Three Days to go and new Clematis

Clematis "Apple Blossom"


Well, that was a big finger slip. I now have three posts for this day. I went to do one thing and posted something twice. I really must be more careful. But on the other hand it's only three days to go till the greenhouse comes! My fingers are very excited! I have the spot almost ready to go. I just have to take out a little more sod and lay down the landscaping mat and it will be ready for gravel that Mark has to go and get. We thought we could have it delivered but it far more expensive to go that route and Mark will go get it one yard at a time. We need two yards of 5/8's inch plus gravel. That means it still has the little stuff in it and is not clean. That's technical talk which I'm not very good at. All I know is that we have to have that done by Friday. Not an easy task.

Ok, I would have more pictures up but for some reason after I put this one on the program wouldn't go to the album with the rest of these pictures on it. I'm not really sure I understand all of this. I guess I should go back to my Blogger for Dummies Book.

We had a hailstorm yesterday that was the hardest that I can remember ever being in. I was standing on the back deck with the roofer (yes, we had to have part of a roof redone) and it started to hail and we couldn't even talk to each other because it was coming down so hard. We it was finally over you couldn't see the driveway anymore and the flowerbeds were full of hail stones. And they stayed for a few hours. It was just amazing. Spring weather can be very unpredictable.

The sweet peas are doing so good! Some of them are 2 inches or more tall. Can't wait for them to bloom. But soon I will be very busy getting the green house set up and working in there and won't have time to think about them as much.

Mark will get a two day weekend this weekend and we hope he can till up the garden so I can start to get lettuce and spinach planted. Soon there will be so much do to I won't know whether I'm coming or going. But I love it! That's what gardening is all about.

Jacob was helping me measure out the greenhouse apace yesterday before it started raining again and I think the space it going to look good. It's not going to be centered in the middle of the lavender anymore. We took out all of the lavender and it will be all the way over to the left of that space so if we ever need to get a vehicle to the back for some reason there will be room. Did I say there were only three days left till it comes? Oh, yea I guess I did. Well, I'm getting hungry and better make myself something to eat. So, ta ta for now!

Three Days to go

Nine Days

Nine days to go! (Greenhouse time line.)

Ok. Today I got to work outside in almost 70 degree sunny weather. What an incredible feeling. So warm and felt so good. I started removing the sod from the space where the greenhouse is going to go. Yeah! I didn't get very far but at least its started.

My friend Susan brought me over some accessories for the greenhouse and brought over her three dogs to play with the kids. They had such a good time running around the yard and trying to show off to each other. Lola was a little overwhelmed because they were all boys but she had fun also. She also brought me some more plants. What fun that is. Some day after I get them all planted and they are coming up I will take pictures are put them on here.

I am going to go outside and sit on the deck for awhile and enjoy this beautiful day. So ta ta for now.

Ten Days to Go

Ten days to go and I have to dig out the sod and order the gravel. I can do this.

I dug out another bed today. This one is front of the little dog fence we have in the front. I put in some grasses and euphorbia and Shasta Daisies. Should look nice when it starts to grow in. Pictures later.

Came in to feed the dogs and check email. Need to get back out there. Ta ta for now!

The Countdown Begins

Alliums for plant exchange




First rosebud of the season




One of three new roses on the front fence




The first anemones




Seedling poppy




Birdhouse in the new flowerbed




Lola with a bone



It is now eleven days till the greenhouse comes! So excited! I still need to get the sod dug out and the gravel ordered but that's all. And now wait. I know it will go really fast but each day seems like forever.

Saturday was warm and wonderful for working outside. I got three roses from my friend Carla planted out by the front fence and they look great. I'm not sure what the name of them are but they are a pretty pale pink and are climbers. I have them weaving in and out of the fence. They will be just beautiful when they start to bloom.

I am enjoying my new garden cart so much. I use it everyday. It is so great for hauling things around the yard in. Such a back saver. I would recommend one for anyone.

So far all the perennials that I have planted are doing well. We have had a couple of just freezing temps at nights and everything has survived so far. I am in the process of cleaning out a bed by my garden room that is going to be planted with peonies. But first all the grass has to be cleaned out of it. Its so thick in there that it's already choked out some of the plants I've had in the bed.

We still don't have chickens ordered but that will be soon. Mark is working some really long days and doesn't have much time when he gets home to work on other projects but the days are getting longer.

The sun is out now and I want to get a few things done before it's supposed to rain again this afternoon. Hope everyone has a great day. Ta ta for now!

Greenhouse news

It's ordered!!!!! Should be here on April 2nd. Soo excited. That's about all for now because I'm getting ready to walk the kids and then come home and work outside for a little while. More later. Ta ta!

New Flower Bed

Here is the new flowerbed that I am really excited about. On Saturday I finished taking out the sod and got it all planted. There are 35 plants in there and 25 dutch iris. There are artemesia, monardas, lemon balm, dianthis, some herbs and I'm really not sure what all I put in there. I'm not a very good record keeper so it will be somewhat of a surprise. This is only part of what its going to look like. We are taking out the large evergreen bushes that are in the corners of this yard that is in front of the living rooms and dining rooms. I have wanted those bushes out since we moved here and this is going to be the year. This yard is going to be our bird, butterfly and bee garden. Then I am going to move my desk into the garden room (where its so cold all the time) so I see that garden and watch the birds at the bird feeders. We are going to have to figure out a way to keep me warm in the winter.




These are emerging tulips that I planted last fall. They are so pretty!




These are emerging coral bell blooms. I love the spiky blooms for flower arrangements. I divided several of mine last year and now have quite a few to get cut flowers from.




These are my sweet peas coming up! Some are over an inch tall already. I'm going to have to get my trellis's up soon. I love sweet peas.




The chives are already starting to blossom. That makes me very happy. Maybe we will try the blossoms in salad this year.




Cute little pansy or viola blossoms out in the garden paths. They are so cheerful and sweet.

My friend Carla, (I know four people named Carla now,) I call her flower Carla, had me over yesterday to dig up starts from her garden. What fun. There are campanulas, bleeding hearts, hellebore's, lambs ears, primroses, roses and more. We had a great time. She has a beautiful garden. That's how I met her last spring. I had been out walking the dogs and I passed this amazing yard and one day when Sarah, Jabob and I were out walking the dogs she was out in her carport and we told here how much we liked her yard and the rest is history. She's a great friend. We had to wrestle the roses out and they are quite thorny. I'm going to put them out in the front along the fence. I'll have to make the beds around them pretty big so Bing and Lola don't get stuck in them and Mark can mow out there and not get stuck. I probably need to think about the pipe that's under there for the water line from the pump house. Wouldn't want to rupture that.

So here in garden world there are many things going on. I am planning to have a plant exchange in May. Anyone ever hosted one of those and would like to tell me how it went? I also have a small cupboard that I am going to paint and put a new dragonfly drawerpull on. So many projects and so little time. So with that I will say ta ta for now!

New Layout

I have decided to try a different layout for my blog. What do you think? It may be all different tomorrow, we'll see. Please let me know. I will answer everyone on their blogs if you do. Should I stay with this or go back to my original or keep searching for the perfect layout? I would appreciate all comments. Thanks and ta ta.

March Fun

This cart is what Mark gave me for my birthday. I'm so excited because its also has a dump feature. It will hold up to 1000lbs and will dump 400 and Mark can attach it to his riding lawn mower and take the grand kids for a ride. I love it because now I can haul around all the stuff I need all around the yard.




This is a Drumstick Primula that I just love. I divided it this fall and now have seven of them in the lasagna garden in the front.




This next picture is one my friend Rhoda made me about 13 years ago for my birthday. I just love it and it hangs in my garden room.




Here is a close up of what the picture says. This is picture is one of my favorite pieces of garden art.




This is the sign that is on the door going into my garden room.




This is Scabiosa or Pincushion Flower called "Fama". It has huge blooms.




This is the future site of the chicken coop. Yes, I will be getting chickens this year. I'm so excited. I can hardly wait.

I have had the best birthday this year. My friends and family have just spoiled me. Lunches and presents and cards and calls. I am truly blessed and really feel loved.

I want to say a big thank you to Maury for fixing my computer so that my pictures will once again download from my camera. That's why I haven't been on here much.

Well, tonight we have another birthday celebration with Chris, Jen, Hailey and Landon, Sarah, Jacob and Mark and I. So I must go and at least take a stab at straightening up the house. Ta ta for now!

Greenhouse Update

Well, I have picked out the greenhouse I want and will be ordering it in about 3 weeks I hope. It is one of the Glass Gardener Greenhouses that I left a link to on one of my earlier posts. I Can hardly wait. I am so excited. We are even going to have them set it up. It only takes them about eight or nine hours from start to finish. On my post for Feb 22nd I have a picture of the site where the greenhouse is going to go. It's quite exciting.

There are daffs coming up all over the place. In the bed in front of the garden room that is a whole row of bunches of about nine or eleven opening up and under the dining room window there are about fifty getting ready to open. I would show pictures but since we had the computer worked on I can't get the camera to download pictures. I can upload older pictures but no new ones:(. Hopefully that will fixed on Wednesday night.

Had my first birthday celebration on Saturday. My friend Carla picked me up in the morning and we went nursery hopping in Sumner and had a picnic at the park there and then walked around Sumner and went into some shops. It was a great day. One on the things we did was go into Indulge Cupcakes and each picked out a cupcake to have with our sandwiches and they were soo good. I have an Orange Creamsickle. That's a very good way to do it instead of a whole cake to have to deal with. Here is a link to their website:
indulgecupcakes.com/
If you are in Sumner you really should go there and check them out.

As I sit here looking out the window at the hazy sunshine I pray that it will get a few degrees warmer so that I can go outside and play. (After I take the kids for a walk of course.) I have sod to take out where the greenhouse is going to go and more flower beds to finish digging. It's going to be a great year in the garden! Ta ta for now.

Sweet Peas

The sweet peas are sprouting!!! I'm so excited! It ended up being a beautiful afternoon and I went outside to straighten up the deck and sweep it off and then went to look at things around the garden and started weeding out under the raspberries and got another section of them done and llama poop worked into the soil around them. They look so good.

Then I went to check on the sweet peas and there were about 7 or 8 coming up. I can hardly wait. I have three rows of them planted. The row is about fourteen feet long. All in the same row.

I had ordered two books from Amazon on Monday and got them today. One of the books is "Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars" by Sharon Lovejoy. She has a blog that is very delightful. Here's the link: http://sharonlovejoy.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=9. The other book is "Carrots Love Tomatoes". Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. I've seen this book mentioned a lot and wanted to have a copy for myself.

So, I guess that's it for now. Oh, I did go out to the grape arbor and started cleaning it out some. There is a lot to do but it can be done. Chickens by this summer and fresh eggs by the middle of summer or late summer. I will also start looking at greenhouses again very soon. Maybe I will check out the Glass Gardner. http://www.glassgardener.com/ They are only about a mile or so down the road from where we live. We shall see what works the best. So ta ta for now.

Birthday Month

So this is my birthday month. I celebrate all month. Its also an extra long month so I get 31 days instead of just 28. I don't get presents everyday but the cards come a little at a time and I just like to think of it as a birthday month not just a birthday day.

The day that my computer got worked on my friend Greg brought me over a load of horse poop. It was very nicely aged so I was able to put it on the garden. My friend Carla came over and got some and I put the rest on the compost pile. Speaking of compost Costco has a tumbling composter that we are going to get. We went to get one this weekend and they were out. Here's the link if you want to see one.

http://www.thecompostbin.com/2009/04/99-costco-compost-tumbler.html

It's pretty cool. They are supposed to get some more in on the 8th or 9th and we will be right there to get one. This is not one of my birthday presents. I have let my family know that I want "Blogging for Dummies". Maybe I can get my blog to look a little more professional.

There are so many daffodils about to bloom and there are also a few tulips getting ready to open. So exciting! The daffs called "Cheerfulness" not "Cheerful" as last reported are still blooming and looking and smelling like heaven. I took some over to my other friend Carla yesterday and she loved them. There's just something about fresh flowers that make you feel good.

News on the chicken front. It looks like I may be getting chickens after all. So excited! The big part is getting the chicken coop done. We also have to put a new roof on half of our garage and that is going to be a pretty penny. So lots of things going on around here. Still waiting on greenhouse plans too.

My camera will no longer download pictures that I have recently taken for some reason. So no new pictures for now. Well, that's about all the news for now.

Ta ta.