Friday night’s sunset
Not much to report. The first part of the week was so windy and blew in probably our last cold front of the winter, down in the 40s for two nights last week but now we are having highs in the 70s. Friday I was out in the front pulling weeds, clover and other little wildflowers away from the bluebonnets, isolating them so I can go back with the trimmer and cut down the weeds, grasses, and clover which is about calf high now and I want to cut it all down before they go to seed. I didn’t get much of a return this year on the bluebonnets, I assume from the long hot dry summer last year and they were being smothered by all the other stuff. Yesterday I did get the trimmer out and cut down all that stuff leaving just the small leggy bluebonnets, probably less than 3 dozen plants. So sad compared to years where they were solid across the front. Ever since the flood they have struggled with the clover and hay grass that invaded from the field behind me. I do have some plants in the back and a small grouping on the side that are big and full and starting to bloom.
Then I used the second tank of gas to cut down the hay grass taking over a portion of the back end of the big backyard, cutting a swath to the compost pile. The native peach tree in the back is in full bloom. I guess it likes these cold winters as it has never bloomed this much before.
I still need to finish getting the ground ready and plant, especially the tomatoes and potatoes which I plan to do today. Before I started with the trimmer yesterday I finally went to the new feed/hardware store because I needed more potting soil for some big pots, compost, and mulch too. It doesn’t help that the bottom has rusted out of my wheelbarrow which I discovered when I was filling the critter hole under the steps. The shovel went right through and now I have a big hole. I’ve got some flashing so I’m going to try and put a patch on it with JB Weld but that will have to wait for another day.
Instead of planting yesterday after I used the trimmer I used my little toy chain saw to cut down all the rest of the dead wood in the two yards…hummingbird bush (2), purple orchid shrub which has never bloomed because it has frozen to the ground every winter since I planted it, the enormous yellow bells and the little ones (5), the confederate roses (2), and used the long handled loppers to cut them into smaller manageable lengths. I still have to tackle the rangoon creeper but it can wait. Torching the burn pile is also on the agenda since there’s no wind to speak of today.
So, what else. The azaleas are blooming. They are so vibrant they almost hurt your eyes.
The little wild onion/garlic flowers are having a banner year and people’s yards and the fields are white with their flowers,
the chinese fringe flower trees are blooming,
as are the ground orchids (bletilla).
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I’m in for a little break. I added compost, landscapers mix (something you add to my clayey dirt to improve it), and fertilizer and got it all turned in this morning and now finally I am ready to plant which I’ll do later this afternoon.
Some of that will be for zinnias. After I did that I torched the burn pile which had gotten enormous once again.
So now I’m going to bathe the little dog and take her for a walk since she didn’t get one yesterday.
So yesterday I THOUGHT about cleaning up the wildflower bed, so same same, right? And yes, that azalea is electric!
ReplyDeleteThat’s the thing about big city living. No yards. As a boy my husband had simple dreams: mowing his own yard, planting anthuriums and birds of paradise. Now he lives in a brick and concrete high rise with me. Your spring garden is coming along beautifully. It’s 37paddington by the way.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful to hear of all your spring gardening work...and see some blooms already. You will certainly have beauty all around as a result of your efforts.
ReplyDeleteThat's a sweet looking garden patch. It will be a lovely garden this year.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from my flowering peach trees to yours. Looks all wonderful where you are. So much potential, so much work. We used to be successful with lupins (European relatives of bluebonnets) but not so in recent years. Maybe we should try again.
ReplyDeleteSeeing Bluebonnets reminds me of a visit to Texas many years ago, when I was thrilled with the wildflowers along the highway medians and verges, the inspiration of Lady Bird Johnson I was told. It was nothing short of spectacular. Can you imagine what it must have been like on a native prairie before we chopped it up and cemented it over?
ReplyDeleteEllen- we have the same azaleas for sure! It's like they blast the color into your eyes.
ReplyDeleteYou are such a hard worker.
It may be time to get a new wheelbarrow! A hardworking yard woman deserves a good transport vehicle.
You have so many beautiful blooms, Ellen, and that sky looks majestic! Lovely!
ReplyDeleteI see a smidgen of your neighbor's graffiti in that last photo. Great looking flowers and I'm impressed at your soil improvement techniques. We don't do much to our clayey soil so we pretty much only grow what will tolerate it!
ReplyDeleteI've yet to see a bluebonnet this year. Even the ones that always appear first along 35 in Alvin haven't popped out. I guess I'm going to have to head farther north to their 'real' territory. I think next week is the Azalea Trail in Houston, and apparently they timed it right. That one of yours is gorgeous. All of the hawthornes and redbuds are blooming here now, and you might be right about your peach tree. A friend who lives in Fredericksburg mentioned that the 2021 freeze wasn't as damaging to the peaches as it could have been. They weren't in bud yet, and hadn't had enough cold hours to set good fruit, so the cold helped them out. Maybe your cold was perfectly timed.
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