That sounds lovely @quetzalcoatl! Wishing you success in battle!!
A tiny bit of weeding this morning, clearing the bed outside our family room. I have a lot of pots sitting on the bed which had become very weedy, but should now be ready for planting at the weekend, if it's not too hot.
We have a number of perennials which neither husband nor I like the look of. We call them the spiky plants. If it stays coolish tomorrow, I'll try to move them to a large bed that we can't really see, and that needs filling up. I'll have to try to find out what the dratted things are called! I'll have to get Mr Cheery to check on his plant app.
Finally dry enough to get into the allotment easily yesterday, so I caught up on some autumn digging! I did put in a redcurrant bush last weekend, but that bit of plot was very wet indeed, wasn't sure I'd escape with both wellies.
I also picked up a nice little worked flint on the surface, which pretty much made my day.
Yay for archaeology!
I was out one day last week when I ran into two ladies who offered me a lift home instead of waiting for a bus. We went via the local garden centre, and I bought a small plum tree (which I had been intending to do on another day). They even let me use their discount card! So now I've found a good place at the end of the garden, and hope to see it grow over the spring and summer. The variety is Czar.
Hard to believe I had the heat on just a week ago, and we were having heavy rains. Now it calls for temperatures close to 80F and sunshine next week. I must remember to water the plants, for the first time in months. Such is the winter in Northern CA.
Saw 5 brimstones today, while we were travelling round the city. Transplanted several clumps of snowdrops in the green this afternoon as they were getting very crowded.
Very satisfactory trip to the garden centre the other day - I have always wanted a magnolia, and I found one with big deep pink flowers, called Emperor. Then on the market when I got home I found a cream one called stellata - because why shouldn't I have two magnolias?
When I came to plant them out, and squinted more closely at the label, I found that I have planted a monster! Emperor can grow five metres high! Stellata, thankfully, is smaller.
Very satisfactory trip to the garden centre the other day - I have always wanted a magnolia, and I found one with big deep pink flowers, called Emperor. Then on the market when I got home I found a cream one called stellata - because why shouldn't I have two magnolias?
When I came to plant them out, and squinted more closely at the label, I found that I have planted a monster! Emperor can grow five metres high! Stellata, thankfully, is smaller.
And quite slow growing too, so it won't get out of hand any time soon.
The first step has been taken towards replacing my lawn with clover. Seeds bought and planted in tiny pots to germinate indoors. It will be a slow process until it's all done as I don't have much windowsill space.
It's only a small lawn, nobody walks on it and clover stays much greener in hot, dry weather.
We have moved house and the previous owners (the husband, anyway) put a lot of effort into the garden and I'm hoping to keep up the good work. I brought some plants from my previous garden with me and a couple of the pots were smashed in transit. However, on arrival I quickly shored them up in a raised bed of good soil, helpfully left empty, and they seem to have survived. They are a dogwood (a cutting of the one I've left behind, given to me some years ago by my son) and a Christmas Rose - of great sentimental value as they were some of my mum's favourite flowers. I had this one in a pot on the Christmas table some years ago, and transplanted to the garden it has flowered a bit randomly (once in June!) but abundantly at significant times: once on what would have been my mum's 100th birthday and once on my granddaughter's first Christmas, when she and her parents came and stayed with us.
We overlook allotments here and I intend to befriend some of the allotment holders and seek their advice, as well as consulting the gardeners here.
22 years ago the three varieties of orange trees in our garden fruited from May to November. Now we already have oranges dropping to the ground. I think the earlier fruiting now is due to climate change.
I find gardening really relaxing and try to potter for part of every day.
I have two apple trees and a small, ancient flowering cherry. not much taller than me.
It's on its last legs and some branches are dying. But it still valiantly blossoms every spring. I'm growing an evergreen honeysuckle up it - I read that they are harmless to trees and it makes a sparse tree look leafy.
I love honeysuckle - in my last garden I bought a sad little twig from the Co-op because I felt sorry for it, and it ended up covering an entire fence panel! One of the first things I planted in my new garden was a honeysuckle, and it's already trying to make a break for freedom over the back fence!
I love honeysuckle - in my last garden I bought a sad little twig from the Co-op because I felt sorry for it, and it ended up covering an entire fence panel! One of the first things I planted in my new garden was a honeysuckle, and it's already trying to make a break for freedom over the back fence!
My neighbor has honeysuckle that cascades over the fence into my patio. I love it.
Loving reading about others' updates. Honeysuckle reminded me that our jasmine probably needs a cut back as does our low hedge. Green bin is a bit too full to add much, so perhaps the weekend after next.
It feels as though I have not been to the garden centre since Christmas, so I think I need a trip at the weekend to get some new seedlings. Sweet peas and pansies will be on my shopping list.
I took several Erigeron cuttings a few weeks ago, they've now got lots of lovely roots and I've potted them into small pots. They are on the window ledge, which is getting rather crowded!
First early peas and sweet peas are in the ground outside and doing fine. It's great living in the South West 🙂
I've done a bit of gardening today, and am very much enjoying things coming back to life. I like magnolias too @Eigon and when when we lived in South-West London we'd go out magnolia spotting at this time of year. Not so many people have them round here, though I have one in my front garden. It is looking a bit sorry for itself at the moment, so I hope it cheers up soon. My son bought me a camellia as a Mothering Sunday present that is currently still indoors. I need to sort out the pot it is going in outside before I can plant it out.
Last year we went to these gardens, Felley Priory at this time of year. The magnolias were amazing and the fritillary meadow was like being in heaven. I must try and get there sometime soon.
A good two hours spent in the garden this morning. One daphne planted out into the garden and two pots of carnations moved into larger pots. I managed to find 2 mega punnets of johnny jump ups at the nursery yesterday and they have been potted up.
The pots have had their potting mix jazzed up with some worm castings and the newly planted seedlings have all been watered with a diluted soil wetting agent. I also pulled some weeds on the shady side of the house and cleared up some snipped bits of manchurian pears which were browning and shrivelling up on the gravel driveway. Several more "spiky plants" moved to the front garden where we don't see them. They are filling a gap though and that's good.
My hands are a bit sore, so now vegging out in front of TV!
We are nearly ready for our April inspection. It's amazing how strimming makes it look better, as we have a lot of grass paths. Our pieris has burst into flower, and looks nice, with white flowers and red bracts. We have a new raspberry bed, the old rose has a ton of new leaves, and the old rocket plants are flowering, attracting lots of bees. A lot of iris are gathering strength. Also a lot of love in a mist, and Cal poppies, awaiting their turn to flower. No veg yet.
Just taken delivery of a 37 L sack of soil. Don't think I quite appreciated how much that weighs in old money. As much as I could do to drag it indoors, let alone up a flight of stairs.
We have had very unseasonable weather. 85F. Our swimming pool has been opened early. As I was swimming with my friends we were lamenting that it appears a tree we could see each swimming season over the fence appeared to have died. How sad. Oh no, not dead just too early in the year to have leaves.
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A tiny bit of weeding this morning, clearing the bed outside our family room. I have a lot of pots sitting on the bed which had become very weedy, but should now be ready for planting at the weekend, if it's not too hot.
We have a number of perennials which neither husband nor I like the look of. We call them the spiky plants. If it stays coolish tomorrow, I'll try to move them to a large bed that we can't really see, and that needs filling up. I'll have to try to find out what the dratted things are called! I'll have to get Mr Cheery to check on his plant app.
I also picked up a nice little worked flint on the surface, which pretty much made my day.
I was out one day last week when I ran into two ladies who offered me a lift home instead of waiting for a bus. We went via the local garden centre, and I bought a small plum tree (which I had been intending to do on another day). They even let me use their discount card! So now I've found a good place at the end of the garden, and hope to see it grow over the spring and summer. The variety is Czar.
I raise painted lady butterflies but wait until the budlia is blooming before I get my caterpillars.
I've pruned the hydrangeas today. Very satisfying. They have lots of new green shoots and I've taken several cuttings.
Slightly late but I'm sure they'll be fine.
When I came to plant them out, and squinted more closely at the label, I found that I have planted a monster! Emperor can grow five metres high! Stellata, thankfully, is smaller.
And quite slow growing too, so it won't get out of hand any time soon.
It's only a small lawn, nobody walks on it and clover stays much greener in hot, dry weather.
Will we ever have hot, dry weather again?
We overlook allotments here and I intend to befriend some of the allotment holders and seek their advice, as well as consulting the gardeners here.
I find gardening really relaxing and try to potter for part of every day.
I have two apple trees and a small, ancient flowering cherry. not much taller than me.
It's on its last legs and some branches are dying. But it still valiantly blossoms every spring. I'm growing an evergreen honeysuckle up it - I read that they are harmless to trees and it makes a sparse tree look leafy.
The daffodils are breaking, the hellebore is at full throttle, and surprisingly quite a lot of wallflower in bloom.
I'm glad to hear honeysuckle doesn't do damage, as I have one entwining round the Irish Pippin.
My neighbor has honeysuckle that cascades over the fence into my patio. I love it.
It feels as though I have not been to the garden centre since Christmas, so I think I need a trip at the weekend to get some new seedlings. Sweet peas and pansies will be on my shopping list.
First early peas and sweet peas are in the ground outside and doing fine. It's great living in the South West 🙂
Last year we went to these gardens, Felley Priory at this time of year. The magnolias were amazing and the fritillary meadow was like being in heaven. I must try and get there sometime soon.
The pots have had their potting mix jazzed up with some worm castings and the newly planted seedlings have all been watered with a diluted soil wetting agent. I also pulled some weeds on the shady side of the house and cleared up some snipped bits of manchurian pears which were browning and shrivelling up on the gravel driveway. Several more "spiky plants" moved to the front garden where we don't see them. They are filling a gap though and that's good.
My hands are a bit sore, so now vegging out in front of TV!
I find that amazing. They are invasive weeds in the place I grew up!
An internet search found it as the Giant Chandelier Plant.
I think this is probably different from the invasive weed.
https://www.bambooland.com.au/medinilla-dolichophylla-giant-chandelier-plant