The Color Purple……

….is all over TheGreatWall….

Irises abloom….

The first of the Agapanthus blooms….

Does Plumbago count?

Angel’s Tears never fail…

 

Society Garlic has started to bloom…

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An update on the kitchen renovation….
the walls for the new laundry room are up,and have passed inspection….

Cabinet maker was here and took measurements and my wish list.
…oy!…
We may have to have a meeting of the minds somewhere in between….

Bling/jewelry  has been ordered….



both from here…..

Meanwhile the garden grows on….

Have a great week…..

It rained,yesterday……..

Late afternoon/early evening, TheGreatWall was blessed with a nice,soaking shower.

No thunder or lightening.

Just a decent shower.

For maybe 30 minutes,or so.

Almost like a summer time shower.

This morning,I went out,

camera in hand.

To capture the garden….

Walking through the gate to the back,on the left,the Guara have decided they are going to be the bullies of the garden…Most of them have self-seeded,and those seedlings have been transplanted to other areas of the garden.

My favorite is the deep pink variety.

As you move down the pathway,to the right….Giant Liriope,the last of the Blue-Eyed Grass,Rosemary,variegated Flax Lily,and Cuphea.And  a yellow plumeria is stuck in there,too.

Further down,on the left…This is the Yellowtop I bought a year ago,here.It will be beautiful,this fall.It,also,roots incredibly easy,so if anyone wants a starter plant,let me know.I have one rooted to go behind the Guara.It should be able to hold its own against the Guara.

If you follow the pathway to the right,you see this…St.Bernard’s Lily,red Knockout Drift Rose,Gerbera Daisy,Love Grass,Blackberry Lily.In the background is a Powder Puff,which the hummers have been showing mad love to,this spring.Oh my!I think I see another Plumeria on the upper right.Go figure…

If you keep going,you will find Miss Emma’s -(Mine!)- statue,

overlooking the Queen Emma Crinums…

The variegated Creeping Fig is filling in,nicely---considering I had to yank it,quickly,out of the ground and slam it into pots when the pool was being removed---I am leaning towards to adding some Angel’s Tears to intermingle with the Creeping Fig.In the background,on the left,is Tea Olive,and a  Dwarf Euphorbia is on the right.

Across from Miss Emma,is one of the many Buddha's…

It almost seems like Buddha is smelling the Lantana…

If one keeps walking,just beyond Miss Emma's statue,on the right…

More variegated Flax Lily,an Agapanthus,ready to bloom,Farfugium,Hollyhocks,Angel’s Tears, and in the very back,Cat’s Whiskers.Intermingled with Cinnamon Fern.

Just beyond this section,the Tropical Sage,I bought,in March,here,is getting along quite nicely,with the Penstemon…

Across the pathway,is my favorite Buddha….

surrounded by Colocasia  esculenta 'Black Magic',giant Spathiphyllum and Bird’s Nest Fern.

Behind Buddha is the path-to-nowhere…

the shadiest part of the yard…

total shade,here,all day….

…all green and white…

Underneath Norfolk Island Pines are Peace Lilies,variegated Flax Lilies,Holly Ferns, and green and white Caladiums…

Continuing,and and making a turn to the right,further down,is the newest garden…

This garden is on the north side of the house,and is one of the shadiest parts of the garden---after the path-to-nowhere---,so a lot of plants have been moved here…

…and across from that garden are the Canna’s.

The black pot,in the lower left,will eventually have another Buddha.Sitting atop of it.And surrounded by some type of arbor.With something growing on it…suggestions?

…a work in progress….

S—l—o—w—l--y,

TheGreatWall is returning to form.

Just a newer and different form….

I still need sod….

Thoughts on the LAST cold front of the season…

…This one is s’posed to be a strong one.Hopefully,it will be the last one.I’m ready to get back into gardening,in earnest.Some serious gardening.

But….

today,I didn’t venture outside until after noon time.When the temperature finally made it into the 50’s!

I managed to get a row of garlic planted…

My first time trying garlic.I thought I would give it a try.

…and two rows of onions…

Yesterday,was spent spreading compost,a good thick layer of mulch,and watering.All the while,wavering back and forth between “Should I cover,or not?”

Then I saw this…

An Agapanthus in bloom?! What the…?

This one has never bloomed,ever!And,now,before the worst cold snap of the season,it decides to bloom!

I’ll cover…

I drove a steak into the ground and covered it with an old pillowcase.To the right is the Banana Shrub,which is covered in buds.To the left is the Queen Emma Crinum,which already has new growth,and another pup started.

Thanks,Gramma,for taking care of my plant.

No problem,Emma.

The Angel’s Trumpet was also covered.

It has been through so much.What with TheTree narrowly missing it,back hoes,pool reconstruction,and January’s cold spell,and it has still hung in there.Now,that it is covered in new growth,I realize what a trooper it is,and I want to save it.So,covered up,it is…Under the striped cover,are baby Angel’s Trumpets.Rooted cuttings from the big-daddy.I took the cuttings when I thought the big-daddy was going to be succumb to the pool reconstruction.

All of the orchids,bromeliads,and tender tropicals are already on the screened lanai.I created a sort of windbreak,and because the pool needs to run,if the temperature is going to drop too low(so the solar pool heater doesn’t freeze up,during the night),I’m hoping that the heat given off by the pool,tonight,will be enough.Got my fingers crossed.And toes…

The bird seed cakes,which I posted about  here.,seem to be a hit.

I’ve had to make a second batch,

and today, the wrens were eating their full.

….I feel a third batch coming up…

They’re soooo quick and easy to make,and,obviously,the birds at TheGreatWall like ‘em.Give the recipe a try.

Now,I think I shall get warm and make myself a cup of hot tea. A half and half mixture of Passion Fruit Tea (from Tazo) and Green Tropical Tea(available here).

It’s all part of my decision to cut out the caffeine.So far,so good…

And listen to some Beach Boys music,on Spotify - my new addiction.Have you tried it? It’s great!

…look at seashells…

… and look ahead to warmer weather….

Come on Spring!

Let The “Fun” Begin…

Now that the pool has passed all inspections and it is ours,to have and to hold,

…and take care of…

…it is time to begin the putting back of the gardens.

I figured I would start out easy.

…work my way slowly,back into gardening shape…

So what looked like this…

It would make a good Croquet field,or Bocce court,wouldn’t it?

Now,looks like this…

Plants used: 1.Blue Sage (from a cutting from Meems)
                    2.Camellia sasanqua
                    3.Banana-I forget what variety this is,but it’s a miniature.Grown for foliage,only.
                    4.Agapanthus
                    5.Cassia senna
                    6.Indian Hawthorne-I have started using these wherever there is a curve in the garden.They seem to take the beating from hoses,etc.much better than anything else.

…and this…

Plants used: 1.Agapanthus
                    2.Blackberry Lily
                    3.Indian Hawthorne-the curve
                    4.a container that had been shoved to the back of the shadiest part of the yard.Just for surviving I figured it needed a place to shine.
                    5.Ti plant

             6.Angel’s Trumpet-this plant has survived the most any plant can.Back-hoes,graders,a freeze,and,yet,it is still thriving.The pool contractor actually admonished his workers,”Watch that plant!It’s a survivor.” And all the workers were so good about it.I those guys!
             7.Butterfly garden-pentas,Tampa Vervain,Mexican Heather,daylilies.Already the bees and butterflies are back!

The entire garden is interspersed with Giant Liriope,which had been dug up and sat in pots for all these months.All of the plants are ones that were moved after TheTree went down.I bought nothing,except for organic garden soil,and new Eucalyptus mulch.I have found that wherever I use Eucalyptus mulch the bugs stay away.Especially the lubbers!
{In the veggie garden I use Melaluca mulch.Both are environmentally friendly-especially the Melaluca mulch-,organic,and don’t float.The Melaluca mulch almost forms a mat,which keeps almost all of the weeds out.}
This area is semi-shady,right now.When summer arrives,this area should receive shade,or,at least,diffused sun,in the afternoon,from the screened lanai.
The stones that are there,are just to mark the border of this garden.Sod still needs to be brought in…I ain’t doing that!…
I realize how out of gardening shape I have become.After two days of digging,planting,raking,spreading mulch,my back hurts,my thighs hurt,my hips hurt,my shoulders hurt…you get my drift…
So,now,excuse me while I enjoy this….

and maybe a football playoff game or two..

‘cause I still have to tackle the rebuilding of TheGreatWall.

Any volunteers?

I thought so….