It has seriously rained all week long. Every single day. Non-stop rain. It's very frustrating. I feel like I haven't enjoyed any of the spring flowers because they've been rained on for the last two weeks and most of them (daffodils) are about spent. I have 'toured' the property daily to check the progress of things. It's very relaxing to just take 5-10 mins and circle round the house to see what's popping up--- even in the rain.
It looks like the veggies I've planted are going to be fine. They seem to be holding their own. It should be drying out over the next couple of days and I'll be happy to see the puddles of mud and water disappear from the garden. The peas are sprouting, but they need the sun to come back out.
The rose I transplanted hasn't kicked the bucket yet. It actually seems to be doing alright and the rain is probably wonderful for it because it's root system needs to re-establish itself. I've been eyeing some rose plants in the [url=]http://www.jacksonperkins.com... & Perkins Catalog[/url] and thinking about adding to my meager collection. I had no idea how to take care of roses when I moved in and managed to kill two beautiful plants that first year. Now, I've learned a bit and feel confident that I can take care of them... or at least keep them alive.
The suns coming out this afternoon! Yay! This weekend should be beautiful. Of course, I have a wedding to go to that is going to consume the majority of my time. Figures! :lol:
Yesterday I spent the entire afternoon laying mulch and putting in edging. The ten bags that I thought would finish the back yard, didn't even finish the one of the beds. I'm going to need at least 10 more bags. I should have just ordered the mulch and had a pile delivered. Maybe I'll look into that, because I still have to do the front. I also dug up and moved some plants.
I love to see wildlife in the yard (I make an exception for snakes and black widow spiders). This year I made a point to fill and hang two bird feeders and I love looking out the kitchen window watching the birds enjoying their free meals. I have a row of butterfly bushes and the girls love watching the butterflies flitter about (haven't seen any butterflies yet). Last year there was at least one hummingbird nearby that would visit the yard. Even squirrels and deer don't bother me. That is until they start disturbing my plants.
Anyway, I dug up and moved a climbing rose that I had planted two years ago at the base of the deck. The idea of having it climb up the deck and around the railings was nice, but I wasn't thinking about thorns. Duh! So I dug it up and moved it next to an arbor. It looked very sad after it was moved. I think I may have killed it. :(
I really need to get some garden gloves. I couldn't find any at Lowes the other day. My hands are so blistered and red from the digging...
Well, today my father offered to watch the girls while I ran out shopping so I headed up to Home Depot and bought another 2 rolls of landscapers edging to finish my bed project and I got 10 bags of mulch. I hope this will finish up the backyard.
I resisted the urge to purchase annuals. I just can't bring myself to buy them yet. I haven't 'planned' what to do about the containers on the deck. I don't want to just buy a bunch of pretty stuff and stick it together like I have in years past.
I'm tempted to put the raspberry and blueberry bushes I bought two years ago into containers and move them in to the house. I really wanted to grow them because my grandmother has a huge bush and she always let us pick them and eat them. I just thought the girls would enjoy doing that. So I planted them where I had the space... in a bed out by the shed. The problem is that the DEER love that bed and usually gobble anything out there right up. If I see any signs of life from the sticks that used to be bushes (and I expect to) I will replant them, otherwise they are a loss. You live and learn.
Tomorrow it will be warm and sunny. My oldest daughter is going on a overnight trip and my 3 year old is going to a carnaval. So the plan is to work in the yard all day with my little one. :) Sunday there will be more rain so I'll be painting inside.
=http://img28.photobucket.com/... align=center Yesterday was a lovely day, so I finally made it outside and I planted my tomatos and peppers that I grew from seed. Unfortunately there were only 3 tomato plants that were healthy looking enough to plant. I'll just have to buy a couple more from the nursery. *Note to self: Start Peppers from seed in January but don't start tomatos until the end of February at the earliest.* They look pretty pathetic. If they don't start looking better in the next couple weeks, I'll get some more. The peppers look good though so I planted six of those. (pictures to come--- the ones I took did not turn out well)
I also planted some lettuce seeds and took note of a couple of pea plants starting to pop out of the ground, even despite some of them being unearthed by 3-4 straight days of rain. Today it is drizzling, which should be good for the newly planted stuff because I didn't goive it too much water (knowing that it would rain today).
Above are some pictures I took of some things that were flowering around my yard yesterday. The first picture is of a flowering bush. I have no idea what kind of bush it is. The first year we lived here the japanese beetles had a feild day chewing that thing to pieces. I had to cut it almost to the ground. The second year I fought back and sprayed it with Seven pesticide when the beetles started feeding. I managed to save it and this year it is HUGE :). The second picture is of some snowbells. The third is my favorite varigated VA Bluebells and the fourth is an apricot cupped daffodil. I planted apricot daffodils all along the front of the house with grape hyacynths in front of them the year we moved in. This year they are coming up totally yellow! I don't understand. My father said it's because they react to the chemicals that oak trees give off? I've never heard of that before.
PS... I battled two snakes yesterday and wrote about it on [url=http://dumblondegirl.tblog.co...]my other blog [/url] if you're interested.
It's going to be 70 today and I see below freezing weather in the near future, so I'm planting today. I am also going to RE-plant my peas because, hmm, the rain seems to have unearthed most of them. GRRR!
I'm getting really annoyed with the weather. It rained all week. Then this weekend we got a little sun, but it's been bone chilling cold. Now, I usually wouldn't mind working in the cold, but if I have to wear a ski jacket, you can forget it.
The pest of the week is a weed that I'm currently cursing. The common violet. It grows wild and while it's really beautiful, I can't have it taking over all of my flower beds. It's a pain to get rid of because it grows in annoying tuberous clumps that spread so quickly! I have some really interesting varieties throughout my property (dark purple like shown, also a light purple and a striped variety).
Later this week, I'll be hauling my mulch back from the Home Depot. I'm tempted to have mulch delivered. We need *that* much. I just don't know if it's cheaper to go that way or not.
No sign of sprouting from the seeds I planted last week, although I haven't checked today. I'm wondering if the rain did them in. :(
New things blooming: snowbells. New things popping up: the foliage for the bleeding hearts and some hosta.
Those damn squirrels dug up my pansies and the deer came and ate the tops off of half my tulips. *sigh*
=http://img28.photobucket.com/... align=rightAnother soggy day so there is no new outdoor progress and you get this instead: What is it? I took this two days ago so it's just starting to come out of it's winter slumber now. It eventually will grow 3-4 feet tall and have a lovely spire of double pink flowers. Any guesses?
PS--- The answer to the last "What is it" was Virginia Blue Bells (a varigated variety that I ordered from a discount catalog and if I could find anymore I'd buy them all up... the leaves are so pretty).
Pics from my Garden!
Above: Daffodils, Forsythia and Virginia Blue Bells from my gardens blooming now :)
About Me:
Name: Cindy (aka Dumblondegirl)
Location: Northern Virginia
Zone: 6 or 7
Soil: Acidic, clay
