I just posted on Facebook about Dian's openhouse on the 31st, (Hopes & Dreams Greenhouse) if you guys are interested. I'm working on finding out if she's going to get another shipment in before then. I'm almost possitive she is because she's not got alot of shade perennials in her back yard. but lots and lots in the full sun area and in her greenhouse. I'll be going to help support her. let me know if you guys want to meet up there and visit like we did last time. We can go to that other nursery in Bald knob also.
March, 2012!! Spring has sprung (or is springing-maybe).
Thanks for the prayers guys - seems things went OK it is hard to tell in these things and we haven't had a real conversation about the details b/c the girls are out of school on spring break and they don't need to hear these things. But I do appreciate your support.
Just trying to catch up..... Karen, sorry to hear about the problems with your former DIL, but I hope the hearing went well and that things turn out well for your son and the girls! Jeri, sorry to hear about Ashley's difficulties - but hope that the counseling is helping! Do they think this is related to her being sick all the time? or did they ever figure anything out on that?
I spent the day in LR yesterday with Leigh having a nuclear stress test and some other things to check out his heart. He got a great report and the doctor told him that he didn't have any sign of any heart disease! Kyle and Jessica went with us and we did a little shopping.... still looking for that elusive prom dress! :) We have haven't even seen anything we really like yet! But I do think we have all her clothes for the Atlanta trip....so that is good! Alex and Natalie went to eat dinner with us so we had a nice, brief visit. Jessica has a good friend coming down from Dover today for a weekend visit. Her Dad is flying her down around 10 - and I may take off the rest of the day and go to Shreveport to a shop there and see if we can locate a dress. What I REALLY want to do is go to David Roach's or somewhere and get some more plants for my foundation planting that I really need to be working on!!!
By the way..... does anyone use the cedar mulch? I know it is more expensive, but I have considered using it or topdressing with it up next to my house because someone told me a long time ago that it would help prevent termites and roaches. I am always finding termites out in my beds where they are eating on my mulch and since we have a pier and beam foundation, I don't really want to promote termites near the house. Just wondered if the cedar mulch would really help with that....... Guess I could also try the pine straw at the house - but not sure I could ever come up with enough of it !!
Genna I used the cedar mulch until I found out they were cutting down our cedar trees to make it. No, I'm not stupid!!! I thought they were using the fallen trees and limbs, but NO they are cutting them down. I do not recommend cedar mulch!!!!
I've never used the cedar mulch. I've always like the pine bark better. Knew there was a reason!!!
If you have big areas between your plants that need to be mulched, put down thick layers of newspaper (at least 10 pages thick) and then put a thin layer of mulch on that to cover up the newspaper. Will keep the weeds out and want take as much mulch. I would actually do that whether I was using a heavy layer or thin layer of mulch. It keeps the weeds out and will also break down and help enhance your soil.
Hi everyone, I've been scanning all your posts, but it's been an awfully busy week at work and also in the evenings, so I haven't had time to post anything.
Karen, I hope things will work out with your son. Have been thinking about him and praying things will go in his favor so the girls will get the supportive parent they need.
DH had a sinus infection last weekend, so he has nursed that for several days and stayed in because of all the pollen, which aggravated things. I had hoped to get the garden tilled before the rains but he just couldn't do it. I did get 2 more beds weeded and mulched last weekend and transplanted some things into those beds. I also dug some hellebores from my neighbors beds and put them in the shade bed. I still need to dead-head some daffs but haven't had time in the afternoons to do that yet. I'm calling someone today I hope to come look at re-doing a few things around the house. I never got it done last year and it looks like it may be too late this year to transplant my JM. One day....
A coworker had a motorcycle accident last Sunday. She and her husband were riding Sunday with her following. They were making a left turn and it was sharper than anticipated. He made it but she laid her bike down and broke her right wrist and shattered her left humerus and broke her left shoulder. She had surgery on all on Monday and is still in the hospital. They pinned her upper arm and put a plate in her wrist. Imagine having both arms immobile and useless!! I think they are moving her to a rehab facility today but she will not be able to work for a couple of weeks. We are keeping her in our prayers for speedy recovery and healing. Her boss is looking into voice-activated software she can use to work on her computer, which I think is nice of her to do.
Thanks for the heads-up about the feeders. I plan to get mine out this weekend.
Elaine so sorry about your friend!!! Can't imagine what it would be like to not have use of either arm! Hope she has a speedy recovery!
So sorry that would be horrible. I hope she is not claustrophobic because that usually includes holding down ones arms/hands. I hope she recovers quickly. She probably has lots of road burn too. I can't imagine not being able to scratch. Did you ever notice when you can't scratch you have hundreds of itches, probably imaginary. Elaine that is really nice of your boss. I'm sure she would rather work since it makes the recovery time go faster.
My bum is dragging today. Yesterday I started early, cleaned cobwebs off porch, this is a hard job 10 ft overhead and thousands since we are on water. It seems to happen over night too. I potted up all my containers for which I had plants ready and moved out all the tropicals . Made a wreck of the glass room so at 10 last night I was finishing the cleaning out there. I have a suburban full of trash to haul off today. My house is a wreck since I have really neglected it spending all my time outdoors. I will have to get something done since I have family visiting from out of town tomorrow. It may be one of those fast just hide it cleanups though since I still have so much cleanup still to do on the porch and under the house. Everytime I get all that cleaned and looking neat the wind howls and trashes it all. It is too wet to do anything in the yard. My beds look good but the grass looks awful with all those quick growing weeds. So nothing looks real neat like it does when the grass is fresh cut. Why is it when everything looks great no body sees it but you?
All that rain we got ruined the wisteria blooms. I hate that because I didn't get to enjoy the full effect. I have quite a few of those early purple irises blooming. Some are bearded but most are much like the La iris. Never have know what they are exactly. My snow ball bush is almost in full bloom. Azaleas are blooming but not putting on much of a show since they were all mixed up this year.
Hope you all have beautiful weather this weekend.
Yes, her boss (not mine) is our security support staff, and they are small and understaffed anyway. But she is trying to get her a laptop to work from home some with the voice-activated SW. I hope she can do that to at least pass the time part of the day. It would sure help if she can do some of her work there. There isn't a lot she can do outside the office, but some.
I hear you Cindy! We were dragging on Sunday but I was sure glad to get things cleaned up outside and pollen washed off the porches. DH wore a mask and mowed and sprayed weed killer on the grass closest to the house. Of course some of the pollen is probably back by now but maybe this rain has washed it off. I think I need an Ark today!
The trees have really leafed out since the rain yesterday. And the lilac bush was blooming out yesterday too but everything has been in full bloom...dogwood, azaleas, etc. I made a few pics from the car, lol! Will post tonight or tomorrow!
Well I thought I'd post an update since you guys were nice enough to hold my hand for my Thursday bout of panic/stress/worry. I did get to talk to my son today and he said his lawyer thought he did very well - actually his lawyer is out on vacation so this was her partner. He said he has been in the ex-wife's lawyers shoes where you really don't have much going for you so you go with what you have.
Their strategy is to prove that he 'lives to inflict pain on others' which would be a strange enough strategy for anyone else but this is my 'calm child' the one who thinks before he speaks the 'brainy' boy who has never even been in a fistfight in his life. Very quiet guy with a very soft voice. He is also super intelligent and it seems that at one point he got her lawyer so upset he had to take a break. Her lawyer has only been out of law school about 18 months so Josh said he would ask a question Josh would answer and then he say 'so you are telling me xxxxx' and Josh would say 'no that wasn't the question you asked' then he'd have to have the court reporter read the question back out of her records and it would be what Josh said it was and not the question the lawyer thought he asked.
Wow I almost kinda feel for this guy because having raised this boy I know EXACTLY how good he is a arguing a point. He was smarter than me around oh age 7 and I always felt like I was running to keep up with his analytical brain so this guy is probably feeling pretty low. But at any rate he didn't like the whole thing (I guess really who does) but he did really well and his lawyer says she is confident about the outcome. I'll be confident when I hear the judge order it:) Next Wednesday is our '2nd out court date' which apparently means we show up wait around all day to see if they have time to hear our case and if not then we will come back on May 21 for the ' 1st out court date' when we will for sure be heard. I really really hope we get in next week or I may really need some medication:)
Anyway thanks for all the prayers and thoughts it means way more than you know!!
On a happier note I took today off work and had a great day - got a LOT of little things accomplished - went to Lowe's and bought some clearance stuff - most of which I put in my daughters beds but I did buy some annuals for my tippy pots and a couple of other containers. The sky here this afternoon was gorgeous - about as blue as you could imagine. Here's a couple of pictures of it.
And here's an iris bud and my japanese maple with my st. john's wort
Karen, I personally love it (being a sorta nerdy, brainy person myself) when a person like your son can out-argue a lawyer, especially on the stand!! Love it, love it!! Especially that he had the ability to call him out on the questions the lawyer asked!! I've heard these things can take time, so hang in there. And best of luck to you all!
Plants look great.
I know Elaine it was a little bit of subtle justice for all the crappola she has put him thru in the last 10 months. I won't go into details but ever since HER dad and step-mom tried to get her to agree to him having custody for 18 months to give her a chance to get her act together she has seriously accused him of every vile thing you can imagine. So yes I loved it as well that this guy who thought he was going to question him and confuse him and make him say something that he could use against him couldn't even keep up with his own questions. Apparently she forgot to mention that this boy is mensa smart, thinks on his feet like nobody's business and is very cool under any kind of pressure, but the proof is in the court order and I'm waiting on that. Josh says she kept interrupting her lawyer and Josh until he finally told her to 'shut up' WOW!!
Well I just made a long post and lost it!!! Will try again!
Karen I'm glad everything went well in court!!! I know you all will be glad to get the final order!!! Waiting is no fun!!
I had you all over in Feb when everything was absolutely dead!!!! Why didn't I wait until now when the azaleas are in all their glory!!! They are absolutely beautiful. Nothing but color all around the backyard. Pictures can't do it justice but I'll try a few. I tried uploading 5 and it timed me out and I lost everything so I'll just just a few at a time.
Another couple
This are some new ones I planted a couple of years ago from where my old bushes had self rooted. Kerria in the background.
Also finally have a clematis blooming!
Kenny or any one else - do you know the name of this EE. My first plant purchase of the season! I stopped at Good Earth this afternoon to just look around and they had two of these up by the outside checkout. One was already sold. Their prices are really high so I thought it was going to be more than I was willing to pay. Turned out to be 29.00 and then I got an MG discount so I bought it!! Going to need a machet to get through my backyard before the summer is over!!! LOL
It's a stingray. Your yard looks great. Hope to see you in a few weeks.
Thanks Kenny! I have a small one I got at Rita's I believe. It doesn't look like it will ever get as tall as the one I bought today. Is it also a stingray? Do they come in different sizes?
Love your azaleas Charlotte. I wish I had them here like that!!
I think they're all the same plant. We've tried them off and on and never had any luck. Hopefully yours will do well. If I get more I'm going to leave them in the pot and see how they do.
I keep the one I got at Rita's in a pot and it over wintered but it never got very tall last year and the leaves were about a 1/4 the size of the one I got today. I like it too! Hope I can keep this one going!
Karen, enjoyed your story about your son's court appearance. Glad to hear that they think it went well, but I know you will be glad to get the judge's opinion on it....praying that it all goes well.
Charlotte, the azaleas are gorgeous!
Can anyone tell me if the azaleas (or some types of them) are evergreen?? I had thought i was going to put lorepedulum (sp) in front of my long porches, but I have just about decided that I don't want that because they look so dead in the winter..... but I was thinking the azaleas would lose their leaves too.... just not sure what to use there! I sure love the azaleas but I don't want the entire front of the porch looking dead all winter!
It was a beautiful day....wish I had been home working in the yard, instead I was in the yard at Alex's painting some things. Oh well, maybe someday we will finish this project !!
Hope everyone had a great day!
Genna
All azaleas are evergreen. That's why I planted mine years ago. They serve as a screen year round. Well I take that back - native azaleas lose their leaves - but they are not the kind you see in nurseries. Native azaleas are very hard to find in most nurseries.
Thanks Charlotte! I just couldn't remember!
I bought this thing about 6 months ago at a yard sale and i was wanting to plant in it, I'm going to get some moss from Dian but I keep forgetting, I'm not sure what to plant in it. do you think low growing sedums in all the parts would look good? I didn't want to put annuals in it. cause I don't want to fill it every year, what do you all think I could put in it or should I just put it in the bathroom and put towels and wash clothes in it lol
I think sedums would be great! Include some that trail.
Think some taller varieties in the bottom would look good? i have a bunch of sedums in pots and so far they've done well but the last week we had major storms and I have noticed aphids on alot of the sedums out there, and lots of lady bugs or else i would have put seven dust all over the sedums to kill out the aphids, I hope the full sun this next week will help bring them back to life again, and kill out the aphids. I don't have too many low growing sedums, I'll have to buy every one of them lol good thing I'm heading to Rita's soon. I don' think i've seen alot of low growing sedums over there though.
I have one that I have growing in a hanging basket and also have the same thing growing on the ground.. I also have some of it in a hyper tufa pot and it creeped out of the pot and is now growing in the ground along with my ajuga. I'll bring some with me at Dian's.
cool., thanks.
That's a gorgeous container, Kathy-Ann. Hen-and-chicks would look great and they begin to trail slightly. You could put different varieties of sedums on each level too. Lots of good choices out there. You might try planting something taller in the middle that would add a little more height and interest.
Charlotte, your azaleas are gorgeous. I haven't had time to post pics here, but posted some barn pics over on the farm life thread where there are some fun things. The dogwoods have been just beautiful this year all around our property. I'll try to get to it tonight. I don't have many azaleas...lost some a few years ago in that late freeze and in '07 when DH turned off the sprinkler system and then forgot to water while I was gone for a month. I was really hot over that one...he thinks a little rain here and there takes care of things. Yeah right, in the middle of August, right? I'm still not over it losing 3 mature azaleas can you tell?
Yes I can tell Elaine!!!!LOL
Azaleas do need a lot of water. I've raised them since 1966. Before I had my sprinkler system put in I had a soaker hose running through all of them. My next door neighbor lost a bunch of mature azaleas in his back yard last year. I kept telling them they needed water but he would just put out an oscillating sprinkler for his grass and expect it to be enough water for his azaleas.! I haven't gotten over that one yet either and they weren't even my azaleas. The roots have to be thoroughly soaked as soon as they so any signs of wilt. I also have a really thick layer on pine straw on mine.
Oh.... well, I didn't know azeleas needed a large amount of water...............so that might not work for me with all that sand! I am trying hard to get the soil amended but it sure takes a LOT of something to alter that sand effect !!
KA - that is a cute piece... I am sure it will look great when you get finished!
I have lost more azaleas over the years than I wan to think about, but I have some I have had for thirty years. They are a dwarf variety but are over my head now.
I can't believe how everything is blooming at the same time right now. I have daffodils and redbuds blooming with iris and clematis, and roses in between. lol This early warm weather has everything off schedule. Including me! Everything is going to be up in my beds before I can get amy mulching done. I have seeds up everywhere already, Jap. morningglories, zinnias, poppies.
Wish you guys were close. I am digging up that huge bed in front of the building and doing away with it. It is full of daylilies, iris, penstomens, mums and a little of everything else. Hate to loose this bed as it is one of my good full sun beds but it has to go, along with some more later on.
Terrye
Ooh, Terrye is that the bed with the red twig plant by the steps. Please try to do me a cutting of that. I just loved it when I saw yours!!!!
Terrye are you talking about the long bed with your rose on the fence? There are so many pretty things there.
Oh my....sure wish I was closer. I need some sun plants ! I went to look locally yesterday and they only had annuals and a couple of things that I already have, and azealeas! That is it !! I was so disappointed..... annuals everywhere but I really don't want just annuals!
Genna you need to go over to Magnolia to Pittman's. They also have a big wholesale growing area (not at the retail site) and furnish plants to nurseries all over the state. I've driven all the way from Little Rock just to go to it. I've always found their plants very healthy and they have some different things. Not that far from Camden. If I was as close as you I'd be over there every week.
I may be biting off more than I can chew but I worked on my garden plot today. I wanted to add some amendments to the soil although the soil we have is some we bought and looks pretty good. I bought 35, 40 lb bags of humus peat and 2 huge sacks of perlite. So I got my exercise carrying the 40 lb bags from my truck to the plot. I was able to drive my truck down close to my plot. I still have a few things I plan to add to it. Now comes the fun part of trying to mix it up some and get it smoothed out. I bought me the neatest hoe - one of those triangle things with a super sharp point. It does the work!
Already planning what I'm going to plant!!
I may be feeding everyone on my cul de sac!!! LOL
I got some of the caladium bulbs I saved from last year potted up and put them in the mini green house. Still have a lot more of those to pot and then I also ordered a bunch this year.
Terrye wish we were closer! Hate to see all those homeless plants!!! Guess that's what happens - we just plant and plant and then realize we just have way too much to take care of!!! LOL Then dig it all up!