Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Getting Ready for Spring!!!

 
I finally managed to upload some photos from my iPhone. I tried saving pics to my computer from the phone and load but that didn't work. Anyway what worked was to load straight from the phone via 'blogger app' on my iPhone. It isn't comfortable typing a blog post from there but it loaded. I am not going to be able to load many though for a single post since it takes forever to load from the phone. I have deleted the blogger app when it seemed to be hungup on loading and I reloaded the app and tried with few pics.
 
I love these new phones too. The iPhone is neat and does so many things.
 
 
On to the gardens. John and I have been busy getting ready for spring. Actually we've been working for the past 4 months on getting ready.
 
This past weekend was no exception. I worked on getting this bed re-edged with the rubber liner. Couldn't afford the stones yet so I had to put the rubber edging back up but thats Ok. When this bed along the driveway was first put down 4 years ago it was the size of the daffodils. A small round garden. 



 
I brought it out another 15-20" along one side of it. We added new garden soil amended with cow manure and bone meal. It is ready for plants and seeds now. I have a few returning plants here. Dahlia Figaro is showing signs of life on a couple of last years stubs still sticking up. I tend to leave small pieces of plants when they die back so that I can spot when I have a returning plant. I call this garden the 'Lantern Garden' since I have an antique lantern here. I will be adding more garden bling in the way of lanterns to make it a real 'lantern garden'. 



This big garden in the back yard is coming along. This was taken in December. When I put this bed in last year it looked like a cemetary plot and I couldn't have that so it grew and grew. 



Here it is coming along nicely. The rose shown on the left in the photo above is a yellow knock out and it has been relocated. Here in bloom is Cyclamen, lots of pansy's, hyancinth, salvia, gerbera daisy's, lisianthus is coming back, wax leaf begonia's, red knock out rose. Astilbe is up and dahlias have been planted. There is still room for more plants. I will be adding a few seeds this coming weekend. I especially love how these stones came together for this garden. We have been in the woods scouring for more stones. Hope I can come up with more stones. I love these. We even have one of those stones with some carving on it. I will get a pic of it and share it. Very interesting since these stones were used somewhere here many years ago.


 
 
This huge bed is about ready for some new plants. I have some returning plants and always happy to see them. A couple of begonia are coming back here, salvia, shasta daisies, dianthus and lots more. We will get down some additional soil mixed with cow manure and bone meal this weekend and put down some seeds and probably plants too. They are yet to be bought though. Every weekend John wants to buy more flowers and hey I'm all for it. Let's go to Lowe's....



This bed is yet to be raked - ahh - but it is on the list. Hopefully I'll get to it this weekend. This is the only shade garden. Actually I have shade over every garden at some point in the day but this one is shadier. It receives a hour or two of late evening sun before the trees shade it again. Here I have a couple of hydrangea's and begonia's and mandevilla. The hydrangea's are pure naked here so you can't even see them and they are small too.
 





We have added four more roses to the two we had last year. This is hybrid tea 'Chalupa' prob not spelled right. Anyway I call it 'fire' since it is beautiful yellow, orange and red. Beautiful. 
 




This is new hybrid tea 'Golden Glow' and is a solid creamy yellow with about 65 petals.
 


 
 
This is yellow knock out that was relocated from the larger back yard garden. We planted in an old smoker we re-purposed. I'll share the container in another post.
 



This is Mr Lincoln (I think)
 


 
We bought this one this past weekend at Ace Hardware and it is hybrid tea 'Chicago Peace'. That is coffee grounds I failed to blend.
 

 
 
We are looking forward to a busy weekend. We have been enjoying some nice spring like weather lately. Cooler today but at 6:30 last evening it was 80 degrees. Way too hot for a March evening.
 
I've got to run - work is calling. Hope you have a nice rest of the day.

10 comments:

Olive said...

Hi Becca, I have been pleased with the sharpness of iphone images and I really love Instagram. You put me to shame in that garden of yours. I was happy to get everything cut back in February and get all my lilirope trimmed. I would love more roses but have decided to wait until my kiddo can mange to finish college. She may be a professional student. I did plant snapdragons and more succulents just now. xo, Olive

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Dear Becca ~ It was so good to see a post from you and see what you are doing in your gardens. They look great and will only get better.

Love and hugs ~ FlowerLady

Sunray Gardens said...

Now that is a lot of work. The beds look fantastic. We still have a little more time before we start anything.
Cher Sunray Gardens

Connie said...

You are making great progress in your gardens, Becca. I can't wait till they are all full and blooming.

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

Your lantern garden soil looks very good. Healthly for those plants.
Interesting to find stones with carvings. Your collection does go together well.

So many new roses. Your garden is getting ready to show off.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Looks like spring there! or maybe even summer! Your gardens are looking good:)

Lona said...

Oh you are so far ahead of me Becca in working in the garden and the size of your plants. To think it was 85 degrees last year here and today it is a warm 36. LOL! But things are looking up and some sunshine so all is well. Your roses are really leafing out. I love the bed with the rocks. They are just the right touch for that bed. Have fun gardening and when you can get a man interested it is always a bonus, :)

Diane said...

Your garden is looking pretty good already. Our is so wet from all the rain we have had that I cannot even dig it! Keep well, good to see you back, Diane

Unknown said...

Hi Becca, everything is looking nice. But, we are waiting for your showpiece! Our weather has been filled with sunny pleasant days in the low 60's today. Rain in the forcast tomorrow through the weekend with colder temps. I don't do anything until after Easter snap! Hope you & family are okay...
Wishing you a Happy Spring! Hugs...

PS We have a new pet...Miss Kitty and she's got a blog with my other two pets: http://shespoketome.blogspot.com

if you'd like to check it out, maybe join! Nice idea for you with your fur-baby too!

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Your garden is getting bigger and bigger! I am loving the green, we are still so cold here.

Eileen

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