Alabama Rose and Flower Garden from a Non-Green Thumb: pussy willow

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Journal Notes...Mother's Day

I like to compare things at holiday's to see how the garden changes...some good , some not. You will also discover that in my writing my adhd becomes apparent. Anyway not matter, it's a journal after all. Here is my Memphis Music rose but it's "sport" is showing here. Nell, from Secrets of a Seed Scatterer had to explain it to me when one of my azaleas did the same thing. My guess black bacarra is the sport or black jade.

I have black bacarra and it's a pretty flower

I have three of them and it's my favorite rose.

Hydragengeas are starting to bloom now.

Magnolias have been blooming for a month. Between them, the elderberry, and the honeysuckle it smells fantastic outside.

I watched a documentary the other day that said magnolias are a probably the derivative of the oldest flower.

I have been gardening about two and half years now. I think my husband bought me gardenias two years ago for mother's day. I moved them out of a horrible spot and put them here. I don't think they bloomed last year after I moved them here...but they are blooming now.

I think they are happier here.

It's amazing how fast plants can grow back that you don't want. I had this mowed down last year and they grew back again...very fast!

This what my back rose garden looks like now. I opted to remember what it looked like last year.
Here is the link from last year...roughly...it does look better...HERE

Pool still green but at least it's not brown. We are getting there.

I heavily pruned the ferns and other plants on the back porch

I can't believe I have yet to finish the back rose garden. I asked my husband to mow this part down. It is blocking the drain pipe for the pool.

I need to fill in this trench and finish irrigating zone five.

Gerber daisies are popping back up. I did not greenhouse them last winter.

I realize why I like orange and yellow roses. There is so much pink and red, it just stands out more.

Paradise roses along the drive

First year I have seen them "group" like this.

Creek is in bad need of manicuring

Roses along the creek need to be tended to.

My wonderful husband mowed with the tractor the front field. It has taken this long for the water to dissipate.

Some areas still have standing water.

My husband bushhoged the two areas above

The other area that got mowed that was blocking the pool drain.

Every year I pine to grow a pumpkin and every year I have failed but a pumpkin plant popped up from last year's crop of non pumpkin bearers.

My mother constantly complains that I don't have enough mulch. She is right but if you had any idea how much mulch I have bought you would think I were crazy. The slope washes it down during heavy rains. I may try pine straw just to be economical.

The weeds use the mulch as a medium. They are easier to pull up. But sometimes more mulch means more weed medium.

Isabella is blooming a lot.

Fragrant cloud has massive blooms

some parts of the rose garden did not fare as well.

Probably need to straighten the bricks

Bougainvillea is slowing coming back to life

I'm putting this in the ground finally

Almost have things in the ground

While I was pulling up roses I didn't think made it, I find that they did. This double delight went into a pot until I can revive her.

Marvin the martian (as I call this staghorn fern) is getting hung up back at the creek.

Aunt agnes gave me a lot of canna. Will find a place to put them.

This pussy willow I thought was a gonner but it seems to have revived.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

October 2012...the prettiest month I have had

My husband built me a 12X24 greenhouse. He ran electricity to it. At the time of this I was considering buy 15 more rose plants with a gift cards I won from work. But to do this, I would not be able to walk in it....decisions, decisions.....