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~~

Seems I haven't been keeping up with this blog

very well lately.

I didn't have much to talk about.

Now that will make some of you who know me best laugh...

me...with nothing to talk about?

But, there hasn't been much happening around here.

Oh...there's been some pruning going on.

I think I have everything cut back that needs it.

With temps going from 20s and 30s for lows, 

to 70s and 80s for highs, the plants are as

confused as we are.

Just hope we don't have anymore freezes.

There's a lot of new growth out there...

just like last year.  Things putting out way early.

I hope we don't get that late freeze, just like last year.

It was not a good thing.

So, just the same old, same old.

Then it dawned on me I didn't tell you we got the house painted.

It really needed it.

It was a light, minty green....all over.

Except for the front porch.  That was white.

This photo was a couple years ago...but, you get the idea.

Now it's still green....only different.

The main part of the house is Peppergrass...

under the porches are a lighter green...Muted Sage.

The porch ceilings are my version of "Haint Blue".

I think it called Streetwise.

"Haint Blue" is a color people in the South like to paint porch ceilings.

The legend is the color blue keeps away "Haints"...or Haunts...

ghosts.

But, mostly it's to confuse wasps into not making nests on the ceilings...

they're supposed to think it's sky.

We'll see....

Oh...and, we had the painters take out those old front porch posts,

and replace them with peeled cedar posts.

Looks good, huh?

We had them paint the doors with a cedar color. 

It all ends up looking a bit "cottage-y",

but that's ok.

The back porch is the same...the lighter green under the ceiling,

with the darker color as trim.

I can't get the colors to look right.

This lighter color is less minty than it looks.

We had them paint the posts that cedar color of the doors.

It does make it quite colorful.

The kitchen window was trimmed with the lighter color....

We're pleased with it.  

It looks fresh and clean.

What do you think?

We spend a lot of time on the porch.  We've been sitting out the 

last few evenings, listening to the frogs in the creek.

Now, I just hope this isn't another false Spring.

Hope things are good where you are.

'Til next time...

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

We had a lot of rain this spring.

Days of rain and clouds, and very little sunshine, to dry things out.

Everything became green...

including the driveway, the deck....everything.

The driveway developed a thick slime.

And, after I slid and bruised my tailbone on Father's Day,

going out for the paper,

our daughter and son-in-law came to power wash.

We have a circular drive.

So...dear son-in-law...who has no 'off' button...spent over 

SIX HOURS

washing away the slime.

The slime was thick, and it was slow-going. 

But now, it almost looks like a new driveway.

If I fall now, it'll have to be blamed on something else.

They left the powerwasher for Mr P to use on the deck.  

It was pretty black and moldy.

Amazing how just water can wash that away.

I thought the porch wasn't quite that bad.

But, up against the clean, you can see it had to be done, too.

The older generation doesn't work as fast, but it's finally done.

We just have to seal the wood now, and it should be good for a while.

Sitting here this morning with my coffee, I'm loving the clean.

And, as an extra bonus....it smells so much better.

Life is good today....

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

 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 fourth anniversary of 

Patchwork Garden,

that is.

FOUR YEARS!

And, I missed it.  We've been busy weeding, and raking and

weeding and raking some more.

Lots of things have changed around here, in four years.

This was the view out the kitchen window,

that I posted on the first blog post.

This view hasn't changed too much.

April 24, 2013

Other views have, though....more than once.

And, I've taken you along with me.

April 24, 2013

Projects have been finished...and, finished again.

One blog friend calls that

RE-gardening.

A perfect description.

April 24, 2013

You've listened to my whining...about weather, and drought and...

...of course, our sweet little deer. (ahem)

There have been some travels.

And, celebrations of family and friends.

Thanks to all of you, who have taken this journey with me.

I've learned a lot from you, and hope I've been able to impart some knowledge, as well.

I plan to have more things to share.

For now....it's back to the weeding and raking.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~