Monday, April 22, 2013

The rest of the weekend.

I have a pair of cotton-tail rabbits who live in my yard. Probably because I have as much clover as grass!  But I love seeing them around.
In honor of Earth Day weekend, I decided it was time to get some tomatoes in the ground so I went out to weed and get the little graden ready.  I harvested this pair of leeks that had over-wintered.
This time instead of growing them in containers, I put the plants directly in the ground, with a row of protector marigolds in front. Five varieties, each buried as deeply as I could and then covered with a weed barrier of newspaper. I always think the tomato cages are overly optimistic, but by summer's end, they'll be leaning under the weight of the plants.
And then time to weed and bask in the old faithful perennials  I love creeping phlox, especialy when it is spiling over a stone wall.
I planted this little Japanese cut-leaf red maple a few years ago. I like the way the shape makes it look wind-blown. Each winter I'm certain it has died, and then it sprouts its lacy leaves.
Azaleas, tulips and candytuft along with all the periwinkle. And clearly, I've not managed to uproot all the lilies of the valley in this bed, so there's more work to be done here. I love them, but they choke out the azaleas and pierris, and so I try to keep them confined to other areas.
Fothergilla!  Even the name is cute.
These are my easter egg tulips. And yes, I need to mow. I did get the back yard done, but it was too warm to spend a lot of time in the direct sun. I'll get the front yard tomorrow.
April. Say what you will about the South, but there are some real positives to living here.

41 comments:

  1. OMG...the photo of the bunny is so CUTE!!!!!

    "But I love seeing them around."

    Meeeeeeeee too. Next to squirrels, I love rabbits.

    Beautiful photos of your garden. The perennials are stunning. Your camera captures some awesome color!

    "Fothergilla! Even the name is cute."

    Cute indeed. They look like mini pom-poms!

    So glad to hear you're having a fab April. It's nice here as well, but we just got slammed with some very cold weather. But at least the sun is out.

    X

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    1. Thanks! April is making up for the chilly March. We seem to be getting several warm, sunny days with an occasional chiller rainy day. The fothergilla also get beautiful peachy-red leaves in the fall so they are a nice plant three seasons.

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  2. Thank you so much for your garden photos. Always so pretty and uplifting.

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    1. Oh, you're welcome! I like knowing other people are here with me, even if only virtually!

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  3. I'm there with you too, girl. You've planted all this yourself ; I wonder if your fans and visitors here know that.

    I am most impressed. And in my still chilly April, a little envious

    :-)
    Love
    kj

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    1. Thanks! :-) Most of it! I'll be sorry to leave it behind when I move.

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  4. I am nuts about creeping phlox but I've never lived in a house where it does will. Kills me that I can't have it!

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    1. Me, too - it's so pretty when it's in bloom. Maybe needs a wetter climate?

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  5. ah we did a lot of work outside this weekend as well...first lawn mowing, weeding...nice on the tomatoes....love summer tomatoes...

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    1. I mowed the front yard a couple of weeks ago. And was probably the last in my neighborhood to mow!

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  6. I love the phlox spilling over and the Japanese maple is a beautiful tree. I rarely see them. Are they somewhat pricey? No one grows tulips in these parts anymore because they are the deer's favorite. It's amazing how they mow those down, but never touch a daffodil.

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    1. Yes, Japanese maples are a little expensive. But they are a focal plant for a garden and I love them. Shame about the tulips, but now at least daffodils come in a bigger range of colors.

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  7. Oh yeah, there are definitely good sides to living in the south. Though the lily of the valley is actually starting to sprout in our yard in town, it snowed at the cottage last weekend (sigh).

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    1. This winter the cold lasted so long it nearly killed me. I don't know how you do it.

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  8. Say what you will about the South, it’s spring a lot sooner at your end than mine.

    You know what? You need to drop that new guy. He needs to grow up and stop playing idiot games. I would find him utterly infuriating. Boys who play hard to get need to get lost.

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    1. Drop him? It was a single date - there's nothing to drop.

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  9. PS: I’d love for you to follow me. You’re a bit special. But don’t, if you’d rather. At any rate, and because I always miss your new posts, I am going to put you into my blogroll.

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    1. Done. I just never think about the follower thing when I'm at a blog since I get there through a feed.

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  10. I love the tulips. I haven't seen any tulips in Belfast yet.

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    1. Mine are starting to wane. But I sure love their brief appearance.

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  11. We actually bought a large tomato plant at Costco which was already above the wire cage.
    Your flowers look lovely and hope your garden is plentiful this year!

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    1. Thank you. I'm only doing tomatoes and herbs this year.

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  12. I have to admit that I truly detest rabbits. Our yard is overrun with them and the reason that I have to fence in my garden carefully. I always plant a patch of lettuces for them to keep them busy and this works too.

    What gorgeous flowers! I have a lot in my garden as well, but...so far...the trees are barely budding. SOoooo damn cold here.

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    1. Oh, but they are so cute! I do keep the swiss chard on my deck, though, so the bunnies won't get at it.

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  13. Flowers are still just a vague possibility here. Still snow on the ground. But we are predicted for 70 over the weekend, so there is some hope. I love the creeping phlox. I had some at our last place, but have never planted it here. I may have to put some in a new bedding area that we are planning this year.
    We have gophers. They make me furious. They eat all of the bulbs and dig holes with large piles of dirt left behind. I would love a bunny.

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    1. No gophers here - just rabbits and ground hogs. Well, squirrels and raccoons, too.

      When I move, I think I want to start from scratch on the yard, and have it mostly be planted beds.

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  14. Yes, one of the positives is your early spring. By the time our spring arrives, it seems far too late to excitedly post pictures of tulips and forsythia etc.
    I get to see lots of bunnies running around when I am out driving at night. I haven't seen many foxes, so there will likely be an overrun of bunnies this summer.

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    1. You still can - by then we'll be taling about the heat here. :-) (Actually, I don't ever complain about the heat because I like it.)

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  15. Every year I say I am going to plant tomatoes and then I never do it, I am too afraid those little bunnies that live in our backyard will just eat my hard work!

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    1. If you plant them in pots, the rabbits can't reach them.

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  16. you've got full-bloom flowers while duluth has seen over 50 inches of snow just in april! me? i'm just waiting for warmth thogh some flowers have dared to wake up and bloom here.

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    1. I know, I'm been watching Minnesota and cringing vicariously.

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  17. On the plus side I won't have to mow my lawn until June, and the frozen ground keeps the weeds from sprouting.

    On the minus, with a 50 day growing season, tomatoes are out of the question.

    My crocus, daffodils and tulips will be up early to mid June, the lilac will bloom the same time.

    I do have snowy peaks on all side, the view is amazing to a newcomer, and have moose, elk, antelope and grizzly within a half hour drive. So I guess it's worth it. Also I have fishing that people drive a thousand miles for a few miles away.

    This is a tough month here for those who expect Spring.

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    1. I would really miss tomatoes. But there are up and downsides to everywhere. I think the key is celebrating the upsides and not getting too tangle up in the down.

      There ya go, my philosophy for the day.

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  18. You have a beautiful garden! I can almost smell the fresh tomatoes.

    I love seeing rabbits around.

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    1. I do, too. I know they are garden pests, but they are so absurdly cute.

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  19. Fothergilla - that is a cool name - maybe the next band name. nice pics

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    1. Isn't it? I just like saying fothergilla. It's like Godzilla's fuzzy cousin.

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  20. Indeed there are. Benefits. Like that creeping phlox. Lovely.

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  21. I'm looking forward to some tomatoes this year. At least the starts are still going. I don't actually have ground to put them in yet, but by the time it stops snowing here, I will.

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