Annette's Blog at GardenStew.com

the sunshine is returning!!!

Annette — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:28:38 -0400

Author: Annette
Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 2:28 pm (GMT 0)

i am very glad to be seeing more sunshine! everything is starting to wake up and the big piles of snow are slowly dwindling. the dogs are happy too because that means momma will be outside playing in the dirt and they will be out too!!! right now, though they seem to want to be in and out about 50 times a day (exageration), and if it's not too cold and windy (that still has a bite to it sometimes) i'll leave the back door open and they can sit on the back porch if they behave. Being retrievers, they bark at anything unfamiliar, which is good in a way, but it gets old sometimes....lol.

was walking into the yard the other day, and looked into my sleeping garden, and was thrilled to see that at least one of the peony plants my dearest friend had given me survived the winter! it was just starting to peek up through the dirt.
i figure a couple more weeks (of course, everything depends on mother nature) i'll be able to start cleaning everything up and getting ready for the new outside season...i've already had my brother man the grill at a cook-out!

anxious annie

Annette — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:17:46 -0500

Author: Annette
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:17 pm (GMT 0)

here we are, two months into the new year, and i can't wait for the winter to disappear!.....have ordered some nice flowers for my new front garden, (i am running out of room in the back yard) and it is a spot which get no direct sun..not quite sure how i'm going to do it, but with plants on the way, (probably arrive in april) i must make up my mind!
I had bought some bulbs in the fall, and neglected to put them in right away, so i actually got them in around the first of the year (i could still dig in the ground), just in time, too....after that, the weather went downhill, and has been cold and frozen ever since.....i know it's early, but i'm always on the look out for the crocus, daffodils, and muscari to be peeking their tips out of the ground.....
I also bought some canas for my backyard....had them a few years ago, and they didn't over winter well, and i wasn't able to revive them....i'll give them one more shot.....

hopefully...third time is a charm for this blog entry...lol

a gift

Annette — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:25:31 -0400

Author: Annette
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:25 pm (GMT 0)

I have known my friend for all but six years of my life. We grew up on the same street, and were the only daughters in families filled with boys. We were sisters, even if our last names and mothers were different.
Through the years, we have managed to stay in touch, though, when we became adults, we were living on opposite sides of the country.
This spring she needed to return to the area to be with her mom, whom was in failing health and needed constant care for her ending days.
For a few days every now and then, she could arrange to take a break and she would visit me for a day or two. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding these visits, I enjoyed her company and was happy she could feel she was home and relax for a while.
The last days of June brought an end to her journey and she spent almost a week with me before returning home.
We spent time in the back yard talking about our houses, pets, gardens, and families, also what it was like caring for someone getting ready to go the to their next life.
The last time my friend had visited, she had requested seeds from the rose of sharon buses in the yard. Being the slow mover I am, I still hadn't gotten to them almost 2 years later. This time, I spotted two seedlings in my back flower garden, and potted them. I also put in a couple of foxglove and few sprigs of sedum.
I helped her pack her truck, put the pot with the seedlings in the back, and off she went. The plants survived almost 2 weeks in the truck, and are now doing well in their new home.
I feel we both received gifts.

in full swing..

Annette — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 21:45:30 -0400

Author: Annette
Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:45 am (GMT 0)

lets, see....bachelor buttons, cosmos...the cleome is absolutely beautiful this year! zinnias and dahlias are nice.. sweet peas are already fading, and so has some of the monarda. the penstemon was nice, (i think i'm going to move it). the purple coneflower loves it's new spot...right up front where eveyone can see it when they come in the back yard gate. the nasturtiums are lovely, and i'm going to let the seeds fall and see what happens. and of course the portulaca comes back every year, though they are sometimes slow to show up. i'll have to thin the liatris come next spring....the rose of sharon is going like crazy (those are not mine, but my aunts(we share our back yards...that way i don't have to have a fence, and living in the city, sometimes you need all the room you can get..and she lets me do what ever i want as far as flowers and stuff...she grows the tomatoes and cukes, so i put up with the mess) (boy am i long winded tonight).. everything is nice to look at, and i'm happy with the work that i accomplished this year.

dog days of summer................

Annette — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 21:30:59 -0400

Author: Annette
Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:30 am (GMT 0)

it's been very hot and humid....can't even be outside for more than 10 mins. or so....went back to work this week....gardening is being reduced to weeding and dead-heading in the very early morning and after work....in this heat..just making sure everything is watered. can't even let the dogs out for too long.......ahhhhhhh the pleasures of air conditioning!!! everything is in full bloom, and seeds are starting to set on some plants.....have to keep an eye on that funky stuff i don't know what it is.....i should be getting pictures back soon, and will post asap. sunflowers are now taller than me (5'3") and the flower heads are coming into view. august brings thoughts of fall and what i have to do to get ready for that....(lilac bush removal)after this hot spell, would welcome some cool air and even a thunder boomer!

slowly but surely

Annette — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 08:51:27 -0400

Author: Annette
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:51 pm (GMT 0)

my brother is going to help me with the concrete pad, found out you can rent the mixer from home depot. i can't wait for that. have son painting the concret on the front porch, and the only major household job outside will be to change the gutters.
i was wondering if a stick of dynomite would help with the lilac roots (i am only joking), but if i could get away with it.....
i have to say, i'm very happy with the garden and how it emerged this year, and it looks lovely in the fire light. i will have to remember to take pictures some night. am finally going to have pictures of the mystery plant in my garden, hope someone can identify it for me, and now that i learned to post pictures, look out!!

figuring it all out....lol

Annette — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:00:58 -0400

Author: Annette
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:00 pm (GMT 0)

well, here it is, the middle of july....everything is, or should be in full swing....yeah, right...
the fire pit is finished...and is very nice to sit around (when it's not too windy) have two lanterns near and a couple of tiki torches also so i can see what i'm doing in the dark....it's kinda nice that the two street lights go off every now and then so you can appreciate the fire, and i like the way the flowers look in the glow. am calling a guy to put a concrete pad at the back of my house...so that should be done shortly....and my next biggest chore is to dig out the lilac bush...i've decided to plant tall ornamental grasses in the corner for a screen. i've done a little research and there are a few that grow 5-6 ft tall. been pulling out tons of plants that i don't want to reseed....don't know what they are, but i've had them for about 6 or 7 years, and they're nice....the fill in alot of ugly spots (in front of the shed) but enough is enough....will have to post pictures of them, maybe someone can let me know what they are...can't find them in any book. will be getting some pictures back this week, and will try and post to show some of my work.

the 'blue' phase

Annette — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 18:45:16 -0400

Author: Annette
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 10:45 pm (GMT 0)

lets see....the tulips, daffodils, and grape hyacinth are all but gone...the alliums are just a- bout finished, the lilacs lasted about 5 days (in a few weeks, am going to have to heavily prune it) but...my first clematis is starting, big, beautiful dark blue flowers, that will turn light blue as they age. i bought a new one this year (my third, and it's white). the lupin buds were all white at the beginning of last week, and are now in full tilt. tons of buds on my oldest sea holly (got four new ones started this year all at the base of my clematis trellis). blanket flowers are starting to bud, the foxglove, and bellflower, too. all the transplants are doing well, especially after the great rain we've had the past couple of days.

a rainy day today

Annette — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 18:28:40 -0400

Author: Annette
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 10:28 pm (GMT 0)

very cool, and wet today. the wind knocked over a bit of my sweetpea vine and had to tie it to the fence. that's about all i did outside today...but progress has been made on the small fire pad, only about 20 bricks left to put in (out of 75). we really needed the rain, though. now all my plants and seedlings will start popping (along with the grass).
had a hot spell for a week or so, and couldn't do much past noon or so. also had to have the air conditioners put in...they are off today, and the windows, and doors are open, do love that fresh air.
tomorrow is supposed to be sunny, but cool, and will start clearing my small flower bed at the back of the house. only foxglove and bellflowers there. found someone to pour the concrete for me, all i need to do is get it ready. (well, actually, my son will be doing that)
with all that said, and done..caught up on laundry, was actually able to turn the oven on and cook some chicken for dinner, which, came out excellent! had rice-a-roni with it. mmmmmmmm

so much to do

Annette — Tue, 15 May 2007 18:41:39 -0400

Author: Annette
Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 10:41 pm (GMT 0)

so much to do......fix gutters on house....make new flower bed by the fence......put down brick pavers for fire pit.....make walkway from fence....and extend cement 'patio' at back of house!!!!! i did get all my perennials moved and my garden soil turned...i thought i was going to need more soil, but after turning it, had plenty to go around. my new treasure is a double peony, red, that my dearest and oldest friend bought for me, and i put it in a spot i can see it wherever i am in my yard. my lilacs have recoverd nicely from the damage in october, and will have quite a few flowers by the end of the week, also bought one more clematis (my third one) and seems to be still alive, so i'm very happy about that. am taking a couple of days off to catch up on housework (yuck). annuals will go in in a few weeks (memorial day weekend)and i suppose after that is done the other projects can proceed....one at a time.....lol.
and i forgot...want to put a flower bed in the front of the house.....(still figuring that one out in my head)