a walk around the yard

While it's true that farmers make hay when the sun shines, this farm gal does yardwork. Used to be that my mom and I would walk around the yard in the evenings looking at all our plants. Mother's Day is coming up so to reminisce I walked around the yard with my camera after a couple of days of hard yardwork.

I planted a clematis (accent on the 2nd syllable is what I prefer) in this tub along with some supertunias, pansies, and a grass thing. Please note the rocks arranged around the hostas which got chopped by the weedeater. If you look very very closely, the white spot on the lower right is a marker indicating where a lily was planted.

I dug a hole and partially submerged the tub that has water plants in it - water celery (if you need some, let me know) a waterlily, marsh marigold, and water iris, two goldfish and my cool insulator on top of a pot. For a long time I've been wanting to put my collection of sedums somewhere that makes sense so I've moved them to the end of this bed on the right. I've got a couple of tomato plants and a pot of lettuce center. Behind you can see some yellow lilies we just planted and part of my yard art. My intention is to spread barkdust lightly, Preen heavily, and then more barkdust in an effort to get some noxious weeds under control.

Sorry that Powder looks blurry - he's wagging his tail. This picture is called Under the Lilac - his favorite place to lay. I wish you could smell this gorgeous lilac. It's so fragrant.

We hired a couple of men to weed and spread barkdust. They did a great job weeding but the barkdust is a little thin. Note the flowerbed by the house. It hasn't looked that clean for several years!

 What do you think about this rhody? I may leave it in a pot so I can easily move it if it doesn't do well there. I'm particularly happy with my aralia to the right. I put it in 2 years ago and it's doing well. We just discovered that the hinges on the screen door are broken so if you come over, come to the back door.

 I like what's happening here. I've moved almost all of my red sandstone rocks that I got from my brother John's house to this bed. More barkdust needed but it's coming along.

To do list: paint fence! Thanks for walking the yard with me.

Here's a cute pair! I like Alex's buzz cut.

Consider the lilies

In an ironic role reversal I ran the weed-eater over Dick’s lilies reducing them to ¼ inch stubs.

He got interested in lilies last summer and in a never-ending desire on my part to encourage any bud of horticultural interest on his part, we ended up with quite a few.  But as bulbs die back and the weeds thrive and life goes on, I wiped them out with a few well aimed but unintentional swipes with the weed-eater.

I’ve lost a few plants over the years to a weed-eater wielding husband who takes anything green as a personal challenge, but it came as quite a shock to have to give an account myself!

Needless to say I’ve had to do a little payback in my flower shopping lately.