Greetings from AL!!

Sorry all, I've been MIA this year...just got back from a 3 week wintry trip to Norway & came home to SPRING! The birds are chirping, the grass is greening up & I'm SO ready to start planting!! Lost a few plants this winter due to the unusually cold temps we had...but easily replaced! My hummers are back already, hung up new feeders & I have happy little combating hummers coming by!
Planning some veggies this year, due to Sascha probably digging up & destroying anything in the ground, I'm going with container bags for Tomatoes & some herbs & berries outside of the fence - there's always next year for larger scale gardening! Found great AL nurseries where I can get whatever I need, be it shipped or going in person! One thing I don't like is our HOA, they have a strangle hold on the community & tend to be really strict with what we can & cannot do...I just try to stick with the 'rules' & accept it for what it is!
Health wise I'm doing good, last 2 scans show nothing of concern & I'm getting a little stronger every day...taking my time & not overdoing it, but buying a bike so I can start training up very unused muscles & taking advantage of great trails around the neighborhood & lake! We've been here nearly a year now & can honestly say it was the best move we made...truly enjoy AL & what it has to offer, now that my health is taken care of, we can finally enjoy the city & this weekend - plant sale at the Botanical Gardens :-) Farmers markets start early here & we have an abundance of produce, from grass fed pork to the biggest peaches I've ever seen...with my strength coming back, I've even started enjoying cooking & baking again...much to Greg's delight & his staff enjoys the baked goodies as well! BEC!

Becky, how wonderful to hear from you! Glad you had a good trip to Norway and that you are getting your energy and strength back bit by bit. What a long hard road you had. Love the photos of your place. Here's to you and a great gardening season down there in AL :) Terri

Such great news, Bec! I can't believe you have hummers back already, and look how gorgeous your beds are looking now!

What a fantastic update! :)

Wow was just thinking about you and Norway and Spring in Alabama! Glad you got to go and glad you are back. Your plants llo like they have been there much longer than a year! Good growin you go girl. Looks like most of them are resilient, just like you!

What a wonderful trip! Great to return to spring and the promise of new life in the garden. Your beds look wonderful!!! Glad you are gaining strength and for the great report of your scans. Doing a happy dance!!!!

Heya Becky, sounds like a great year is shaping up for you!!!!

Bec: Those beds look gorgeous -- and just seeing the outside of your house reminds me how gorgeous the inside is. I'm glad you got to make that long trip to Norway. The lilac I inherited from you (via ssgardener) is looking very happy -- I think of you every time I see it!

That's so cool!! I miss having Lilacs!!

Do you have a Vitex (aka "Texas Lilac") yet? The scent isn't quite the same, but the effect is still very nice -- and it continues to bloom all summer. Just cut it nearly to the ground every winter (like a butterfly bush) so it doesn't turn into a 20x20 mound. LOL

Oh my! I just went and checked, maybe I'll wait until I start in the back yard for thataone!

Becky, I think I may have caught the clematis bug. :)

I kept two of your clematises and bought two more. I might get a few more before the end of the season.

They can be addicting!!

SS--
Brushwood Nursery has awesome Clematis. They are very good and nice people.

I get e-mails all the time about big sales they are having of Clematis.
Some were 50% off. Check them out....Two of my Clematis is from them.

Check them out! G. http://www.gardenvines.com/shop/

They are great, but Joy Creek has THE best selections!!

Ooh, Joy Creek, gotta keep that in mind. :)

Well, not that I know how to tell apart one clematis from another!

I just go with colors! Whatever I find to have the prettiest colors!

Great to hear from you Bec. It appeared that your hometown was having a mild winter from what they were showing on the charts from the Winter Olympics. Yet going from Norway to Al was about as drastic as our going to the Bahamas, from winter weary Pennsylvania. It's also great to hear you are steadily improving.

Thank you!

I got to play with dirt today!! Planted Tomatoes, Raspberries, Blueberries, Herbs, Lilies, Clematis, Confederate Jasmine, Peonies & Annuals! Everything in pots & planter bags with lovely organic dirt! I still need to plant some Citrus & Gardenias in pots, but need more dirt! I'm full of freckles & I truly enjoyed myself! Next up, my patio...lost a lot of patio plants, even if I had them in the garage, was just too, too cold for them! Didn't lose too many of the perennials we planted last year, but the empty spots will soon be filled & the ones that survived are growing like crazy...I only have one 'gardening buddy' here, she lives in the same neighborhood & has a stunning English Cottage garden

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Even more...celebrated with a Norwegian soda I've been hoarding!

Also trying some Figs this year...they need to be repotted, but need that run to Lowe's for more dirt! Found several really good nurseries in AL, some local to me, some ab 100 miles from here, they ship & have great sized plants & really good selections! Of course I keep my eye on sales, I know Santa Rosa will have one soon & they truly have a great selection & very low shipping! Also 'need' some more Clematis, which I'll plant both in the beds & a couple of big planters - imagine what damage I can do next year when I attack the backyard!

So beautiful--Bec! Love all the colors!

Question:
I have never seen those recessed bricks before....is that just a 'style" in AL?
Do the cubby-holes have a function? Like--Hmmmm---which one did I put
my spare key into?????

Inquiring minds want to know....Gita

It's just a style of bricks...the cubby holes are in a little fence surrounding the AC unit, just decorative pattern - I'm also hanging terra cotta pots on the fence (to backyard) with annuals, but need to borrow big drill & get the pots...stupid HOA told me no more than 5 on each side of the house...bloody nazis!!

Love seeing the pics of the yard and hearing what you are doing. So glad you are getting such good test results.

I love that red Japanese maple!

My neighbor gardening friend brought that for me...& another miniature one - there is a guy here that grows & sells...he has 100's of them!
Just spent the last 2 days ordering more plants & must admit I went a little crazy! Those empty spots will be filled!!

Woohoo!! Crazy is good!! That is my story and I am sticking with it. Hehehe

what a blast! Can't imagine how much fun I'd have if I could start all over knowing what I know now.

Giggle! Yes, starting over with a completely blank slate has been fun...in every aspect of life! But, especially gardening - thanks to the knowledge I learned from y'all, I'm no longer flying by the seat of my pants! Still pushing boundaries as much as I can, but not as much trial & error!
Yesterday we went to the botanical gardens here & it's absolutely lovely! It's only a few miles from the house, so got the family membership & will go there often!

Bec, I remember reading about a gardener that had a really beautiful Fl. garden. She moved from a northern state and said she had no idea what would grow and when it would bloom in Fl. so every two weeks she toured the local gardens and garden centers to see what they had that was in bloom and helped use that as a guide to planting her new southern garden.

Which is a great idea! I discovered Azaleas that were absolutely beautiful, & some are even fragrant! Fell in love with dogwoods as well, such beautiful trees! We'll slowly start planting trees this fall, Sascha surely will stop digging, so this fall will be spent doing some digging - I have to submit all & any landscaping plans to the HOA, so I'll have all summer to draw up a plan & sumbit to them...it'll be a long-term plan - we want to do some hard scraping as well, with an outdoor fireplace

Glad to hear your doing well in spite of your HOA, HellofAlabama!

Much as I love living here, I'm not looking fw to the next couple of days - we're under flash flood warnings right now & sounds like we can expect hail, rain, winds & possible tornadoes the next couple of days! Keep us in your prayers! On the plus side: no need to water for a few days!

Tornado warning? Yikes! Stay safe!

Bec--

We also have rains predicted most of next week--Monday through Thursday.
Must be the same front....

Everything will be mud--as we have not yet dried out from the last deluge...

G.

Figured I'd upload some recent garden pics...it's only May and oh my!!

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Becky, everything is filling in nicely and looking good!

Really looking great.