Angela's Wall

JDO said "you're not going to take a picture with all the junk in it are you?". Sho-nough. This is a work in progress and you get to see it in all its glory, aren't you thrilled! There's still a lot of work that needs to be done but you get the idea. We (used loosely) need to reinforce the tall end with a couple of pieces of rebar for safety's sake, and fill the holes in the cinder blocks under the plants with dirt. The the whole thing needs to be filled with dirt - that's a lot of dirt.

I did this yesterday in the rain because I had the sudden urge (it strikes me quite frequently and at unexpected moments) to be outside in the garden. Right now there is no dry spot to sit so the only other option, short of wandering around staring blankly at the dirt, was to actually do something. So, I got a little wet, and muddy, and a little sore. I also transplanted my weeping pussy willow into a spot that I had just moved a huckleberry from. This willow will eventually cascade over my planned water feature.

Two posts are now in for the rose arbor. That's a total of six bags of concrete (cement if you want to be technical, it has fewer rocks I was told) at 66 lbs each equaling a combined total of 396 lbs. All done by me! Only one more to go and then I need to do some serious transplanting.

To Post, or Not to Post

It's amazing the directions your day can take from the moment that you wake up. The sun was out this morning and it promised to be a gorgeous day. However, though I had many inside projects planned, only a few actually got done because I felt the need to be outside. My mother would say this is the result of being a "Sidetracked Home Executive" (See the book of this title.). Yes, Mom, I am fully capable of admitting to this fault and there is no hope for me.

So, after I fixed the computer - I amaze myself sometimes - and did a few other boring things such as laundry, I took Sophie on a walk with hubby. (By the way, Sophie has managed to almost completely chew through her leash. I guess we have to go to the "puppy store" on Friday.) Then we got talking about plans for the yard etc. which led into a trip to Home Depot. (I love that store.) I have been waiting for a stretch of warm, dry weather (ha, ha in Vancouver) to put in posts for a rose arbor. I decided that today was the day to put in one post.

Does anyone really realize how heavy a bag of cement is? Good grief, I needed three of them!!! I'm glad you don't have to pay by the pound. So, after digging a 2x2 hole, setting the post in, realizing the post was too tall, taking the post out, sawing off 2 1/2 ft, repositioning the post, and pouring the concrete into the hole, I had a very nice ..... post! Now, only two more to go - later, much later. Thanks to Hubby for all his help. (I'm secretly afraid to use the Saws All.) Now I can stand outside and admire my post.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood....

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day and warmer that forecast. We hit 10C here in the nice sunshine and had a chance to work outside for a while. I even opened up some of the windows to air out the house. Sophie was thrilled with the sunshine too. I transplanted some more snowdrop and crocus bulbs and put some unidentified bulbs that came out of an old pot into a new one temporarily. I still have a few snowdrops and crocus that need to be moved - maybe I'll get a nice day next week.
I took a look at the bed 1a again this afternoon in an attempt to solve the bare spot in the winter. I think what I'll end up doing is just rearranging again. I think I will move Lad's Love (Artemesia abrotanum) to the back yard in the herb garden and then put the asters where it was. Then, I can move Osmanthus burkwoodii back toward the house and move Baptisia australis forward toward the front. O.B. will eventually get as large as I will let it and Baptisia will stay about the 3ft that it is right now. This way I will have the evergreen up against the house to fill in the bare spot, Baptisia will get cut down in the fall and then I can plant some Erica or something else in there to brighten up the front. I am running out of evergreen things that will bloom and stay about 3-4 ft tall. However, I really like the Erica and it will stay small and fit quite nicely under the Baptisia. I can also add winter pansies and bulbs as needed for early color.
So, here's what's going on in my garden now. I have lots of snowdrops, crocus, and early miniature iris coming up. Some Hyacinths and Tete a Tete daffodils too I believe. I also saw little green tips poking out of the ground in the backyard that I think are daffodils too. There is some new growth on Sweet Autumn Clematis and Honeybaby Honeysuckle. The Eric in the front 1b are blooming quite nicely as well.
Time to go scrapbooking.

Three days in a row....

We have had three consecutive days of sunshine this week. I feel like I'm living somewhere else. Hey, I'll take the sunshine. We had a terrible windstorm Sunday night into Monday morning. The canopy on Jacquie's gazebo fell in and now needs to be fixed. A boogie board from the neighbor's house blew into the yard and landed in my rose garden almost crushing the newly emerging daffodils. Jonathan was kind enough to go retrieve the board and return it and there was no damage done to the daffodils.

Still trying to decide on what to do in garden 1a for an evergreen statement. I considered another viburnum, possibly another Daphne, but I have one of each already and I'd like something different. Maybe an evergreen grass or a bird's nest spruce? Can't decide - sounds like a trip to Gardenworks is in order to scope the possibilities.

Time to go get ready for Qhuackers.