| Posted on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 01:39 am: |   
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I still can't believe that my Mother has died since my past post! I can only be thankful that she died peacefully in her bed and that I have spring and summer to occupy my mind and body. This past week has been so busy with her affairs but I am thankful that the pool has been opened, so when I stand at my kitchen sink I have blue water to look at instead of the green cover. We are not heating it yet, of course, but just to see the water is wonderful.
I've taken the all my 'startings' outdoors the last few days. They will stay out if the nighttime temps permit. Thus far have bloomed the crocus, scilla, daffs, magnolia, and most recently, hyacinths, pulmonaria and bergenia.
I've ordered far too much this spring - it will be a task to decide where to plant! A happy dilema. |
| Posted on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 11:19 pm: |
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In the past week I have also taken off the mulch from the roses and pruned them. I can't believe I forgot to mulch 6 new roses planted last fall - four of them muerto! That's what I get for buying too many $5 roses in the late fall! I also think I have lost clematis Mrs. Cholmondeley and possibly Hyde Hall and Will Goodwin. I keep hoping to see signs of life! Keeping fingers crossed :) Everything else is looking good! I have a sweet new client who is giving me all her old American Rose magazines! I love them and her.
Today reached a high of 84F here. It was very warm and glorious. We do need rain, though. The ground is very dry. I spread 10 large bags of composted manure in the veggie garden. |
| Posted on Friday, October 28, 2005 - 11:03 pm: |
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My much neglected journal! I am here to report the first frost of fall.
October 28 - much later than the last two years that I've been keeping this journal.
It was a fun and busy season in the garden! There is still
much clean-up to do. Even after the long, dry summer, the leaves
turned beautiful yellow and orange. It is slightly past peak color already. |
| Posted on Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - 11:17 pm: |
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The first hard freeze of the season was last week, Wednesday, when it got down to 15F. Last night and this morning we had the first 'measurable' snow of the season - 2.2" . The forecast is for a very cold and windy Thanksgiving. I'm glad I mulched my roses and clematis last weekend! |
| Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2006 - 08:49 pm: |
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Seed starting 2006 has begun! Those I've started this past week are:
Aquilegia (Origami Yellow, Origami Blue and White, Mini Form, Barlow, Red, Ruby Port)
Tweedia
Baby Blue-Eyed Grass
Datura Ballerina
Datura Le Fleur
Angelonia
Salvia 'Blue Angel'
Blackberry Lily |
| Posted on Sunday, March 05, 2006 - 12:40 pm: |
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More seed starting this weekend:
Sweet Peas Chatsworth and Mollie Rilestone
Angelonia Serena Lavender
Portulaca Sundial Mango
Asarina Vine |
| Posted on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 - 11:14 pm: |
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This past week I've seen the first Robins, Finches and Blue Jays.
I put out a finch feeder last Saturday and had finches that day!
Did lots of raking and cleaning in the garden and also pruned my Group 3 clematis.
Snow is predicted for tomorrow 
Seeds I started in the past few days:
Convolvulvous 'Blue Ensign'
Morning Glory 'Mini Sky-Blue'
Mystery Vine from Monique :)
Nicotiana 'Breakthrough'
Impatiens 'Bluebery'
Impatiens 'Shady Lady Sky Blue'
Impatiens 'Sunny Lady Tropical Fruit Mix'
Salvia 'Evolution'
Salvia 'Victoria Blue'
Dahlia 'Double Extreme'
Basil and Parlsey
Also bought and potted a bag of Cosmos Atrosanguineus 'Chocolate Cosmos' and direct sowed lots and lots of poppy seeds. |
| Posted on Monday, March 27, 2006 - 05:12 pm: |
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Worthy of note - the 10 day forecast has no night of freezing or below freezing temperatures for the first time this season. Hurray!
Yesterday DH and I worked outside and cut and trimmed many small trees in the woods just behind my garden. This may help give my poor shady plants in the back a little more sunlight.
I also finished sowing the last of the seeds - some calendula. Also transplanted into cell-packs many starts that had outgrown their sowing containers. It's getting to be a wonderful nursery full of promise inside the house :) |
| Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 10:37 pm: |
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This past week I've inspected all the roses - much less cane loss than previous years! However, crocus, scilla and daffs appear to be very similar in growth and bloom to last year so far. Last year on this date the magnolia buds were started to burst open - not yet this year - so I can't declare it an earlier spring than usual here.
Iris reticulata Katharine Hodgkin started blooming today.
This past week I sprinkled more poppy seeds, also sowed some nigella in the garden and larkspur (Arlene's). I also sowed some sweet peas. |
| Posted on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 10:21 pm: |
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Three days of lovely weather here. Today 72F! I've been taking all the seedlings outdoors during the day.
I've raked most of the mulch off of the roses but the forsythia still isn't blooming so I'll hold off on pruning at bit.
The daffs starting blooming on the 10th and today they are more than 50% open. Hyacinths opened today and some magnolia blossoms opened today too. It should be a beautiful Easter if it doesn't rain!
Yesterday I noticed that the first annual poppies have sprouted in the garden. I'll have lots of thinning to do! |
| Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 08:02 pm: |
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I'm secretly enjoying your latest entries here, because I've done so little in the garden so far due to house renovation issues. Hope things turn out well for you. We've had some 75+ degree days, now followed by Easter Sunday rain. Perfect for transplanting! |
