| Posted on Saturday, November 22, 2003 - 06:21 pm: |   
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Spent most of yesterday in the backyard doing some minor clean up and general puttering. It was cold and sunny and we were expecting frost last night from a cold front moving in. Can't believe we're getting frost this early. Brought in some of the more tender tropicals, like my prized Bat Plant, and did a little light watering to keep the humidity up.
Sure enough, there was a very light frosting on the ground this morning in the shady spots, but it was only for a few hours and all of the plants came through like champs. Supposed to be 32 again tonight.
Didn't do much in the garden today. Putzed around out front and since it wasn't very windy I got out the Round-Up and sprayed the grass/weeds that were starting to show up, mostly on the neighbors side. Gotta keep them in check this year and hopefully they won't take over again.
DH and I drove into Gilroy in the afternoon to order the vanity, cabinet and medicine chest for the bathroom. We decided on natural hickory with a "fawn" tint. It matches the Shell Oynx we picked for the shower and vanity top. We also looked at some flooring. The cabinets and shower should be in by the end of December, so we can start work on the bathroom in Jan. Woooooo Hoooooo! I can hardly wait!
Back to reality...gotta go put my work clothes in the laundry. Tomorrow is Monday for me. Yuck! |
| Posted on Friday, December 05, 2003 - 08:48 am: |
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Stayed home sick on Monday and Tuesday. An instestinal virus of some kind. Yuck! Of course it was sunny and nice outside. Went back to work on Wednesday, still a little shaky, but okay.
Thursday started my weekend (rough week LOL)and I went to the nursery bright and early and got the sacks of DG to lay. Spent the rest of the morning laying the granite between the pavers. It looks good. Also bought a few white armerias and planted them along the walkway and put in the little gingerbread men and candy cane stakes I bought at the craft faire last weekend. They look really cute. I told DH that now I wanted to paint the house to look like a gingerbread house. He said NO WAY! LOL
Then I got the roundup and started spraying the weeds and grass that is coming up. The WILL NOT take over this year. I'll resort to nuclear waste if I have to, but I WILL NOT have a yard full of weeds this year!!!!! Arrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh! |
| Posted on Friday, December 05, 2003 - 06:14 pm: |
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It sure does look lovely Wanda and I know how much work went into it. When I redid all my gardens I put down the landscaping cloth and boy does it work wonders on weeds and grass. Didn't see nary a blade from underneath it - just a few things from seeds dropped on top from the birds and squirrels. It sure made weeding easy. Instead of 3 hours every week - it was about 20 minutes. I'm with Marie on the little red car - but I am partial to little red cars - I know how they can zip along to a nursery and I think our buddies would be surprised at how much they will hold. |
| Posted on Saturday, December 06, 2003 - 08:00 am: |
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Well, the rain that was supposed to get here Thursday night still hasn't gotten here yet. It's up north, but hasn't come this far south, so I got a bit more done yesterday.
I still have the little strip between the neighbors and us on the other side of the driveway to do. I have visions of making rock wall terraces. I've been piling the dirt that I dug out of the walkway over there. Can't really afford to buy the rocks right now with Christmas right around the corner, but I figured since I already had a pile of dirt, I could start some planting anyway, esp. since I already had a few plants waiting in the wings since spring. LOL
So...I smoothed the pile and shaped it into the first and highest "terrace". I've sorta got a plan in my head of the smoke bush at the top, a bunch of lavender for the second level, and I have no idea what, yet..., for the lowest level.
I planted the smoke bush, but it looked so pitiful and lonely, so I decided to plant a few other plants that had been "hanging" around. I planted a Grevillea that only gets 2' tall, but 5' wide in the corner closest to my neighbor's and sort of offset behind the SB. It has nice texture and will fill the space well, plus it blooms in winter and spring (when the SB is just sticks) with bright orange and yellow blooms that look like candy corn. On the other side, closest to the driveway, I decided it was an excellent spot for my Agave parryi var. heucharensis (??)...a dwarf Agave.
And now it starts.........I've decided I need something tall at the back of that "lavender bed", so the wheels are turning again.
I'm sure my neighbors think I'm totally nuts, sitting on my patio staring and designing in my head. Then when I come up with an idea, I jump up and run out to the sidewalk and stand and stare awhile at that angle, then off to the side to stare, then back to sit and stare some more.
I'll be lucky if they don't call the men in the white coats before I'm finished. LOL
Did a little cutting back, clean up in the back later in the afternoon, then I lit a fire in the chimenea and sat back with a cup of Gingerbread Spice tea by the fire and watched the birds until the sun went down.
No gardening today. DH is home and we MUST go Christmas shopping. Only 3 weeks left til Christmas. How did that sneak up so quick????
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| Posted on Saturday, December 06, 2003 - 09:47 am: |
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Ran out to take some pics of the "new side area".
These also show the official Screaming Yellow Nursery Assault Vehicle. LOL
And just look at all those weeds growing...tsk, tsk, tsk.......
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| Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 08:09 pm: |
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Well, another storm hit us yesterday. This one brought wind gusts up to 40mph. The nursery looked like a disaster area with trees, even the 24" boxed ones, falling over into the aisleways. The rain didn't come unti around 9 pm. I saw on the news that trees and branches had fallen all around the bay area.
Went outside first thing this morning and found my acacia tree had broken loose from its stake and leaning over. Also the red Iochroma was laying on the ground. Other than that and lots of leaves laying around, everything else seemed to have taken the wind in stride. Guess I'll spend tomorrow putting up new stakes. |
| Posted on Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 07:21 pm: |
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What a beautiful sunny day it was today, only cold. There was an icy mild wind blowing most of the day. I lit a fire in the chiminea and sat outside treating myself to a loooong morning. Around 11, I made a cup of gingerbread spice tea and had a gingerbread biscotti.
Recharged, I rolled up my sleeves and cut back the lavender that's become a monster. Collected some seeds from the Mandevilla laxa and pruned back the red dragon persicaria that's trying to take over.
Hahaha! Got out of staking the trees. Adam asked what he could do so I gave him the job. I came in to clean house and get out the christmas decorations. Washed the LR curtains and dusted and vacuumed. Place looks pretty spiffy.
Then I planted 3 cell packs of sedum spathufolium around the front walkway per David's suggestion.
Now....tomorrow I'll clean the kitchen and Adam and I will do some last minute shopping for Gary's birthday tomorrow. |
| Posted on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 09:36 pm: |
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Day went just as I had planned. Mopped the floor and washed the windows in the morning. Got some christmas shopping and birthday and grocery shopping done.
Came home and finished cleaning kitchen. It sparkles!
Made a fabulous birthday dinner for Gary of shrimp cocktail, cracked dungeness crab, marinated tri-tip, Cibiata bread with dipping oil and steamed brussel sprouts with lemon. YUM
Didn't even get a chance to do more than glance at the garden this morning. It's been windy and I noticed a few dry plants. Guess I'll have to water tomorrow. |
| Posted on Sunday, December 21, 2003 - 07:03 am: |
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I have been so busy with work and Christmas shopping/wrapping/etc., I haven't hardly had time to get in the garden.
Here it is, Sunday morning, and I have to go to work. This weekend flew by. I had planned to garden a bit on Thursday after getting presents wrapped, but a friend stopped by. All I managed to do was a brief walkabout. I was happy to see the Round-Up that I sprayed a couple of weeks ago has done it's job and the grass/weeds in the front yard are on their way out. I'm sure I'll have to hit it again before the rains stop in spring.
In the back yard, the bulbs are sprouting, the Daphne is budded, and the Kumquats are ripe. YUM!
+++ jpeg +++ 1072054 +++ Upload +++
Also notice little sprouts coming up from some African Feather Bush (Aulax) seeds that I planted. Yaaaay!
Sure don't feel rested enough to return to work today since I didn't get at least 1 day to spend in the yard. At least it's only 1 day...starting Monday I'll be on vacation until the 4th! Woooooooooo Hoooooooooooo! |
| Posted on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 10:01 am: |
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Haven't done much in the garden during the holidays...way too busy.
Decided to take time yesterday to do some work. Started to prune some of the Clematis back. That lasted about 15 minutes until the skies opened up and it rained and rained and rained some more. A 10 minute break and it rained some more, then it HAILED!!! In CA? UNTHINKABLE!! LOL There is snow on Mt. Hamilton, 1/2 hr. drive from me. Sun is shining this morning. Maybe I can get a few things done before I return to work tomorrow. |
| Posted on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 09:20 pm: |
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The sun held out and I got lots done. Cut back several Clematis. This was hard to do since some of them still had lots of green foliage. The Don Juan climber got a good shaping and all the leaves plucked off. Finally got that native grape cut back and out of the trees. Maybe I'll shovel prune it later this spring. It's so hard to keep under control. The Hardenbergias have lots of buds. Should have lots of color by the end of the month.
By the end of the afternoon, I felt like I had gotten lots done, but when I stood back to look, all I saw was how much work there is left to do.
Gotta go back to work tomorrow...Siggggghhhhh |
| Posted on Thursday, January 08, 2004 - 08:50 pm: |
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OMG! 74F today!!!!! Couldn't believe it. Esp. since it was colder than a witch's tit 2 days ago. I went outside with my coffee this morning and didn't come back in until 7:30! Got a lot done. Planted my new rose (Glamis Castle) and a 1g Velchenblau that had been waiting since last fall. Got the rest of the group 3 and 2 Clematis pruned up and straightened out. Planted some cuttings (fingers crossed that they take).
Plucked the foliage off the roses and got them pruned. Not a minute too soon either. I noticed some rust on the bottom of some of the leaves. Threw them all in the trash rather than the compost pile.
Pulled up some of that *&@#$@*$#@% oxalis that I planted several years ago. Whatever was I thinking???? I remember...I thought I would never want to plant anything in that location and it would make a pretty ground cover. Hahahahahaha...Sure hope I learned my lesson! LOL
Piddled around washing off the patio and rearranging plants. Got a new cymbidium earlier that I had to make room for.
Ended the day with a nice fire and a cup of Gingerbread Spice tea. Life is good!
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| Posted on Friday, January 09, 2004 - 08:27 pm: |
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Another decent day. Not as warm as yesterday, only 67 and partly cloudy, but dry and warm enough to play outside.
Worked in the front yard most of the day. Got the Angel Face roses stripped and pruned and also did one of my neighbor's as a demonstration for her. Pruned the Redbud, deadheaded the Iceland poppies, pulled some weeds and cleaned up the leaves that had blown in during our blustery days and gotten caught on my shrubs.
Then I ran to the nursery and got some sand and acid soil mix so I could finally plant the Leucospermum. Also got some lodgepoles to stake the trees...I've asked Ben if he could do that tomorrow.
Then I had to run to the grocery to get something for dinner. Never did get around to cleaning the house (Oh darn! LOL)
Tomorrow is the Home and Garden show at the convention center, so I guess house cleaning will have to wait another week....... |
| Posted on Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 07:59 pm: |
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Well, didn't make it to the H&G Show either. It was just too darn nice out. I spent another entire day in the garden. Soil had dried out from the rains, so I planted a few things that had been sitting in pots since fall. Don't know what else I did, mostly just puttering...pulling a few weeds, cleaning fallen leaves, cutting the Bermuda grass away from the edges of planting areas and just general stuff. Looked at the new J&P catalogue and decided what I HAD to have. Of course there's no room, so I did a lot of re-designing in my head...move that, put that here, etc.
Saw a new bird!!!! One that had never visited my yard before...a Macgillivay (sp?) warbler! Wooooooo Hooooooooo! I love it when that happens. Funny, since I took the feeders down, I seem to be getting a lot more new bird spp. or see more of the ones I only saw occaisonally. The only ones that don't come around anymore are the Mourning Doves and the House Finches. The Chickadees don't hang around as much either, but still visit from time to time. |
| Posted on Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 09:43 am: |
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Ahhhhh.....finally got a day of sunshine to work in the yard yesterday. Moved a few plants around and added a variegated Scrophularia auricula and 'White Thimble' Foxglove.
Saw signs of spring all over the place...new growth, lots of bulb foliage coming up now. Sure wish I could remember what some of them are. One day I'll remember to use markers...maybe. Ah well, I guess I'll know what they are when they bloom. It's always nice to be surprised. LOL
gonna post some pics on garden gallery of spring beginnings.
Had a FANTASTIC bird day on Tuesday morning. I think it's gonna be an early spring cause I had flocks of birds that stopped by on their migration back to the foothills. The Cedar Waxwings are my favorite. They usually don't show up until Feb., but they were drinking and bathing and stripping the privets bright and early Tues. morning. Also an entire Flock of Robins. They sure left their calling card. Berry poops everywhere. Thank goodness we had some showers today to wash them off. Other sightings (besides the normal goldfinches, ruby crowned kinglets, white crowned sparrows, hermit thrush, mourning doves and hummers) included the dark eyed juncos, a flock of very small grayish birds that I haven't ID'ed yet, and another unidentified bird with a black head and white wing patches.
I was 15 minutes late getting to work cause I didn't wanna leave the yard and miss any birds. LOL |
| Posted on Friday, January 30, 2004 - 08:04 pm: |
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Well, the rain we were supposed to get today sort of fizzled. Had a few showers in the morning, but then the sun came out and it was quite a nice afternoon. I worked in the garden most of the day. I made a list of the plants I have ordered online and wanted to insure their placement instead of haphazardly crossing the bridge like usual. Decided to give the greenhouse corner a major re-do...lots of cutting back and digging up. Then I moved Terrance the Tortoise bench back into the corner, put up a crooked trellis for Perle d'azur and rearranged and replanted. I have lots more room now and a perfect spot for those orange coneflowers.
It started cooling off so I made a fire and spent the rest of the afternoon/early evening sitting by the chiminea deciding where those 7 new (okay, 9, but who's counting?) Clematis will look best. I think Negritika will look great ramblling through Daphne burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie' with C. durandii on an obelisk in the foreground....we'll see........
Tomorrow I'm meeting up with Clary and we're taking a drive to Annie's Annuals. Woooo Hoooooooo! |
| Posted on Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 05:53 pm: |
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Well, after a dreary beginning of the week, (rain, cold, drizzly, foggy and generally yuggy all around), the sun finally came through a little on Wed. afternoon. I woke up this morning to a slight frost because there was no cloud cover, but the sun was shining brightly.
Frosted Pansies
I put my sweater on and started tackling the job of figuring out what the heck to do with all those plants I got from Annie's. The sun was hot and after about an hour of working in the sun, I had to take my sweater off. I got most of them planted except a few odds and ends and the natives for the front yard. Checked all the Clematis for buds/new growth. They're all alive and showing signs of new sprouts except 1, even the Duchess of Edinburgh which I accidentally butchered a month ago and the Haku Ookan, which gave me problems last year. Whoopeeee!
Then in to shower and off to the Dr. for the yearly woman's exams. Yuck! Ah, well as long as I don't get one of those horrible letters that say something wasn't right, it's over until next year. Got my fingers crossed. Doc was concerned cause my BP was high, but it always is at the Drs. I told her it was normal and to recheck it AFTER the exams and it would be lower. She was skeptical (why don't they ever believe you?). Sure enough, it was 15 pts. lower and I told her by the time I got to my car it would be back to normal levels.
Got home around 4 and it was getting chilly, but it's supposed to rain tomorrow, so I decided to plant the natives before dark.
Cleaned up, marinated some chicken in a honey-sesame-teryiaki marinade, made a cup of hot tea.
I'm ready for the rain. Maybe I'll clean house tomorrow........ |
| Posted on Friday, February 06, 2004 - 07:57 pm: |
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Well, the rain didn't come today. It was another wonderful, sunny, warm day. Here's the UNfrosted pansies.
I spent all of it gardening. I gardened so hard, I broke my shovel and had to go buy a new one. Since I was there, I had to check out the plants. It was Orchard Supply, so nothing fantastic, but I did pick up a few summer blooming bulbs...crocosmia, some deep purple gladiolas grandiflorus, and some purple Brodeia. |
| Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2004 - 06:32 am: |
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Another sunny weekend. I worked in the front on the little side yard by the driveway. Planted a flat of Wooly Thyme and a white Watsonia, then spread a layer of shredded redwood over the entire mound. The Round-up did a good job of killing the weeds there, so now I'm ready to finish it off IF I can ever decide what to plant there.
Went to visit Clary on Saturday. We had a great visit and got all of her roses stripped and pruned a bit. Dally is such a good "helper". He kept coming over taking the prunings to make his very own pile. What a hoot!
Later in the day, we drove into town for some coffee and went to a local hardware to look for velco ties and plant labels. They were having a "whatever you can fit in the bag is 20% off sale". I found an outdoor laundry type tub for $28. Obviously too big to fit in the bag, but they said if I could fit one of the legs in there, it'd be okay. I came home with a new tub. LOL
Ah well......back to work today......sighhhhhh |
| Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 08:53 am: |
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Workman were here all day yesterday, banging and sawing and hammering putting up the sheetrock in the bathroom. What a racket. I stayed outside all day.
Had most of the cutting back and spring clean up done so I cleaned the patio. Decided that if I could move the shelf with assorted fertilizers, spa stuff, etc. into my gardening "room", I would have a lot more space on the patio. Well that meant, reorganizing the garden room to make room for the 6x4 shelf. Got the shelf emptied and moved stuff in the room. Next was to get the shelf in there. Well, the darn thing weighed a ton. Who would have figured? Then of course it wouldn't fit right side up, so I had to turn it on it's side. Finally got it manuevered in and all the stuff back on it and organized the stuff that was in the gardening room. Patio looks pretty spiffy! I forgot how much room I had with all the "stuff" on it...
Workers finished the drywall and left around 6. It almost looks like a real room again! Now it has to be painted, the shower walls installed, new floor, vanities and toilet. I'm estimating about 3 weeks..... |
| Cactusfreak Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 11:14 pm: |
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Looking a Yucca 'Tiny Star'
will trade or whatever |
| Cactusfreak Posted on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - 04:05 pm: |
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Looking for a Yucca called 'Tiny Star'
Wanda a poster on here has one but I can't get in touch with her.
Does anyone know how to get in touch with Wanda? |
