What is happening in your Garden Today II

I realized that the first thread was getting rather long so I thought I would start another. Please share you daily garden chores, small projects, changes to your garden and pic's of what is blooming or what you have added. You can talk about your gardening problems or how much you enjoy relaxing in your garden and the pleasure it gives you. Whatever is Happening in your Garden Today that you feel like sharing.
Ric and I seem to be getting a bit better and we have been getting busier. He more than me. LOL Well today we spent most of the day in my Parents yard, they are capable of doing their own yard work but it is getting much harder for them and really appreciate help when we can give it. We had picked up a nice load of aged mushroom soil and wanted to amend their beds and fill them in a little. I love going up there and working in their yard. I did some bed cleaning and weeding. Ric mowed the back yard, turned over a small bed that Dad grows his tomatoes in. Then he started moving the soil we brought, not sure how much of the soil we put into the beds. I think he added 5 wheelbarrow loads into the area he turned over for the tomatoes. I know he put a little extra in there for use out front later. Then he started coming in behind as I cleaned and dug up the beds he would spread the mushroom soil add some other things. to the mix and I would go back and work it in. I finally planted the Pansies that have been at my house for a month waiting for me to feel well enough or have the time to get up there and plant them. I had given her a pot of them at Easter but never got around to planting the extras in her beds. When we left it looked so nice, funny their yard is always neat and tidy you don't really see a lot that needs to be done at first. But it always looks better when we leave and I always find more to do than you notice. When we got home Ric unloaded the rest of the soil out front it is going in the new beds on the corners of the Gazebo and then took the trailer to get another load of stone for Josh. He was pretty tired tonight when he finally got to quit for the day. Here is a Pic of my Parents front entrance from last year. I starting planting Caladiums in this area with a couple of big pots on the stands my Dad made. They are the only ones in the neighborhood with them and the neighbors just love them.

Holly!

I love the white Caladiums also! Always contrasts so well with all the other colors....I bought one.

Well! This morning I thought I better go to "MD Flower and Foliage" and buy some bedding plants.....Didn't want to wait much longer--as the crowds were SO big. I could hardly find a parking place....

Spent about $100--but that was mostly because I bought 3 trays (8 pots each--$20 each) of 6" annuals....
Also got 2 8" Mandevillas----2 for $12.....and 2 trays of 6-packs of this and that ($ 10 per full tray of 6 cell packs). SO! A lot to plan and do....

I was out there for hours.....My neighbor came over and we chatted. They will be leaving for Spain on 5-12.
There went one hour.....I took a break and ate some chicken wings I cooked yesterday...there went about 40 minutes.....But I did get a lot done anyway...

Planted my biggest pot full of asst. things. This will be an accent pot.
Mixed all the good "soil-stuff" in my 3 heavy, clay W-Boxes and planted them full.
Planted all 6 of the Heliotropes and tall marigolds in my Rose bed.
Planted 3 pots-full of Sweet Basil. I bought ONE pot--and it was solid with Basil seedlings....maybe 30-35 in there?
Watered all the beds...We need a good rain.
Took almost all other houseplants and HB's out this evening. Took all my X-mas cactus out. The only thing left inside are my 3 HB's of Spider plants and the 25-some 4"pots of Spider plants now growing for 2 years.
Sure hope someone at the Swap will want some--I will be bringing a bunch!
That--or I will take them all to work and let the people gobble them up.

Tomorrow--I will continue.....Need to mow my lawn for sure as well....!
Mixing the soil into planters and digging up the beds before i can plant anything takes a long time....but it has to be done. So many roots in everything!

Tomorrow--I will try to plant out the remainder of the beds.....including stuff in my "YUK" bed....OH! Digging a hole in that one will be hard! I bought Straw Flowers and Lantanas for this bed. I have tried marigolds in it every year--but something always chews them down to the nubs.....Slugs? Earwigs?

At this time, we are all dealing with the "showers" of whirly-seeds from my Silver maple. Geez! They are all over the place! I swept my patio twice today!

Then--I have to start sticking all these Coleus I have been growing here and there.....Mamma Mia! I have 3 trays-full! Cuttings--Cuttings from those cuttings--and cuttings from the cuttings from the original cuttings.....
Will have lots for the swap.

It has been a full day! I am tired. Gonna hit the el-sacko soon....Gotta get my beauty sleep......

Gita

PS. Here is my Potato Top seedling (seed from Jill). Does this look "real"? The leaf-I mean?
We all had different fruits last Summer.....

Gita, Sounds like you had a real full day and picked up some really nice plants. My Dad is going to clean his pond probably tomorrow so Ric put some extra dirt out back in the tomato area to fill in around the pond when he is done cleaning it and then I will add a few more plants in that area. I have begonias to put in the bed with the Caladiums this year maybe some of the impatiens will go in there as well. I really should be more tired than I am right now, I was really tired earlier and I think I would have gone to bed when we first got home if I could have but now I have a second wind and can't seem to settle down. Tomorrow morning is HGHA meeting so I'm not sure what will get done when I get home but I hope to be productive.

Gita, what a day you had. Good for you ! I just hate those maple seeds, we get tons of them. We are always pulling up tiny maple trees, in the beds. If you let them get away from you, the next year they are even harder to pull up.

Holly I am glad to hear you and Ric are starting to feel better, now you two just have to keep it that way.

Yesterday I finally finished my Heuchera bed. Did some pond muck dredging, and discovered about 4 to 5 blue gill babies. Lost one my larger blue gill this winter. So I have one large one left.
Paul mulched the path between the 2 rows of daylilies beside the driveway, he is getting more active in gardening this year, I guess he is seeing all the things that I usually have done by now and is starting to chip in.

LadyG, I like the variegated hostas in that bed they look really nice with the different color heuchera. Only thing I did in the yard today was water. I had the HGHA meeting this morning and then went to lunch after with a friend, and picked up a few groceries. Never got home till the middle of the afternoon. I did take the ducks out for a swim while I cleaned their cage and then they followed me around the yard while I watered. They are really cute and Ric asked if I wanted a pair of my own and I said not this year.
Those maple seeds are everywhere, I don't remember them being quite so bad a few years ago.

Oh how cute! Did they make that little quacky noise as they followed you around?
I didn't get much done yesterday, Did some weeding and brought out my lupins from the basement to harden off. They are under the glader on the deck, a good sheltered place.
I was expecting rain yesterday by only got a few drops.

Nice progress reports! I would love to have duckies. But not this year, too.
Last night I remembered that i had caladiums in a bag that could be started now. Sure enough, they had tiny new tips starting to grow. I'll be potting them up tomorrrow.
What heat for the first weekend in May!
Last year I bought an unknown plant at Sutch Plant Farm after the Seed Swap, that turned out to be a Ctenanthe Brazilian Snow
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53679/
a tropical, relative of Maranta Prayer Plant. It's turned out to be a pretty easy plant, judging by it surviving my shade garden last year and my bedroom over the winter. I ripped out a chunk and repotted a new one the size of what I bought, plus kept a large one, and took cuttings to see if they'll root. Fun to play with. Soon I need to figure out when to plant summer vegetables so they do NOT all get ripe during my vacation trip.

Yes they did Ladyg, Well little duckies and JR went home. Deb is on the mend and feeling well enough to care for them again. She will call if she needs help. Sally I have a ton of Caladiums to start I would have liked to have started them a couple of weeks ago but I just don't know where I would have put them. A bunch go to my parents and a bunch to Josh's house. I haven't started my dahlias or the tuber begonias yet either. I did start the calla lilies and I have a blossom on one of them. That's the problem with tropicals "Where oh Where do I put them". LOL I have 4 of the EE and I just ordered several alocasia, leftovers from a co-op.

OH! I have callas somewhere that I leave in the gartden yr round. They are hardy enough to make it here. I have no idea where they are now though They haven't shown up yet! My dad has had them for years and his have just shown some last week when I was there.
I planted Casa Blanca lilies last week and in the process dug up a mystery tuber of some kind. No idea what that was, pretty sure it was not the callas, it had no roots or bud started at all.

I spent a good part of yesterday outside where it was hot! Trimmed the suckers off the tree in front of the townhouse and pulled weeds there. Went to Lowes to check out their reduced plants and ended up buying 1 reduced and a bunch regular priced (even tho I told myself I was not going to do that!) Put up a mesh trellis for my peapods to grow onto, planted 2 containers, now have to decide where to plant the heuchuras and dead nettle. Still want to go to my old house and dig up some of the plants from last year, he isn't going to take care of the babies.

Sally, it always surprises me the things you can leave in the ground in Zone 7. Really I don't think of your winter weather being much different than ours. Some times I think with us it is more rot from the wet ground than the cold. I haven't had any cannas overwinter in the ground for me even though I know that some do. Just unbeleivable how wet our yard is, and how long it stays wet, considering we live at the "top" of the hill.
Cat, you will have the best looking garden in the townhouse complex.
Today is pond cleaning. Ric mucked out the birdbath pond this morning we only found 5 live fish and no frogs. That %#@%$## energy efficient pond heater. We are probably going to run out and get plant tabs (water plant fertilizer) and barley straw sheets before we put it all back together. I just closed up the house it is getting hotter outside than in and I have to do a little housework still finding woodchips everywhere. LOL
This is the area where Ric removed the sod. This is rain water from last night, 3inches deep in some spots. I swear you could line a pond with the red clay we have. When you walk though the grass you squish, squish, squish.

They do line ponds with red clay! LOL Ric

Holly, so sorry about your frogs, I'm sure some will come by to take up residence again. Or your grandson could go frog hunting for you. He's a good frog catcher.
I counted 10 frogs the other day, I know that when we get our next heavy rain some will move on.
How is this for a group photo? LOL

Two peonies came into bloom today.
This is the first time this peony has bloomed for me.
I have it planted under a wild cherry tree, so it gets morning light,
and filtered light the rest of the day.
Riley

Riley, I love that color. I have one peony and it is in bud today but not open yet.
Wow, Ladyg that is a group photo. Yes, Our pond froze over during that big snow the energy efficient pond heater I bought last year just wasn't up to the job. Ric started digging up the driveway today. He is taking the stone out of the driveway and moving it to the Gazebo as a base for the expanded floor then he will brick the driveway. A lot of hard work.

rileyobo, thats very pretty. I had read that recommendation for peonies, and then moved my one clump to a site like that. Right now I just have fat buds. My mom always hopes thye bloom around Memorial Day- apparently that is what they'd take to the cemetary.

I heard an odd peeping ;ast week and traced it to a huge toad by the house. Now I know which noise out there is toads! Wow they have been active, and more around than I thought.

Sally, That's one of the stories I tell about my GM, She was always hoping her peonies, and irises (she called them flags) would be nice for Memorial day so she would have them for the grave sites she visited.
A very early memory I have is watching the ants scurrying around the peony buds in her backyard. Ric

Wow. I cut two roses and put them in a vase. My DD noticed them and said they were the prettiest roses she ever ever saw. She doesn't see many! I only have one cane on one cheapo bush, and decided to cut the flowers before the whole thing succumbs to etc.
I'm not crazy about the lighting on this picture but maybe you can see I caught a good moment in the opening of the petals. A rose can be sublime. It's very rare, my DD ever noticing anything about my gardens. If this is true and not from the rootstock, I think it is Whisper.

Pretty Rose Sally, My roses aren't quite blooming yet but they are close.
I spent all morning working on that bed I'm developing behind the Potting Shed and Quince. I have it almost finished. I didn't get any pictures of it today but I am very pleased with how it is coming along.

Riley, that is pretty, reminds me of a water lily.
Pretty rose Sally. Isn't it fun when you can finally trace a nature sound down to it source.

Not much today- the wind is UNREAL! Just ran around watering some things newly planted, the wind dries them out so quickly.

I wasn't outside today either. Spent most of it price shopping with Jules for things she needs for the party. I thought I might finish up that bed I have been working on but we had rain when I got up this morning and then high winds when I got home.

Oh what a great day outside. I started out early this morning working on the bed behind the potting shed. Then Ric and I went up to my Parents House to do their yard. It looked great when we left. They were thrilled. When we got back home I went right back to that bed and finally finished it. We planted the PJM Rhodie, I removed sod, added some of that really good compost soil and mulched everything. I will be adding more plants later but the bed itself is done.

Hooray!!!! You are feeling better. It looks great!

Yes, I am and Ric was feeling pretty good today, too. I was afraid that JR was going to share his Strep Throat with me but so far so good. It was another good day. A bit wet this morning and I went to get my hair cut. When I got home I had plants that came in the mail to pot up. Then I started outside. I feel like a kid with ADD when I garden I jump from job to job. Started weeding the brick patio and got it about half done. Then moved over to the pool and started to weed over there, got that about half done. I walked past a small bed in the lower yard and noticed some tall grass growing in there so I stopped for a few minutes but got pulled away before I finished that. Then I started to edge around the shrubs, didn't get that finished either. LOL Just got too dark before I finished but what I did looks good. Ric moved the old burn pile. We have a spot where we burn brush & junk wood. The ash pile has been growing larger and larger over the last couple of years. So he moved all the ash nothing left but a scorched area in the grass. Looks much better.

I'm like that, also. Then I wonder why nothing is finished. ^_^

Nothing was done yesterday, cuz I went to Annapolis to see 2 GDs. The 5 yr old had Bay Day with her pre-school, then Mommy had to go teach her class, but Hadley had a dress rehearsal for a dance recital and Daddy is in Seattle so Gramma got to take her. In the pouring rain. Traffic was horrible - we got there as they finished running through the first time- stripped off her jacket, put on the tutu and shoes, and got her up on the stage. Then coming out afterward we ended up on the opposite side of the building so walked thru the rain. What an adventure!!! The cool thing was - the building was the high school that my mom graduated from back in the 30's.

Today is promising to be wonderful!

Holly that was funny-- and I have done it too.
Jan- I hope you waved as you went by me! Neat about the school. I'm trying to figure out which high school around Annapolis was there in the 30s and still in use. You don't have to name it if you don't want.

I think it's called Maryland Hall now. Not used as a school anymore, but artsy things.

Sally, if I came down Rt 301 and crossed the Bay Bridge would you have seen me?

Oh yeah!! That is a really cool building! DD took a pottery class there. she had fun My grade school was old style like that, huge winodws and all. I think all schools should be--now they make concrete cell blocks to put kids in as cheap as possible But i digress...
Oh, I would have had to squint reallllllly hard to see you there, I'm on the "mainland" and above that latitude. LOL Annapolis has grown incredibly in the last couple decades. The Mall is so high falutin! My kids friends prefer it to a closer one. Boy, Lord and Taylor, a Fossil Store...I don't know what all. Shows you what kind of money is leaking out of DC and ending up in Anne Arundel and Calvert Counties.

Myabe sometiem we can round up a small group, or large, for a historic garden tour and lunch in Annapolis. I've never been in that one property but they do a plant sale every year and witihn a few blocks of the Dock area.

Sounds fun!

LOL you guys. I ran around a good bit today didn't have much time in the garden but I did get back and finish those circles in the grass. I need to add some good compost to the top and then mulch but at least they are weeded and enlarged. My shrubs will be much happier. with that nasty grass out from under them. Maybe by the end of the summer or next spring I will remove the rest of the sod between the shrubs and make it all one big bed.

Mites are making a last ditch all out effort on a few of my things. I did apply some systemic to some things. here is what 'tapla' uses for spray, would be safe for food related plants.

1 pint rubbing alcohol
1 pint very hot water
1 tsp pure, cold-pressed neem oil
3-4 drops Murphy's oil soap

Add neem & soap to hot water & shake well. Add alcohol. Spritz plants thoroughly, covering all surfaces - especially underside of leaves & leaf axils. Be sure to shake vigorously as you use the spritzer to keep the neem mixed with the solution. Works great - the neem oil renders all the insects it contacts unable to complete metamorphosis or reproduce, while the alcohol provides reasonable knock-down for current generations.

What's happening in MY garden????
I've been outside plugging away.....

First thing this morning--I fertilized everything.....Been meaning to do it......

Potted up all my 3rd round pinched Coleus cuttings in the small, bio-degradable pots I got at the Seed Swap.
Have a tray and a half full. No need for anyone to reserve any.

Found a spot for my 4 (quite large by now) perennial Salvias I seeded. There were 5 of them.
Believe me! Finding a spot for anything here is VERY hard!

Planted many Impatiens in the now-gone Birch Tree bed.....I always plant thiese there. They do so well.
Might plant some of my many Coleus plants there as well. I have so many!
It gets good AM sun--and then shade.... Perfecto!
Finished edging the same bed. FINALLY found a use for the black, rubber edging (12' of it) that has been languishing in my back yard's Evergreen bed for years and years......I am happy! Looks good!

Then--since it is suppose to rain and T-storm--I decided I better mow my lawn. So--I did! That tires me out!
I came inside to cool off and take a break.....and to "play" on DG a bit.

Took out the glass container all my Angel Wing Begonias are rooting in. Most of them have roots by now.
Will pot them up a bit later today--after Oprah.....

The sun just went "that-a-way"-----(but now it is back) it is starting to look ominous.....Sky is getting gray.....Guess it will rain soon. We need it!

That leaves the L-O-N-G west-side bed not yet attended to.....Not much room there! It has so much stuff in it as it is the only sunny bed and it has NO tree roots.....AND--the most bulb foliage of any bed! I am, loosely, tying them up the bulb foliage so I can, at least, work around it a bit more......
Sometimes I DO wonder if having 2 weeks of daffodil blooms justifies all the c--p I have to put up with re the foliage sprawling all over???? Remember---my beds are all straight, edged beds. NO natural settings here.

I did get a pot-full of "Tahiti" Daff's bulbs when i went to volunteer un-potting all the bulbs last Friday. The least they could give me FREE (they sold them 4/$1 at Cylburn--whoopie!) after 5 hours of unpotting bulbs....They did!
They are drying out in my basement. Will plant them in the Fall.

JILL! They did not have any of the Tulips you asked for.....Sorry!

OK! the day is NOT done yet! Just gonna watch TV a bit.....Need to take a shower also.....

As I look at all the flats of yet unplanted flowers--I truly do not know where i will put them. I also know that i will find a spot here and there.....or a small pot or whatever......It shall be done! It always is!

I can't wait for all this "Spring stuff" to be done with, so i can relax a bit......instead of living with all the "shoulds".....

Here is my Pakistani neighbor, Samirah (sp?) , by my climbing Rose.
She loves my Garden...admires me...calls me her "teacher".....she takes long walks to look at my garden in the evening--that i don't even know about.....
Her husband is the "devil" who cuts everything down anytime he gets into one of those moods.....He has destroyed all the shrubs and Hollies and natural beauty around this house they bough 2 years ago. It kills me!!!!
They all hate him and don't, really, talk to him.
To me--he is a very angry person who takes it out on the things he CAN control--as in their culture, women cannot question what the man of the house decides to do. Sad! They all just want him GONE!

Gita

Had an interesting visitor to our blue bird house, did us the favor of clearing out the English Sparrows. This house is fully 7' off the ground. Ric

Amazing!!!

Finally got the gazebo expansion assembled with the help of our oldest son Josh. I started this last year right before I stuck my hand in the table saw. Still to be done are filling and planting the corner beds, mulching, and hang the curtains/screens. Wish the hot tub was done, I could really use it today. LOL Ric

That looks great, Ric. I love the planting sections in the corners.

I took a few pictures the other day. The white waterlilies are blooming. Pinks won't be far behind. Note the little frog on the waterlily leaf on the left. I didn't even notice him until I downloaded the photos.

Red honeysuckle from Critter a couple of years ago and wisteria Amethyst Falls.

The pink sundrops (evening primrose) next to the sidewalk and garage. This variety doesn't wait until evening to open.

Ric,

Black Snakes are very good climbers......they can go right up a tree...

I had one several summers ago...Only saw it for one day. I was so intrigued i followed it with my camera for over an hour....Wish it was back to cull the chipmunks and other small critters....
They seem to come and go. Where this one came from--or went to--I have NO idea. Kind of scared me a bit--as ANY snake would do.

One day my neighbors came outside on their patio, and there was a huge black snake sunning itself on the concrete--it's tail wrapped around the leg of one of the chairs....Out of nowhere!
BOY! Did they freak!

here's mine--I got a bit close with my camera and it objected....it was about 4' long--slithered around the side bed and then went and climbed into my old Juniper bushes. I stayed with it and then I saw TWO heads....
Well--they did their "thing" and came down on the other side and proceeded to slither under my front, concrete
steps. Man! I had visions of a nest-full of snakes next year and crazy thoughts of them finding their way into the house somewhere in the foundation....Yuk!
Never did see them again!