more yard work, more flowers

Saturday I filled the 5^th, 6^th? bucket of walking onion stuff. I did other stuff but sitting here right now I'm not sure what. Oh, had to repot an althea, the same color as the one on the back corner of the shop that finally died, poor thing. It has been declining since the first arctic blast winter 3 years ago and this last, third one, did it in. It was old with a thick gnarly trunk so perhaps it had just lived out it's life span. Anyway, this volunteer, I have had in a pot since I knew the old one's days were numbered and fire ants had completely invaded its pot. I had to flush it out first trying to get the eggs out until I realized the entire thing was an incubator so I had to completely bare root it and even then give it some good shakes to dislodge the final ants. Apologized profusely, repotted it and so far it doesn't seem too traumatized. I, on the other hand, suffered many fire ant bites on my hands and feet.

Yesterday, Sunday, I kinda overdid it it. Walking onions dealt with so I could deal with the hay grass from the field which invaded after the flood of Harvey which had sprouted its green seed stalks. Now or never so I got out the weed eater and targeted the grass/seed stalks, tried to not cut down as many evening primrose as possible but some were sacrificed. So of course I ran out of cord and had to prevail upon a neighbor for some so I didn't have to make a green splattered run into the Evil Empire on a Sunday, Palm Sunday at that. I only know that because people talk about it, me having eschewed all religion long ago.

Anyway, we don't like to leave gas in the trimmer so when I use it I have to use it until it runs out of gas. Only I ran out of cord first and then I refilled the tank some because I still had an area to do and I should have just quit when it ran out of gas the first time. Hot and a little light headed, nothing a shower and water and sitting on the deck couldn't take care of. Before I did that though, I watered the flower bed on the east side and weeded about 75% of it. The german verbena is blooming 

but no larkspur this year (or poppies returning in the flower bed at the back either) but the love-in-a-mist is growing. It's all so screwy. I didn't get any woodland violet flowers in my yard this year though plants a plenty and no dandelions except the ones that want to grow in my flower beds though both bloomed in other yards.

Besides that stuff over the past three days I caged the tomatoes, watered the flower bed on the west side, potted some sprouted morning glory seeds I'm going to plant over at the studio, cut back more virginia creeper from in the dewberry briars which I should have done before their spring growth.

One morning early last week when I went out to open the garage and let Minnie and Cat out there were two fledged wrens in there. Just as Cat ran out I snatched her up and put her back in the house where she was housebound for the next three days which she didn't seem to mind. The wrens made a nest a decade or so ago on top of the motor housing for the other garage door that doesn't work anymore. Sometimes they beef it up and reuse it and sometimes not. Usually I know when they're using it because I see them in the garage a lot but not this year so it surprised me.

Now, blooming things... 

I know I keep showing you pictures of the evening primrose but they have just been outstanding this year.

my pink angel trumpet is starting to bloom

green beans sprouted!

I don't think I've ever seen a magnolia tree as full of flowers and buds as this one is this year

the walking iris put on another round of blooms

maroon japanese iris

amaryllis my neighbor shared with me that came from his grandmother's garden

penstemon