Last week I remembered why I put up with Wisconsin winters, we had a couple of days of glorious spring weather, almost venturing to the hot side. Not that we've had a hard winter this year, in fact spring plants are running 2-3 weeks early it seems. Thursday while Mom took Igor to the petting farm I started weeding my massive flower bed. That thing drives me to distraction. I have seriously been threatening to pull it out and plant some grass, however Hubby is against it as it's one of the few beds we can actually see from the house and when the flowers get really rolling I have to admit it's a showpiece even when full of weeds. So, I climbed in a weeded, and weeded, and weeded, and weeded... you get the picture. I then moved a few plants around to better spots and tried to decide just what the heck to plant as I'm a tightwad and don't want to fill the thing up with annuals and all their fuss yearly. Hubby has promised to help with the care of that monster this summer, but we'll see how that goes.
Other parts of the yard are moving along well though. After 8 springs in WI I finally have a peony that is going to have more than one blossom! I'm so excited to see this one, I haven't the foggiest what color it is as the previous owners planted it. Cripes I guess they planted it from seed or something it's taken so long, more likely it just doesn't get enough sun. It's mixed in with several large species of Lilly as well so if they all open it once it might be quite a show on this corner of the house.
A few years ago I invested in some of the "Endless Summer" Hydrangeas. I can't say I've been over impressed with them. The first year they got killed back to the ground after we had hard, long, late freeze after the leaves had already started budding. Last year I think I had two blooms and they were not that spectacular. This year look at this one already producing flowers at the first of May! I have a larger plant with buds as well, but this one actually has color to it. I'm anxious to see what these babies will do this year. I'm thinking these may be more suited to a warmer climate than us, though my Mother-in-Law grows one in her yard in far northern MN. I've read up on them and most sources say they take a long time to establish but once they do - BADABING! I've given these plenty of time to establish, plenty of water (see the soaker hose? It on a timer later in the summer) and lots of fertilizer. Maybe I'm stunting them with kindness?
A few forget-me-nots in the giant flower bed from hell. Sweet little flowers and about the only thing blooming now in the lull between the daffodil/tulip explosion and the start up of the perennials.
With all the vegetation and mess this giant yard produces I've always had some sort of 'compost pile' going. Usually a big informal mess that looked more like a beaver hut than an actual compost pile. This weekend I got enough of it and went and bought some stakes and some fencing stuff and built a real pile. I'm sure looking at this has some composting guru shaking his/her head but I suppose it will eventually rot away. I have plenty of the fencing stuff left and I'm thinking I might build another next to it in order to turn it into something. I don't know, I have a lot of sticks from the lawn in there so it might take forever to turn into something actually usable. Not pretty, but better than the man made muskrat/beaver lodge on the edge of the property. All that lawn you see in the background is park.
Nope, didn't sneak a picture from Halloween in. Sunday the kids were cooped in the house and not being allowed anymore TV, or Wii or other mind sucking game they were actually forced to play and be creative. Darth Vader has grown a little there - see the exposed wrists and ankles? The astronaut looks a little funny with the giant head. Luckily they couldn't find any Nerf darts.
Currently, I have Mom out hitting the local stores putting in applications for cashiers/clerks that kind of thing. I'm pretty sure she sees this as a step down in the world but when you have NO income, even minimum wage starts sounding pretty good. I'm not sure if she can handle being on her feet for too long - she's came a long way since she got here in that arena - but I figure a week of two of misery and she'll shape up quickly. I keep telling her this doesn't have to be a forever job, just a J.O.B. until something better comes along. I also think she needs something that gets her out of the house and around people other than the kids and I, plus I need my space a little too!
Hubby is currently on his way home from Louisville. Luck would have it that one of his cousins was hitting town for some training for his job and they met up last night for supper and visiting. I know Hubby gets more than bored on these trips eating alone and such and spending time with a cousin he doesn't get to see too much of was probably really good for him.
Tomorrow FIL goes for more testing. Hopefully, they'll be some medical miracle or screw-up there and they'll figure out some less dire diagnosis.
Best Man (mentioned in last post) contacted Hubby and his new baby is doing very well. She's off the vent and starting to grow. Hopefully they'll be able to bring her home sooner than later.
Well that's all the news that's fit to rattle about.
2 comments:
Don't cut back your hydrangeas. Let them leaf all the way out and just clip back what is definitely dead. That will help them grow big, plus they bloom on old wood--which means they won't bloom on new shoots.
Invest in perennials for your garden. It's worth the money in the long run because you won't be spending a ton each year in annuals.
I don't cut them back, this is the first time they haven't died almost alway the way to the ground. These are supposed to be the new fangled kind that bloom on both old and new growth. I do think I'm going to stick an older variety in there with them.
I shelled out the bucks for some perenials today. I had to move about 5 clumps of purple coneflower to put them in good spots. Had so many I put them on the curb with a "free" sign. I'm going to have to move some more, the stuff reseeds and spreads.
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