopping for another addition to the yard. So we picked out this beautiful Philodendron. Not finding a place around the pond, we decided to plant on the corner of our spa sanctuary. Can't wait to see what transpires.

Home Depot had a ton of Canalily's marked down to $1.25!!! WHAT??!!! My husband put a limit on me, and I was only allowed to buy 4 more. This after we bought 4 of them for $6 each a couple weeks ago. We were not sure where we were going to put them, but for that price, I would FIND A PLACE! So, one ended up on the other corner of our sanctuary.

Another ended up behind the pond, between a palm and zebra grass. Adding more color along the back fence. Another was placed behind the big Tree of Heaven.

Our next plan is to locate some broken concrete and start adding some stone walkways around the yard. If our backs can handle it.

Attack of the GIANT ZUCCHINI!

2010-07-03T11:30:00.001-07:00

This is our Zucchini plant. It has grown HUGE. I am so glad we planted it apart from everything else. It was actually a "lets take a chance on this" afterthought planting. And it has turned out, so far, to be the best growing. Hmm, maybe we have discovered a new spot for the rest of our garden. One day, I asked DH to see if there were any zucchini ready to be picked for our dinner the next night. His response was... "yes there is". Not' Oh man, you should see the size of those babies!" or "Uh, no, not zucchini, but maybe alian pods!", or even "Sure there are, but you should check out the size of them." No, instead I think we have a few small zucchini's for dinner. The next night, I pull aside a couple leaves to pluck a few babies, and I fell back on my behind. HUGE HUGE HUGE Zucchini's. And not just one, but about 5, and more starting. No idea THAT would happen. What do I do what that much zucchini? Well, the neighbors are enjoying it, and I am coming up with a lot of recipe's to use them in...LOL
The other plant that is producing nicely is the Serrano. The one pictured below is actually left over from last year. And we planted another, in case the first didnt fruit. Now if only our tomatoes will start ripening, so we can make our Salsa!

The strawberry plant started slow, and has produced a few small bitesize berries, but it is also sending out shoots, so I am hoping for a nice crop a little later in the season. If the birds or bugs dont beat us to them.

We planted red and yellow bell peppers. So far this is the only pepper to come to life. It is almost completly yellow, but not very big. I am optimistic still.

The little cucumber plant, was planted the same time as the Zucchini. It is being shaded by the Zucchini and growing slowly. But I see some flowers popping out, so I hope the Cuc's follow suit!

This is a watermelon plant. It is another "What the heck, lets try it for $1.99" planting. It is close to the Zuc and Cuc. I am not a big fruit fan, not that I dont like it, I just dont crave it, but am willing to enjoy it, if it just pops up in my yard. No work required.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And last but not least, the "pretty much finished" pond. DH would still like to bring in a few more rocks, but I am extremly happy with how it looks right now. The lillies are shooting up pretty white and yellow flowers, the 2 hibiscus we planted add a pretty touch of color on both sides of the back of the pond. The palms that bookend each side of the water fall are filling out beautifully. Unfortunatly, the Canna Lilly is cut out of the lower left side of the picture. It really draws the eyes to the pond, when you enter the back yard.

The greatest enjoyment of the pond is watching a couple birds dive and dance over it. They must be catching bugs mid-air, as they will fly over, and made a quick turn mid-flight, almost looking as if they stopped flying and started to fall. It is very relaxing to sit with a mojito in hand and enjoy the sound and sites of our oasis. Exactly what I dreamed of.

Springtime planting

2010-04-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

Updates first: Remember the Mexican Heather I planted around the log last year? It has gone CRAZY! Look how filled in it is? And this is after I trimmed it back a little. I LOVE how full it is. So Scott agreed he would like to try some around the pond. See below. And the little rose in the garden is sprouting it's once a year bloom. How very pretty!

It feels good to get dirty again in the yard again. Ok, minds out of the gutters, people!

Today I hit Lowes and Home Depot and bought this years veggie garden. Scott has been composting the garden pits this winter, so he is hoping this will be our best crop yet.

Below is 6 Jalepeno plants, 1 Serrano, 1 Habanero, 2 Yellow Bells, 1 Red Bell, and it looks like we have a pepper plant left over from last year, but cannot recall which one it is. It has little green peppers starting to pop out right now. It will be a pleasant surprise we are sure! Below is our 4 Early Girl tomato's, 2 Roma tomato's (those are EXPENSIVE this year!), Basil and Cilantro. We are ready for our summer salsa and pesto!

Scott went on the hunt for rocks all week, and worked all day today laying them out around the pond. He is going to be super sore tomorrow.

This is a little hidden surprise. I planted some more of the Mexican Heather, as it did so well in my first garden.

On the far side of the pond a decorative grass (seen on Right side) was planted and last weekend we planted a new Hibiscus bush (seen on left side)

We now have the waterfall bookended with 2 Pigmy date palms that seem to love the spot. Along with Pompus grass ruling over the head of the waterfall. Just to the right of the falls is another Hibiscus bush.

We have had a heck of a time keeping any grass growing in the back half of the yard. It looks green, but that is all weeds! UGH! Then when we pull them all, we have a bunch of dirt that gets tracked in with Sasha's paws, and Scott's treadbottom boots. Little dirt turds all over the dining room and office. AAACCKK! So today I came up with the idea of making paths. And leaving the green weeds inside the paths. The places that the weeds were pulled, I turned up the dirt and am going to try to come up with some plantings to make little gardens. I would LOVE LOVE to have some mounds, but have to learn how to keep the water from just running down and making mucky ditches around it. Dad, any idea's? After pulling up all the weeds, I am sure I will be as sore as Scott tomorrow.

Do I hear the spa calling?
Stay Tuned!

They are ALIVE!!

2009-11-23T16:49:00.000-08:00

These flowers were given to me last year when I lost my job (a year ago this month) and when I had surgery in January this year. I took a chance and planted them in the ground. They withered and hung in there. Sort of pathetic all year. But right now they are so beautiful. I hate to cut any off to put in vases. They are the only flowering plants in the front yard right now.

POND VISITOR

2009-07-25T17:07:00.001-07:00

Besides the bee's surrounding the Water Hyacianth, there is another admirer to the pond. It is a beautiful copper colored dragon fly. He seems to prefer to visit during the hottest part of the mid-day. He hovers over the pond, then lands on the Plumeria on the island in the middle of the pond and gazes over the pond. Sometimes he will disappear into the distance for a few minutes, but always returns to gaze upon his territory. We have named him Rumplestillskin. Recently he has been bringing a friend. She is very iridescent, so deserves her name as Tinker Bell.

They are a beautiful addition to our landscape in progress!

BEFORE & AFTER

2009-04-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to see my garden still thriving...

BEFORE...

AFTER...

Still Digging

2009-04-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

The Dream Garden is a dream come true. It is growing like crazy, and really enjoyed the winter rains. Scott continued to have a problem keeping the mulberry twigs on my path leading to the garden, so we finally dug it out and put in a bark path, to match the one in the garden. I LOVE IT!

Scott is back to digging again. The plumbing has been buried around the outside of the pool, I mean pond. Now he is digging a hole for the top of the waterfall, leading down to the pool, I mean pond. Today we were excited to notice one of our vines producing flowers for the first time since we bought it 2 years ago. It came home with a couple buds from the garden store, then promptly never budded again. What a beautiful site to see pretty purple trumphets. I planted garlic cloves last October, to grow over the fall and winter. They are not ready to harvest yet, but we are anxiously awaiting the turnout of our first homegrown garlic. Just planted tonite, several varieties of tomatoes... and jalepeno, serrano and habanero peppers. Along with red bell pepper and cucumbers. We are still keeping an eye out for some more peppers, as we need a full batch for our summer salsa makings!

IS IT SPRING YET???

Shopping Spree

2008-11-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

My aunt Carol gave me a generous Home Depot gift card encouraging more plants for my garden dream. So today I went on a shopping spree.

I added my other Cana Lily in front of the fountain. Oh, how pretty it will be when it grows tall and shoots out another bloom. What a view from the dining room it will be. Behind the Cana Lily, I planted a Big Leaf Philodendron. This will add to the tropical garden theme. Scott decided the Tree Fern (far right) would be too big for the far corner I put it in, so he moved it forward, so it will have more space to spread as it grows taller.

In the dream garden I added a Cape Honeysuckle. I was not able to find too much about it, but said it had fragrant flowers, so sounded nice, plus it was inexpensive :-)

To finish off the tour, I added another Star Jasmine, at the suggestion of mom. Behind the Polka Dot plant, I will train it to vine around the new gate Scott built for the garden. The day after I was laid off from my job, my friend Mildred showed up with these beautiful burgandy Mum's. I finally got them planted next to the Corrie Girls. Now there will be a fun story with this. As I stated in the previous blog, Mildred and Corrie used to be roomates, until Dred married, and now Corrie is a missionary in Italy. So, they may be seperated by an ocean now, but their namesakes are roommates again. Meet Dred's Mum's (Dred is a mommy too- how appropriate)Thank you Carol & Dred!

More Updates

2008-11-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

It is hard to see, but I planted an Umbrella plant, between the Gardenia bush and the new fountain. I am hoping to pick up another Cana lily to plant in this area too. In the corner of this area, I planted a Tree Fern. We are looking forwar to seeing how this grows, as we would love to have more in our yard, near the "someday" pond (now a big hole!).

I bought some Narcissus bulbs for the fun of it. I have had such good luck with the Amarillis, that I wanted to try these this year. Keeping on the back porch until they go through their first year.

A stroll through my garden

2008-11-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

Scott put up a gate for me. What an inviting entrance to the garden.Come on in and lets see what is growing.The Lobelia has started spreading and covering more ground. It looks so lush and pretty. The newest addition, the Canna Lilly has just gone crazy. It is now over 4' tall and surprised me with the most beautiful bloom.
Today I have added a Lace Fern, where the Blue Star Creeper never made it. I am looking forward to seeing how this Fern fares in this spot next to the bird bath.Across from the Canna Lily, I planted an Umbrella Plant (almost lower Rt side of the picture above). I grew up with these plants in our backyard. I remember fondling pulling one out of the bush and walking around with my Parasol.

I love to look back and see the transformation of this hidden area that had such an ugly start.

HOLES!

2008-09-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

Wasnt there a movie, where kids were sent to a camp to dig holes all day long, then start again the next day? Scott may not be working for an underground construction company anymore, however, he still likes to dig.

Since the grass is still not doing well, he might as well start digging the pond in the back part of the yard.

He is planning a little island in the middle of the pond.

From the back corner of the yard will be a little stream/waterfall that will feed into the pond. He digs, then he reads. He reads, then he digs. He has admitted this is his therapy.

LOOK WHATS NEW!

2008-08-11T10:12:00.001-07:00

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord; Plans to prosper you, not harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Jer. 29:11

I painted this window rather amaturish a couple years ago and hung outside the Master Bedroom window. Since the rest of that area was never too appealing, I didnt really enjoy it as I had planned. This weekend, while admiring the process of the garden, I realized this verse, which was the first one that ever spoke to me personally, applies to my garden too. How appropriate.

This weekend we poured out small bark on the path. I wasnt sure what to expect but am rather pleased at how it turned out. Also, more plants were added. Between the surviving Gardenia, 2 small ornamental Pepper plants were placed. At the front left side of the garden, I rescued a Jasmine Vine that was dwindling in the farthest north-east side of the yard. I am praying for life to come back to this vine, for a very scented garden.

Also added to the garden is a Canna Lilly. I fell in love with this plant at the nursery and have been admiring them everywhere I go. Dragging poor Scott back this weekend, was the highlight of my garden finds. Several more small flower plants were placed along the border.

The little rose bush has produced another bud. This is the most it has had in one season ever!

And finally, this will give you the laugh of the day.... Proof that this is MY garden, worked with own hands. Or should I say FEET!!!

MORE PLANTS

2008-08-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

After no success with the replanted Ivy or ground covering, I splurged and bought some more plants. There are now 2 Mexican Heather which is considered a shrub. After buying I went on line to research and found this: "Mexican heather looks dainty and delicate, but this sturdy little shrub is actually tough as nails. It grows in densely branched, two-foot-tall mounds of slender stems clad in masses of small, oblong to lance-shaped, bright green leaves that are evergreen in frost-free areas. Clusters of tiny flowers—usually in shades of purple, but sometimes in pink or white—bloom all along the stems from spring to fall, or even year-round in mild climates" And even more promising: "Compact, long-blooming and practically problem-free, Mexican heather is truly a treasure for busy gardeners, especially in the hot, humid conditions that can quickly stress fussier flowers." Perfect for this impatient gardner.

The other plants is a HOSTA aka 'Golden Tiara'. For those of you who know me, I LOVE Tiara's and own a couple. The outer leaves are oval to heart shaped, while the inner ones are heart shaped to almost round. Researching this one I found "It literally grows like wildfire (although it doesn't spread like wildfire)." Once again....Promising.

I have decided to go on faith and start adding decorations to the garden. Her is a frog that wiggles with the wind. It is part of my FROG PRINCE collection.

NEW ADDITION

2008-08-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

One of our dreams came true. We finally got a fountain for the back yard. I am just thrilled. And it has the Pineapple I wanted. I got a great deal on this, so it stays within my frugalness. It was placed right outside the porch Scott built outside the french doors. It creates a serene setting in the dining room if the doors remain open. We dined on the patio thisweekend and it was so relaxing. I am looking forward to enjoying some wine and appetizers while just chilling down from a rough week.

The sad Gardenia plant is slowly coming back to life. Scott pruned off all the dead branches and leaves. I pulled it up and planted it deeper to spread out the roots. Lets see what happens now.

Corrie girl is going crazy. Just in the last 4 days her blooms have come up bright like the sun. I hope this is a sign of how her days are going in Italy. We pray for Corrie's language studies and ask God to continue to bless her with the Italian language understanding.

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SOME LIFE STILL!

2008-07-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

Scott planted in ground sprinklers and watering tubes under the walkway, to water all the plants. They are now being watered each morning during the dogs walk (my reminder to turn on and off).
I am so excited to see some GREEN peaking out of the Gardenia plant that I thought was gone. I am going to give it another week to see if more green appears, before giving it a burial on Lowes.

The Japenese Ariela (sp?) is still hanging in there. At a recent market night I met a nursery owner who shared this info. The first year the leaves may burn if it gets morning sun, however it will flurish during the following years. So I am going to be patient with this little guy!

Speaking of patience. My Aunt, who gave me the advise to scratch the brown branches or stems of a plant to see if there is green under it, thus proving life.... She told me about a book called the impatient gardner. I need to find this book. Either it will give me patience, or teach me about faster growing gardens! HAH!

While I was gone last weekend, Scott added some more detail to the now abundant grass area. He curved out a nice little garden, featuring the original Gardenia plant, shadowed by the female Sago Palm we have. Do you notice her leaves upright. She is just about to drop new leaves. Just under the Gardenia is a little fern that has hung in there since we bought the house. Scott has also planted an underground soaker head near these too.

The space between the Gardenia and back porch is now reserved for a water fountain that I am currently hunting for. This is a gift from my Pampered Chef business. Happy Gardening-- Mindy

BACK FROM THE DEAD

2008-07-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

As I stated in my first blog, since I have moved to Redlands, I have had the WORST luck with roses, even trying Miracle Grow. I am happy to report quite a few of our roses are starting to spring to life and a few buds have appeared.

Above and below is the one of the 2 roses planted on the east side of the house. Since we hardly used to visit this area, the poor babies dwindled. Plus they were always attacked by aphids and some other bug that eats the leaves. One finally died this year. This one has hung in there, and this morning I found the first bloom in over 2 years. Maybe all the water it has received revived it? Isnt this bloom just a beauty?!

The above and below rose were planted in front of the house (facing south). They replaced the Hibiscus bush that started dying after we moved in (see? BROWN thumb!). Again, they dwindled away and seemed to be dying. They had very weak blooms. Last weekend Scott put some left over compost over this bed, and look at the beautiful blooms that sprang up this week! The red is a MISTER LINCOLN. I think the lavender is a Silverado.

The below is BEWITCHED! The plant itself has hung in there since we moved in 3 1/2 years ago, but the blooms have been puny and far between. This is the 2nd bloom in a week. The other is in a vase on my desk at work. So pretty!

And look at CORRIE GIRL!! Another daisy has popped up ready to bloom. It is funny, they always face the frog statue. He is the symbol of the FROG PRINCE I married. Maybe he is chatting some encouragement to CORRIE GIRL?
I have to share more about my friend Corrie. When Scott and I were dating, he introduced me to Corrie and her roomate, Dred (short for Mildred). Dred went on to meet and marry Cory. So when talking about Cory or Corrie, we always had to say Boy Cory or Girl Corrie. I prefer CORRIE GIRL! I will now be able to say "HI!" to CORRIE GIRL each morning I leave the house.

HAppy Day-- Mindy

GARDEN UPDATE

2008-07-07T11:04:00.001-07:00

Going through some old shirts this weekend, I found the one that is my "theme" shirt for this garden! My aunt designed the logo. Little did she know I would live up to this name.

The new garden is looking a bit wilty. On Saturday, I went back and added some BLUE STAR CREPPER, which looks like dicondra to me, which is why I decided to try it. Today I read on line about it: "Pratia angulata, also known as blue star creeper, is a semi-evergreen (it may lose some leaves in cold winters), ground-hugging plant that is covered with small, light blue 'star' flowers in late spring to early summer. Plant blue star creeper around stepping stones and along pathways, where it will form a carpet. " I guess I planned that right. I planted these back near the birdbath and fern.

I also planted some BABY'S TEARS to try to get some more green and cooler looking spots. I grew these in my first garden and am hoping the shade will be enough to keep it cool. I really liked how it made the soil very rich too.

The for something a little different and to add some color, I also added some LOBELIA/ SKY BLUE. The internet states: Cascades of dainty sky-blue blooms with tiny white eyes, cover mounded plants trailing to 6-8". Most charming under cool conditions, or shaded in hot areas. Start indoors 8-12 weeks before last frost. Perfect as fillers and edgings, in beds or baskets, from summer to fall." They were spread out all along the narrow edges of the path.

In front of the otherside of the A/C, I added a leafy pink colored plant. I dont recall the name, but am hoping it will grow enough to cover the A/C unit.

Then I went and pulled some more ground cover from our front yard and added it around the tree stump log. The Ivy that was pulled from the yard last week looks like it isnt making it, so going to try another trimming. After planting everything, Scott suggested I drench the whole area, as I had noticed it was pretty sandy under the top layer when I was digging holes. So I set out a sprinkler and saturated each section for 40 minutes. The plants are looking better already.

Last but not least.... I have a good friend who is now a missionary in Milan, Italy. I have heard her mention that she loves GERBER DAISY's. When we first moved into our house, we had a pretty yellow daisy bush, that I mistook for a Gerber. I nicknamed it Corrie's Daisy. Then I really found out what a Gerber was. Last spring at our church's Womens Tea, they let us take home the Gerber Daisy decorations. I ended up with 2, which started to wilt within the first week. About a month ago, I planted the wilted, not much hope of a plant in our front planter. This weekend I have noticed flowers, STRONG flowers peeking out. I am so excited. These are officially now Corrie's daisy! Each time they bloom, I will be praying for Corrie and her work in Italy!

Blessings-- Mindy

SCOTTS TASK

2008-07-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

Last fall, Scott tore up the entire back yard. He used CAUTION tape to keep the dogs out of all but one small section left for them to do their "thing". He relaid all the sprinklers, composted the yard, then planted new grass seed.

Slowly the yard started to sprout over the winter. The dogs were anxious to get to the yard, but Scott was very very protective of his yard. No one dared step "human" or "dog" feet on HIS area.

Finally, after a long winter, and many mis-haps of the dog's having to be taken to the local park to do their "thing", the yard was ready to be opened. We had a ribbon cutting, wrapping the ribbon around the dogs, and letting them run free! How beautiful the long grass looked. Our backyard quickly looked like a feild of WILD GRASS, until it's first mowing.

Unfortunatly, within a few months of spring/summer days arrival, the grass started to slowly disappear in patches. At first we thought it was due to the dogs "stuff", but it was too spread out. Scott had planned on planting a SUMMER grass, but I argued for the dogs to not be banned from the yard again. We agreed to start again, this time only fencing off a third of the yard at a time. Scott put up a nicer green fencing this time. No more crime scene for us!! YEH!!

Copying my garden idea, I pulled Mulberry branches from the scrap yard to make a path to my new garden, and Scott tilled around the path and planted a WINTER/SUMMER grass seed, reccomended by the local University of Redlands landscapers. Even torn up, the yard is already looking better.

A week later, we are rejoicing as we see little blades of grass appearing!

STARTING A GARDEN

2008-07-01T12:10:00.001-07:00

After coveting all the gardens in Sunset Magazine, I have finally decided to jump in feet first and create a garden of my own, at our first house. I am presuming there is a tiny bit of green "finger" left in me from my real "first" garden. When I was single and living in an apartment with a tiny patio and dirt space off the living room, I actually was able to get some green thriving. Starting with some clearance rose bushes, I ended up with about 6 full blown rose bushes, with many colors. Between the roses, I was actually able to plant and maintain some baby tears for a pretty lush green look, along with a few stepping stones to the water spout. I was heartbroken the first time I had to really prune my bush, but after seeing how nice it came back, I pruned with ZEAL the next couple seasons. It was with hope that I replanted the bushes into pots, to take with me to my new married life and town. Sadly I watched the bushes wilt and eventually pass away.

After moving into our first house, I tried to plant again, and once again, met with sadness over the wilted and very spindly vines never thriving again. Did I lose my green thumb? Do I at least have a green finger? I am now determined to start fresh and NOT give up. After all, a house is always changing, right? Isnt a garden to do the same? My encouragers have said "just plant and see what takes", so that is my plan. Being very frugal, I refuse to spend too much money on something that may die. So I have started my plan with a few inexpensive plants.

I have choose the east side of the house, which has approximatly 2 hours of direct sunlight. I even timed it one day and checked every 1/2 hour to confirm. Scott was a great help, but breaking up the soil for me one day, and then bringing a load of manure, covering the yard about 1/2 foot deep. Our poor neighbors! The husband came over to make sure something didnt die in our backyard. HAH! After Scott covered the dirt, I took a shovel and turned it all. The ground is now ready!

June 28, 2008- First planting
My husband has created an ugly arsenal of junk behind our back easement. In my typical frugal manner, I decided to scout threw his piles to use what I could. While trying to decide how and where to lay out a path through my garden, I chose Mulberry branches, from our spring trimmings. They created a nice "natural" path. This helped me decide where to place my 2 Gardenia plants, dozen pink leaved coleus plants and 1 Japanese Aralia. I already knew I wanted the Japenese Aralia to help hide the A/C unit, and the Gardenia's near both the bedroom windows for the blossoms to drift into the rooms. I chose to plant the coleus against the narrow sections outside the path, near the wall or fence.

This got the creative juices flowing. What else can I bring into the garden, staying frugal of course? So I went searching around our yard. I dug up some Ivy, grabbing a couple rootballs. Then I was able to get some fern that grows crazy on the west side of our house, with hardly any water. What the heck, right? Planted the fern against the back of the garden, which gets hardly any sun than the rest of the garden. At this point, I had the bright idea of pulling in the old Bird Bath we inherited with the house, but had to put in hiding, so the dogs wouldnt drink the stale green water. Flashing a sweet smile and flirty eye's (never mind the dirt and mud smeared on me and my face) I coerced Scott into dragging in to the back of the garden for me. It was all I could do to not whine, as he messed up my neatly laid out path :-) After I figured out where to plant the ivy, another creative thought floated up. Back to the junk pile. I found a log, that looked like an old tree stump. Brought it over to the front corner of the garden, and then planted the ivy around it. I am already envisioning this "stump" covered in ivy someday.

Next weekend, I am going to plant some baby's tears back near the fern and bird bath. Plus I want to get another plant to place on the south side of the A/C unit. Now, just water and watch!