After the rain.................

On our way home from Leland yesterday it started to rain. We had a nice downpour and today is cloudy and humid. It hasn't rained yet but is supposed to. The kids are playing in the sprinkler so no doubt the back grass (I cant honestly call it a lawn) will be a mud puddle. Still they have to play somewhere. Sigh.............I was so over all that, you know kids disrupting my quiet retirement life. Well I must accept things as they are and do my best to muddle through Boo Hoo.

That and the tent unused in the back shade garden. May as well take it down but Gerry says no they will play with it at some point. Well............anyway.
So after the nice rain we had I went to check the garden. At least it got me out of working today after hauling rocks from the beach yesterday. Everything just bursts after a rain. Something they get that they don't get from a hose. Everything is an inch taller and the buds are bursting. The bushes like my Azaelias are full of flower where just yesterday there were only buds. By tomorrow the Poppies will be blooming as well as my Iris it looks like.



The Pink Azaelia was in poor shape I thought but has really come on nice. I have another under the Pines that should bloom tomorrow. The Snowball shrub needs cutting but will wait now until done blooming. I would like to find some shoots from that to plant somewhere else.

The new Foxglove is blooming nice, I have another that has not come to that point yet. If I remember right it may be yellow or pale pink. The Geraniums are nice too.


Rain is natures nourishment. It shows. This Hydrangea was on the edge of dying, the flowers had withered but have revived. These flowers put in this year are ahead of the ones already growing. The other two Hydrangeas are way behind at this point. I hope the rain will work it's magic.




The Ferns are out and I have thinned them out, I will have to keep that up so they don't spread again.

This Hosta has doubled in size since I moved it. It is beautiful now.

The pond fills up with rain water and thats better than having to fill from the hose and add the decloride stuff to it. Goldfish don't seem to mind the chemicals but chorine kills them. So far so good they are on their 4th year in the pond. I wonder if Mr Toad is still around.
It's still looking like we may get more rain later and that would be good. Then it can stop for awhile.

Tne Front Is Done..............for now...............

Finally, this weekend I finished doing the front gardens. Each one had to be dug, weeded and shaped. It was a lot of work. I extended the fence bit by bit along the whole side by the road. Gerry took out the shrubs by the porch and we now have a rather large tract there that will be seeded in grass. I will put a few small shrubs by the side but that is all. I will just post pictures without comment.




















Thats a brief look for now, when all the flowers come out and fill in then I will show another set.

Working on the back gardens ............................

I finished the front, all the heavy work that is. I have more to do naturally but it can wait. I planted some strawberries today. Lets see how that goes. At the moment the ones I put in before have spread into the grass so do not get a chance to bear fruit. So, now we will try again and see if these take.

So moving on for now.My garden in the back, as in the front, is divided into smaller gardens. The very back is my shade garden. It is mainly Hostas. There were lilly of the valley growing in there. I had to dig those all out . It is looking pretty good now it's all cleaned up. Next I will have to pull out all the little tree saplings spread all over the wood chips. That will be a pain in the butt for sure. litteraly.

The rest of the shade area needs next to no maintenance as its mainly ivy or other shade plants that spread. The Hosta are all in planters no weeding required, just as well as the wood chips harbor all those Maple things.

The Hosta in the big tub really needs seperating soon. I say that every year. There are Poodle paths all around my garden, little secret trails just for them.

The dead tree in the very back, I have plans for that. I want to paint a fairy house on it somehow.

The Begonias I put in hanging baskets and planters just for a little colour.

My little ladder has a box on top and I put some Begonia's in that.

The thing is, the Hosta in planters come up and out long before that in the ground do.

I have much to do. This area though is good for now. Except pulling those seedlings out. If I could get more mulch I would just cover them up. Cant do that this year. Tomorrow I will start on the side garden while it is in the shade.

Snow in May.....................

It snowed this morning again. I think this is it though. Looking at the weather for the week it will be up to 70 by the end of the week. I am going to plant my stuff and to heck with it. First I need to finish the front gardens. The blossoms are coming out on the apple tree.

The blossom is still looking good.


I put the rose in the ground and moved the wheel barrow. Then planted daisies and the things that were just sitting there. I think what I must do is clean out each garden one by one and put back what I want to keep and get rid of what I don't. It's time for a good clean out. The walkway looks nice now. I had to take in the ferns and geraniums but they go back out tomorrow and will have to fend for themselves.

Just as everything has started to bloom, along comes some snow. Sigh.

Out back, little red came by. He/she is so dang cute. I am sure Bud will not like him being around. They say the small red squirrels are more destructive than the regulars.

But look how cute he is


The Starlings were not liking the snow.


He is saying "what the fu**"

These are the tulips the squirrels were kind enough to transplant from Bud's into my garden.

Next year I may move some into the garden itself. I will leave the best for Bud to enjoy from his kitchen window though.

He says snow, I say noooooooooooooo.....................

I have bought my plants and have them sitting under some old windows. I am hoping I can get Gerry to make me some boxes and fit the windows on top so I can have some beds for seeds next year. All is ready to plant but, the weather is not cooperating. He is telling me that it may snow at the weekend. I can't believe this. I normally have my plants in by now. Maybe I can at least plant some seeds.
The Apple tree is beginning to blossom.

I must cover everything tomorrow. What a pain that is. I think I will put bags over everything rather than move it. I just can't be bothered. I wore myself out lugging all the woods chips. I cant cover the cherry tree though.
The Quince is blooming, I plant Quince because it reminds me of my fathers garden. He had Quince growing over his shed in the back garden. So every Spring I imagine that.

These Tulips are on the side of my house looking into Buds garden. They are Buds tulips so I dare not move them haha. The Squirrels transplanted them into my garden. I would like to move some into mine, well technically they are in mine but I didn't buy them.

That part of the garden is also full of Forgetmenots.

Those I can transplant into my garden, at least some of them. They are sort of wandering around my lawn anyway. Those and Violets and Dandelions, all will go at the first cut and usually after they are done blooming.
I bought some succulents again this year. They seem to do well and if I am lucky they spread. I have bought them in stone containers and put those in the rock gardens. These are in ordinary containers. If they do well I will plant them.

I have this Hydrangea to plant in the side by the road where I have put the fence.


I think it will do well there. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler than today. Today was wet and humid. I hope tomorrow I can get some things done. I bought some purple daisies today and another painted daisy that I will plant with the rose bush.


Another big job will be dividing my Hosta

I have a bunch to plant and will be dividing the others that are crowding their pots. This one in the old box is a mini Hosta, but the big ones are also very crowded So you see I do not have time for it to snow now. Way too much to do and I really want to put my garden in.