A long time coming...............

It is Spring, really it is. They say we should not plant till the end of May but I have always managed to get things in around the end of April. I did wait this year but even so we got a frost. It didn't do too much. I lost a couple of plants and a few got nipped but basically they just sat there not doing much of anything. I have finally got all the seeds in. The peas are not doing well. A Chipmunk keeps digging them up. I know it's him because he has a hole right next to the pea patch.

So what do I do? I keep burying them but I have feeling they wont do well.
So far just the radish have sprouted. I need to thin those out. Do you re-plant them or throw them away?
Guess I will try to replant them.

Well I am having computer problems so I can't post my pictures. My computer is broken, it won't start. I have to wait to get it repaired so I am using this old one. I just can't load from my phone to here. Shame really because I got some good pictures on my phone.

The Blossoms on my apple tree amounted to nothing this year. Not even good pictures of what did bloom. Seems things pop up and die really quickly. I have been looking at pictures of peoples gardens in England. They always seem so full of colour. Mine is always just green with occasional little bursts of colour. This year most of my Daffodils did not come up. I did have a few tulips but not enough to speak of. I really should put bulbs in this Fall.

It just seems it takes years to mature and fill in. Still maybe if I put in enough?

So this year I can not afford many flowers. I bought a tray of Begonias, today I put those in. It was enough to do my hanging baskets, now if the Squirrels can leave them alone they may fill in well. I bought some Hydrangeas that got frosted. They may not do much this year. Thankfully the ones I put in before have survived, Time will tell if they will do well. The Azalias have though and so I bought another one to put by the pond.



I have run out of glass balls, just enough for the back garden. That's the one I sit in for the most part so the front will have to do without for now. Maybe as time goes on I can replace some. I am making some wind chimes out of drift wood. I started and then realized that it was not working so had to get some fishing line. I think it will work. When it's done I will take pictures for my other blog, My Pretty Things.


The back garden is as done as it's going to be for now. I still have to weed, thin out and tidy the front now.
I am hoping to get my computer in to get it repaired so maybe my next post will have some recent pictures. Meanwhile. I will get the work done and make the wind chimes.

Filling the gaps.........................

I was writing about filling in areas of my garden last time. I want the areas to be distinct.
Well today I went to get my mammogram and bone density tests, so, after that I stopped at Meijers garden center. I did not intend to buy anything but.............I did. I saw some Boxwood that were not a bad price and quite big. I really like Boxwood. When it gets bigger its nice to shape and trim. So I bought 2 of those. I got a larger Hydrangea for a corner that is bare and another shrub like I bought last year. I really like that. I forget the name but think I may get another. I like how the leaves turn red at the top.

I put that in the wooden tub so that it stands a little higher than the others. The two Boxwoods they went either side of the swing. They should grow and fill in a bit so that the back "Shade Garden" is more secluded from the front portion (of the back yard). So far the back garden is divided into 4 sections. The very back, shade garden. In there is a lot of Hosta and a seating area, it has Ivy and Holly.Not much in the way of flowers. Usually I put a couple of baskets of Begonia. The side of the garage has old stuff hanging on it, Old tools and pans etc. There are Poodle paths going throughout the area. The girls like it back there. High in the trees are small wind chimes. They tinkle sweetly.

It's nice to sit back there when its hot. I had a stalker, Bessie followed me all around the garden as I did my chores. As she was sitting on the fence a Cardinal came in for a look so Bessie climbed the tree.



We have an area back there where some of our pets are buried. There are mainly Hosta's in that garden and a bird bath. I am beginning to realize my garden is bigger than I thought it was. Trying to fill it out is taking much more than I ever planned. It used to be grass back there but being in the shade it was never very nice so I put down wood chips. That gets expensive so I need to expand the garden parts if I can. The Ivy is gradually moving out. I need to collect more large rocks, I love rocks. I put glass balls around to give colour. Tristen has broken so many that I have few left now. The bottle trees give some focal points in other parts so I need to find something to go back there but glass ornaments are sooooo expensive.


The Trillium is blooming and it seems to be spreading slowly. I will be interested to see if my Jack in the pulpits will come back this year.

The very back, Poodle path goes along the back fence and they go under the Forsythia. I think they have this whole scenario going. I think Rabbits come in there.
I found me a Gooseberry Bush and put that opposite the Boxwoods on the edge of the Pond area.

There is a walk way behind the pond area. The garden there is wild now. Has two Holly bushes that are doing quite well. That one has ivy in it and other things that have taken over. Unless I dig the whole thing up thats going to have to stay as it is. So much work. Each year I should concentrate on one area at a time. Sigh..........
The garden with most sun has grass and the grass seems to be doing better this year. No kids to play on it. I have some seed and will put that down before the next rain.
I took the old fountain and stuck that out there. Not sure what I will do with it yet. Was thinking flowers but it doesn't drain.


I put in two new Hydrangeas in the garden by the grass to fill in. Nothing much grows but maybe now I used the Dairy Doo and stuff it will help.


The other areas are the patio by the pond and the new area that will be a veggie garden again. All got to be worked yet...........then I have the front to tackle after that. I picked up a couple of rose bushes. One is a climber. I am not yet sure where to put that one but I am thinking of the fence by the drive. I will haveto dig up the bramble I put in there. That didn't work well. So that will come out and I will give the rose a try. There is one rose growing there that is happy and gets bigger each year. SO I will see.
There are a LOT of Violets and they spread like crazy. I really have to control those and dig a load out each year.

The Hosta's that I have in pots really do well and they come up sooner than those in the ground. The ones in the garden are only just popping up


The new Hydrangea is a traditional one and I hope it will grow quickly and fill in under the Lilac bushes. The lilac is not doing so well so I am going back to Meijers and getting another Lilac that blooms all summer. I think its a French Lilac. That will finish that area off.
I am hoping to finish off out back tomorrow. I think the next weekend I can get the seeds in and plant my Tomatoes. So thats my day today, got a lot done and still got tomorrow to finish up. Yeahhhhh!!!!!

It's May....................

It's May 1st. The weather is still cold and wet. I have bought a few shrubs to plant. One is a Gooseberry Bush, I bought one once before and planted it in a bad spot. Well the spot became way too shady. So this time I think I have a better spot for it. I am trying to fill in gaps so that the spaces (rooms) are more defined. I also got two Hydrangeas that I got to fill in under the Burning Bush. However I don't think they are right for that. So, one will go in a barrel that will also give some height. The other I think I may put under the Rhodedendron because that is very sparse.

Well I thought I might put a shrub in with the Rhodedendron?

Or I may just put the Hyrangea in the tub, give some height and if it fills out it might help block the area

This corner needs something. I was thinking about an evergreen of some kind. Maybe a Cedar. Behind the Barrel there, a big gap and I want to not be able to see through
to the back area.

That corner also needs something. I got the Hydrangea to go there but I am not sure about it. I think I need something bigger.
Thing is its shade. Or at least a part shade. So I wonder what I can put in there. Cedar seems like a good choice. I have some in shaded areas and the seem to like it.
So that is my present dilema.
Next thing I am doing is putting down fertilizer. Everything needs feeding. The soil is depleted I have no doubt.Maybe that will help. Got me some Dairy Doo.
I am gradually filling in gaps with shrubs instead of plants. The plants do not seem to come up early enough for me and don't get big quick enough. I want flowering shrubs. Things that will grow quickly and maybe blossom. I may have to dig up a few things from other spots. Major work. Got to do it though. This year I have to do a lot of work out there. The way my body has been lately I don't know if I can. Take it slow and easy and stick with it. I guess that's how I do it.

I bought that little bowl of succulents at the same time.
The stones, actually broken concrete blocks, that I moved out of the veggie area I piled up to make another wall. I really need some big stones. I don't have money to buy them and they are hard to find. Maybe next year I can get some blocks and make it better.

My little bird house village. I will be collecting more to put up on top of the swing trellis.

Then I started a new bottle tree. It is one I bought but the bottles were too heavy, so last year I didn't use it. Then I found a few small bottles and used those. I need about 3 more.

It will look better when I am done with the cleaning out and weeding. So much to do. Slow and easy.............I must not get impatient.
I did get all my seeds. Just need for it to stop raining now. Sunshine is what I need. Not hot, just nice and warm.
The old fountain I moved and was going to put flowers in it. The thing is it holds water and so it won't drain. I put this ball on there instead for now to see how I like it

I still like the idea of flowers in it and maybe if I dont actually plant them but leave them in pots, I wonder if that would work.
I will shut up now, boring it has become.
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