The backyard - productive or otherwise - 2022

[Lynlee]

Hello again. Glad to read new deliberations taking place re the outdoor spaces.

Yes Harriet - trying to not come here often to avoid the consequences that sometimes seem to flow with the computer.

My Neighbours have been helpful with the mowing. I pay them, but assure them its less than the regular rate as they think to refuse.
Yesterday I got back to beginning again with digging out Central American singapore daisy.
From the stem systems it has going on its been under the weeds and grass (what there is of it there) for quite a while.
I managed one strip along the edge in the shade after another 29C day.

Last time I tried my 'you beaut' mower it wouldn't go. I think it would have been cheaper to hire someone all along.

[Twins' Mom]

We've been missing you Lynlee. It's good to see you posting! We've all been hoping you're well.

[Nancy]

Yea LynnL. So good to see you.

Today I need to do a bit of lighter work after a pretty heavy gardening day yesterday.

[Nancy]

Got the rose bush out by the deck, the canes and vines off the arbor. Now I am dealing with branches smaller piles of them to deal with helped
getting them out of the main entrance. I saved bags from leaves so some will go in them till they can be hauled off.
Progress is looking messy at the moment.

Sorted planters and some will be leaving also.
Overhead in old hen house now a potting shed has been cleaned out.
Found painting supplies I need to move them as well.

Got the cans full plus a bucket and tote.
It is a point that it could be overwhelming.

I still have a tree to take out small plum tree that is past it's prime.
Thinking if I want to do this or not and what would go in it's place if when I do dig it out.
It suckers up pretty badly so would save me some work if I did get it out.
Not this weekend however.

[Nancy]

Got the rose bush out by the deck, the canes and vines off the arbor. Now I am dealing with branches smaller piles of them to deal with helped
getting them out of the main entrance. I saved bags from leaves so some will go in them till they can be hauled off.
Progress is looking messy at the moment.

Sorted planters and some will be leaving also.
Overhead in old hen house now a potting shed has been cleaned out.
Found painting supplies I need to move them as well.

Got the cans full plus a bucket and tote.
It is a point that it could be overwhelming.

I still have a tree to take out small plum tree that is past it's prime.
Thinking if I want to do this or not and what would go in it's place if when I do dig it out.
It suckers up pretty badly so would save me some work if I did get it out.
Not this weekend however.

I burned the dead limbs. Picked up others. One more pile to deal with this week.
More to burn later.

[Lynlee]

Worked a little more on the driveway area today.

Waving to Nancy and Twins.

[Nancy]

Waving.

I need to get this out of my head.
Plans
1 Dig violets out of center of grass to save em in the back yard. Done.
2. In front move to do two patches of violets to flower bed put grass there. Done
3. Pick up after dog. xx
4. Load green branches mid week. Done.

5. Burn other dead braches too windy today. 4-3 did:that.
6. Cut up green ones to fit in cans better done.
7. Load planters aka donations one wood one fell apart, put it by fire pit. Done.

Could be for April.
Mower prep. X
Burn branches done.
Take slats out of fence x

[Harriet]

Lynlee, I wish we could have crystal balls to know in advance whether it would be better to hire help or do certain things ourselves. I've had disappointment both ways, at times.

You all remember that this past winter I had to decide there was just no time or space here to start seeds myself. Now I've started buying plants. (our average last frost is considered April 15)

The really nice privately owned nursery has beautiful plants and very few that they have not grown to 4-inch pots. For instance, I was able to get the mildew-resistant impatiens (trademarked variety) I wanted for $2.00 each in 4-inch pots, which I consider reasonable, or even a bargain, especially since growing from seed is time-consuming for impatiens. They've grown to this size well, bushy. Other plants looked just about as healthy, but believe me, no others were bargains. lol. That place knows what they have.

We had errands today and went to the home improvement store and they had a huge selection, but those very same impatiens were in the little 2-inch pots in trays for close to the same price. They were blooming way, way more, but half the height, which isn't a good sign together, and I suspect they could be root-bound. Obviously, the store doesn't grow these on, they just set out for sale what's delivered to them, and I happen to know they didn't have these last week. It's the grower who has allowed these to stunt.

Because they had a color I'd wanted, that the nicer place didn't have, I went ahead and bought a small tray. (By the way, I had to judge this for myself. These at the store didn't have color names on their trays, but I've researched the plant.) So now I'll have an experiment to try. I hope the stunted ones can catch up and do as well. I didn't really want this experiment, since the planting will be prettier if the heights and widths turn out the same. And it is right at the front door.

At this point, the frustration of having to search around for colors I wanted makes seed-starting look pretty good for next year. For a slow-growing plant like these, you pretty much have to start in late January, though. I've had good luck in the past with indoor-sown impatiens, but wow, their seeds take forever and really require warmth underneath.

[Nancy]

To early to plant tender stuff here.

I have dug out the last two rose bushes by the patio yea!
Pruned one other one off by the fence.

[Harriet]

"weathered" the last frost, I believe. Just brought the new plants inside for two nights so I didn't have to worry.

I have nurtured those potentially-stunted impatiens and they look way better. Need to get their feet in more dirt soon. For one thing, it helped them look a lot better to be watered from the bottom, gently. Their blooms were all torn up - ragged from rough spraying, I'm pretty sure.

Bought a new pair of gardening gloves and some organic fertilizer with extra phosphorus (4-8-4) for flowers, making sure there are blooms rather than all foliage through the year. I'm glad I have the composted manure, but with the flowers I'm not looking for big plants so much as color.