Ahhh, Sunshine!!

Finally we get to enjoy the sun.  Today was so beautiful.  We have had so much rain we are at 165% of average rainfall.   I spent 2 hours in the garden weeding and cleaning up.  It was around 75.  Tomorrow is supposed to get as high as 86 in some areas!

All the California Poppies "Alba" are blooming!  So beautiful and the Alonsa is going to town, bloomed all winter and now it is upping the show!  Will add pics tomorrow.

My Garden Room: Sharon Lovejoy Grimy Hands Girls' Club

My Garden Room: Sharon Lovejoy Grimy Hands Girls' Club

Sharon Lovejoy Grimy Hands Girls' Club

I WON!

Oh, my gosh!  I have been dreading today for a couple weeks.  My Aunt Edna, who is in perfect health for 96.....except for dementia so bad that she forgets how to move her feet at times..... had to go in for her yearly physical.  It is very hard for me to get her in and out of the car and through the whole thing.  It doesn't seem very big after it is over, but thinking about doing it is the worst part.  Anyhow, today was the day.  Rain threatened and it was not looking fun. 

I thought I would get some exercise in and was going to download my scheduled exercise on IFit from the computer but automatically opened my email first instead......and guess what!!  I had won a party prize from the internet party Rebbeca Sweet and her co-author Susan Morrison were giving on the release of their new book "Garden Up!. 

From Rebbeca's blog gossipinthegarden.com:


"Today I’d like to announce the winner of the Fiskars products which I was giving away on my blog.  These tools are truly some of my favorite (and NO, I’m not just saying that because I’m part of Fiskar’s Blogging Team!). Today’s winner receives a combo-pack containing one of my favorite tools to reach those ‘just out of arm’s-length’ wayward branches – the Fiskar’s telescoping bypass loppers. Fiskar’s is generously offering these loppers, PLUS their super-cool Cuts-More scissors as well as their reinforced Kangaroo Garden Container to put those pruned branches in! How’s THAT for an awesome prize!!

 And I was the winner!! 

Well, that certainly helped brighten the day!  Then it turned out I had help going with me and my aunt, so that was another relief.  And everything went fine.


And Jen called and said my Mother's Day present would be delivered to our house tomorrow and I could open it early!  Guess what it is.... The new book "Garden Up!!  It is about vertical gardening!

And Cathy and I had a bit of time to chat this evening.  It turned out to be a great day after all!!

A sample of current garden blossoms! 3/1/11

Everyone is getting very anxious for spring.  When the weather is warm the nurseries are busy!

Snow?

As much as the news hyped up the possibility of snow in the SF Bay Area, I knew the chances were nill.  I did cover my succulents.  All my new plants are supposed to be able to handle down to 30F.

The snow did not show up in our part of the Bay....and more important, all plants are ok.  Bees weren't too happy though.  They decided to sleep in.

Waiting for Spring 2011

We had 3 glorious weeks that were so beautiful.  I thought I was going to have to water the flowerbeds as it was reaching around 78 degrees.  I knew better than get too excited but it was a good time to start to pull weeds since they loved the warmth too.


Tonight it is supposed to actually snow at sea level in the bay area.  It probably won't stick but everyone is looking forward to it.  Kids and parents are planning a "snow day"!

My daughter and I have been checking out Annie's Annuals catalogue.  Lots of things on the wish list!

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day!!

Just in time to let us bolster ourselves in the garden before the next blast of rain comes in and Christmas arrives and more rain.

The Garden Christmas Week

We got so much rain last night, just a steady downpour, that the paths were flooded all day.

The plants are all doing fine and the weeds are coming up looking just real healthy.  The rain is supposed to be heavy all week.  It would be great to get to those weeds before they get so big but it doesn't look like there will be an opportunity soon.

What's up!

Many projects have been keeping me so busy, things that I have put off for years and can wait no longer.  The gardens have been left on their own for so long while I traveled and painted my heart out.  And the house had gotten to the point where I couldn't stand it anymore.  So......When we got back from our 7,000 mile trip through the US I was inspired to redo the large garden areas.  I turned the beds and added fertilizer and planted about 250 plants.  I enjoyed every bit of it and certain helped stimulate the economy!  The plants took off and were blooming before I ever expected them too, each plant is like a child to me.  I only lost 3 but am still mourning them, wondering what happened. 

 Then I tackled the house.  The biggest project was to have floors refinished.  For people that usually do projects themselves rather than call in outside help it was quite a change to have someone come in and refinish the livingroom floor, put in new hardwood floor in the dining/entry area. (A lot easier, too!  As we age this is the way to go!)  I did lay the new kitchen floor myself though.

Now we are finishing the last few things before Christmas.  The garden has been doing fine on its own.  The poppies are blooming still as well as assorted other of my baby plants.  It is going to be interesting when I try to figure out if I have any "self-seeded" plants......how to tell them from weeds, that is the question.  The weeds are starting up too and hopefully I will be able to get out and weed before they get too large!

And, maybe I will get a chance to paint before winter is over also!

Frost coming!

Well, we've had some rain and it has been warm until last night.  There are frost warnings for the whole San Francisco Bay Area through Thanksgiving.  Since I am in the process of tearing up my kitchen floor and shopping for a new refrigerator I didn't have time to do much to protect my baby plants last evening.  I did get out there and water them down though.  I was banking on the fact we are so close to the bay that we never have frosts like other parts of the area has.  I was lucky, the weather channel said we were to get down to 34 degrees but it only got to 37.  So, I still have some time to protect them before the worst frost comes before tomorrow morn!

Looking back!

So glad I started this blog when I did. Things in the garden are starting to slow down. It is getting cooler, we've had several sprinkley days. Things are growing slower with the shorter days. And it is hard sometime to realize all that has gone on in the garden since late July! Reading back in the blog it helps me appreciate all the work I put in on those hot days; all the compost turning and planting, turning all that dirt, hauling trash barrels full of prunings, and all those crazy 4 o'clock tubers!!

Speaking of those 4 o'clocks....I still am hoeing that flowerbed every other day keeping those guys from growing and taking the bed back! They grow so fast! you can almost see them rising from the dirt like something from the dead!!!.. (A little Halloween drama!)

I am still turning the compost every other day. The latest batches are almost done. I am waiting for the wysteria leaves to turn and drop. I will use them in the last compost batch of the year.

The deadheading has stopped. It is hard for me to wait to see it anything will be reseeded...and if there are some new plants, will I recognize them and not hoe them out?? And what is in store? Will the few winter frosts (if any) kill my little babies??!! Will the snail come out from wherever they are and eat everything?? Worry, Worry!

Fall is here!

The days are getting shorter, it is a getting much cooler in the mornings and a wee bit of rain here and there!

I have stopped deadheading, hoping for some reseeding to happen. It will be like magic to me if anything does reseed. When I have tried to plant seeds in the garden it never seems to come up. But maybe the plants know better on how to do it.

Two and a half months from starting new flowerbeds!

It has been overcast all day, we may have some rain tonight or tomorrow and for sure Sunday. Ah! a welcome break from heat and watering all my new plants. I really am amazed at how pretty the garden is after only 2 1/5 months since I was digging up this flowerbed!

Plein Air at Ardenwood Saturday

East Bay Artist are meeting at Ardenwood for painting!

Centaurea gymnocarpa 'velvet centaurea'

Centaurea gymnocarpa 'velvet centaurea' leaves look almost exactly like Artemisia absinthium 'Powis Castle'!

A Beautiful October Day!

Cool, overcast till noon, then sunny! Love it.

I bought 3 more retaining blocks and finished the side flowerbed project!

AND!!.......My sister wants to check out Annie's Annuals. So tomorrow we are going up to have fun again!!! I am getting tired of planting and I am hoping that will help save the credit card!

Fall weather, at last!!

Ahhh, coolness, overcast, and a little rain!

and the narcissus are starting to bloom....

The new look of the Side Flowerbed

The retainer blocks are in place, although I do need to get 2 more to finish. These should hold the dirt up on the higher level without slipping.

The Retainer Blocks

Yesterday I bought 15 blocks for the side flowerbed, figuring that is about all my little car could hold at one time. They are 28 lbs each. I was trying to keep the bender board to hold back the dirt from falling where the blocks go, but at the same time I am moving it back about 3-4 inches so there will be more room for the blocks. A couple of the plants were planted pretty close to the bender board and I don't want to move them.

Using the wagon I have unloaded all but 3 blocks. I put the first 6 in place, trying to keep them each at the right height. Rather difficult when working around all the baby plants. The muscles aren't hurting much but tonight and tomorrow morning I have grandkid track tournaments to attend and hills to climb so don't want to be aching for that. So... think I will be leaving the rest of the block laying for tomorrow afternoon. It is cooling off today too, so by tomorrow it should be nice weather for hard work!

Must be time to buy more plants!

Everything is planted, weeded, watered and ou-ed and awh-ed over!
It must be time to buy more plants!! But I am running out of planting space........but there is an area in the Little Garden Room that I think I am going to make into a rock garden/succulent area!


I am thinking I really need to get some more of those retainer blocks to bolster up where I have the bender board in the side flowerbed. I knew it was going to be a temporary set-up with the bender board but I had plants to plant and nothing gets in the way of that!

It is still hot but is to cool down tomorrow, can't wait!

Yesterday's surprise!

I was in the "Little Garden Room" watering several plants in a flat that haven't been planted yet. Out crawls the prettiest little snake out of the ferns and along the top of the plants I was watering. He must have been thirsty because he seemed to be drinking water drops on a stem. He was about the diameter of a pencil, black background with 4 yellow stripes, 2 on each side of him going lengthwise down his body. When he had enough he just slid into the ferns.

I ran to get my camera but never did find him again.

It is hot again!

We have had several pretty warm days again and now we are going to scorch again! It was 72 degrees at 9:00 this morning. It is 81 in the shade 2 hours later! I was up early watering everything. Last go round some plants had their leaves fried! There is a hot light breeze too. It feels like the October that we had the Oakland fire. The hot breeze draws all the moisture out of the plants and the fire danger in the hills is very high.

Luke's Totally Awesome Rupert Goldberg

Compost day! and a question!

6 wagon loads of compost is now in the veg. garden. And, the new compost is turned and the next batch is in line to be composted!

Question!!!
2 plants that are different but look close, but no tags! What are they?
Jen, do you know?

The Side Flowerbed is done!

This morning I finished putting the edging on the brick path and cleaning up from all the work the last few days. And the Side Flowerbed is done! I had to put border fences up because our dog, Joe, wanted to lay in there.

Everything is watered and only one bed needs to be weeded.

Looking Good!

This morning I finished putting the edging on the brick path and cleaning up from all the work the last few days.

I planted 55 plants today!

I had to wait forever for it to get light enough to be able to get the Side flowerbed finished. It wasn't getting light at all till about 7:30 am. I have to say, the weather was great to do this job. A touch of a fall chill, overcast and a threat of rain! So different than a few days ago when it was so hot!.....The weather has been so changeable like this since the start of summer. I installed a bender board to create a 2-level bed. Then I had to level both levels to get ready for planting. The planting of about 55 plants was finished around 5 pm. A long day!

Anyhow, the planting of that flowerbed is done!

Tomorrow I have to clean up the paths, deadhead and weed the other beds. I also have some plants for the Little Garden Room to plant.

Now I'm going to go jump in the hot tub to sooth the muscles!

Plant's from Annie's Annuals

This morning I have been working on turning the soil in the Side Flowerbed. I should be done by tomorrow morning . Then the planting begins!

This is my list of plants from Annies:
3 Adenophora potaninii "Bush Ladybells"
3 Agrostemma gihago "Ocen Pearls"
5 Alonsoa meridonalis "Apricot"
4 Alonsoa meridonalis "Red"
3 Anagallis momellii "Blue Pimpernel"
2 Cheiranthus x Allioni "Siberian Wallflower" Orange
4 Eschscholzia californica "Apricot Chiffon"
7 Eschscholzia californica "Rose Chiffon"
1 Eschscholzia californica "Alba"
5 Nemophilia menziesii "Baby Blue Eyes"
3 Penstemon helerophyllus "Blue Springs
2 Plectranthus zuluensis
2 Tellima grandiflora "Fringe cups"
2 Verbascum hybrid "Southern Charm"
2 Verbascum chaixii "Album"
2 mimulus puniceus
1 clianthus puniceus "Parrot's Beak"
1 Hollyhock "Double Azalea"
1 Sideritis Orotenerifee "Canary Island White Sage
1 aeonium noble (succulent)
1 Lewisia cotyledon "White Splendor"
Anagallis monellii

What a wonderfully fun day!!

We had so much fun today and we had to leave before the party began! We were the first ones there and they wouldn't let us in till a few minutes after 9!... Not even to peek, but we did anyway, peek that is. They were busy getting ready for the party, prettying every thing up and doing last minute deadheading just for us. The flower beds were beautiful as usual and we were so excited. We had only 2 hours and we were on a mission!!

Well, we proved we could do it!! I came home with 60 plants, Cathy had 30 and Jen had at least as many! We are true plant-aholics!

Tomorrow we start digging and planting. Thank heavens it is going to be cooler for the next few days!