Friday, April 15, 2022

Garden Friday

 
 
Welcome to Garden Friday,
where we share what's growing in our Zone 7b garden.
You know it's full-on spring 
when the apple blossoms come out.
Our tree is usually loaded with fruit,
which the squirrels promptly enjoy.
 

 
Several projects were undertaken this past week,
as we had the glorious weather to accommodate our plans.
One thing on my list was to straighten out the edging on both
the mailbox bed and the adjacent butterfly bed.
As you can see, the bricks got all askew and were just a mess.


In about a half an hour, it looked much better.
Hopefully, the mail carrier will be able to 
keep his tires on the road.
 
 
The butterfly bed was akimbo as well.
I blame the squirrels.
 
 
It felt good to get this tidied up
and looking like a proper bed.
Alright, squirrels, keep off the brick!

 
Another task was to get the flower beds in the front of the house
set up with irrigation.
My original plan entailed digging underneath the sidewalk
to place the poly, so that the water line would be seamless under the ground.
Well, I got this far in digging and gave up.
It was so difficult to get under there,
even with my auger to help me.
I went to Plan B.
(It's always handy to have a Plan B.  And Plan C.
Just in case.)

drip holes are every 12 inches

Well, Plan B meant that I scrapped the idea of all that digging.
(Who's gonna argue with that?)
I simply tucked the irrigation line underneath our welcome mat
and connected it to drip on the other side of the sidewalk.
Not professional, but it works.
All of our front flower beds are now fully irrigated.
Can't wait to see all of our lovelies enjoying their hydration.
 
 
I dug up and transplanted some clematis
on the outside of the chicken run.
A piece of welded wire was added as protection
from curious beaks.
The hope is that this vine covers the welded wire run.
 
 
Can I just tell you how magical these California poppies are?
There are more blooms each day
and they are like a pop of sunshine on even the most 
dreary of days.
Gotta plant more of these.

 
This week, I spied the beautyberries coming back.
We've had lovely 70 degree days
and they are lovin' it!
All of the gardeners are too!


 The rosemary I took cuttings from and planted in a pot
didn't fare so well.
I had moved both the rosemary and the lavender
so that they could get more sun
and took these cuttings in case the rosemary didn't survive the transplant.
Ah well, it's the chance you take.
I've heard it's difficult to grow from seed,
but I'm up to the challenge.


 Our potatoes didn't much like the last frost we had.
Well, some of them will have to bounce back.

 
 Others did just fine in the same bed.
Go figure...

 
The sweet potatoes are lined up facing south
and have begun forming slips.
We still have a ways to go before things will be warm enough
to put them in the garden beds.
Sweet potatoes love the heat!
At least someone does.

Roots on the bottom, slips on the top!
 

 
A few strawberries are teasing me whenever I venture out.
The blueberries are getting closer too,
and I can't wait to get enough to fill my belly!

 
I've been enjoying the asparagus in salads
and in my scrambled eggs too.
It's such a blessing to have this delicious and nutritious crop
growing right in our back side yard.

 
The area over the septic tank got a little sprucing up.
You may think that's kind of a waste of time,
but I am working on disguising the area as much as possible.
Here, there are spider wort lining the curve near the chicken run.
A healthy patch of oregano is growing,
thanks to the last owners of the property.
We won't be eating that.

 
The balloon flowers are coming up in the butterfly bed
and they look so healthy.
These will take partial shade,
which is exactly what they'll have
once the crepe myrtles leaf out completely.

 
The first iris bloomed this week,
and it is still such a thrill to witness.
The mailbox bed will soon be filled with these beauties.

Queenie and a friend

Most of my main projects have now been completed,
including several chook ventures,
which I hope to share sometime next week.
Until then,
here's hoping that you get to spend lots of time outdoors.
It really does a body (and spirit) good.
Be Blissed!


8 comments:

  1. It's wonderful that you have irrigation in your flower beds! Oh the colors of the flowers - so beautiful to see. And that's quite a patch of oregano. I can't WAIT for asparagus season here. My husband and I were just talking about that the other night. We were practically drooling thinking about it. 😉

    Queenie is beautiful. So happy your flock is doing well. We've had beautiful weather here for the week and we can't be more grateful. It will turn cooler over the weekend and into next week but it was nice to have the windows open and to spend so much time outside while it lasted.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I am enjoying the asparagus. And to think that it will be there for the long haul is quite exciting!

      So glad you got a break in the weather. Sending sunshine your way!

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  2. That's such a pretty color of poppy. I wintersowed some that are ready to plant, but at the moment, I can't remember the color. I too have an area of edging that needs fixing, after being run over. Hopefully your results will inspire me. Isn't it wonderful to witness everything coming back to life? Many wishes for bountiful berries! Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It truly is magical to see things waking up!

      I hope you have time to work on your edging. It's a good feeling to have it done.
      Enjoy your weekend!

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  3. Wow, you got a lot done! The bed edging looks so good. And you have so many interesting plants. I really like the poppies and am going to research if I could grow them here in North Florida. I wish I could grow asparagus and apples, but alas . . . It's always great to see your gorgeous chickens. Queenie is really regal. Happy Spring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it's been a busy couple of weeks, but very satisfying.

      I've read that poppies can be sown in September in your area for bloom in early spring. I think I got mine at Sow True Seed.

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  4. Every thing looks so good Daisy. All the spring tidying up projects really make a difference. You've been busy!

    I love your poppies. Those have such nice childhood memories for me because I remember my grandmother's vivid red ones. I've tried several times to grow red poppies, but none have ever made it. Your sweet potatoes look good too. When did you start them?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Leigh. I hope to make time now for new plantings and seeding more flowers.

      The sweet potatoes were started at the beginning of April, which is a little earlier than usual. The slips can stay in a glass (or can) of water for a while before transplanting out, so we should be okay.

      Maybe try the orange poppies? They have done well here.
      Have a great weekend!

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