In the year 2023, the Outdoors beckon

[Harmony]

I've never seen Lantana die back like that. Here it grows year round, though some seasons it flowers for months at a time then for a bit will be just greenery. They advise to keep it pruned to have bushy plants but I haven't figured that out when to do that because it seems always to be blooming and it hurts my heart to cut off all that color. So mine tends to be very viney and I think DH sort of piles it back up on top of itself.

In this house there is our office bathroom which is a bumped out little room from the major footprint of the house and I have the lantana all the way across that one outside wall. There is nowhere for it to go to get mixed up with other gardens, except that it grows into the grass and I think that's when DH would pile up the vines back at the wall again. I started with several plants just spaced across, a yellow flowering one, a white flowering one, and that beautiful multicolor one. It must be a good space for them to grow because it's very full.

At my old house, I'd put it in a front flower bed but it grew wildly out of control and there were other plants there so I moved it to along a wooden fence where it stayed more tidy because there was less sun in that spot. I never had to prune it there. It didn't bloom much in that spot either. But I didn't have any problem with the roots when I dug it out of the front garden.

I suppose I'm not taking care of it properly, but there's a lot of color and it doesn't die in drought and I didn't cover it the one day we thought it might be freezing and it did just fine through all that. Any plant that can survive my inattention is a winner in my book!

I've resolved to do what I can to amend the soil in my veggie garden and see if I can get more produce. I tried to do a compost bin one time and never could get it to turn into anything but a gloppy mess so gave up on that. I never wanted to leave it out in the open where I could turn it because I'd likely have raccoons, rats, mice, who-knows-what-else coming around. Yes, Armadillos, moles, snakes, yikes!

[Nancy]

Got some pruning done this weekend and burned the branches from the roses bush burned yea for that progress and the
bed it was in. I have more to do but this is a good start. I may have lost the purple leaf plum tree in the front yard. If so I
will cut it down it is not that big but it is old past it's prime.

[Harriet]

I'd been told at the garden center that lantana wouldn't overwinter here, and they were right. Your large planting sounds really pretty.

Interestingly, they said be aware that the sage (blue salvia) would possibly overwinter. Looking at the two plants I would never have pegged the flimsier-leafed sage for overwintering, but it did.

Would you believe the sage has been blooming for about 10 days, is 18 inches high? Very bushy.

On the trip out with dd24 yesterday, I found exactly 2 more of the Bordeaux petunia. So dgdC got three of them for her bday and now I'll have 2, which is really all I needed. Just want that purple against the brick at the front door. It picks up the purple-blue color that pops up in the brick at a few places. And now it's kinda a shared interest with dgd.

I was ambushed by the amazing look of a Crazytunia, a type that has so many color varieties by now I don't think anyone can keep up - stars, halos, wild colors like black. This is Lighthouse Pink, which is a halo. Supposed to be a "lighthouse" for pollinators.

Dd and I went through the gift part of a nursery that was really lovely. What a wonderful assortment of pots, signs, decor, plus of course many houseplants. We just found the prices to be out of our ranges. Still, we had a great time there.

Dstepson has built one of those high-level U-shaped raised bed fenced "rooms" with a door that you walk into to garden. He and dstepdil have planted tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and herbs. So that was another enjoyable "tour" this past week. He's also built a very large trellis for 3 clematis vines. Their backyard space is really becoming their favorite area.

[Nancy]

This morning I got the beds cleared out of the goal area south part by the deck.
I have mowed the backyard.
Did not get enough steps in for my day so ...
I am taking a break for a bit, before I mow the front.
Mowed the front that got my steps in.

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Fri. I got the piles of leaves moved to the back of the lot and less visible and they can sit there till I get containers freed up to put them in, or
as compost. Or if it ever warms up I can bag them up to go out in the weekly trash pick up. But in any case the yard looks better and it is good for my mental health to do something in the garden each day.

There is a smaller tree that needs some pruning so might be my focus next.

I do not know what I did in the yard last year but it feels like I ignored it!

[Nancy]

I remembered last year dgd and I were on a mission to get some other things done on the list like painting the rec. room.
So it was planned break.

I got one corner cleared out of leaves in back and put them in 2 of the 33 gal. trash cans I have her for that job. I luv having progress on the front too.
I got the purple tulips in the front yard moved to a better spot did that last evening yea!
It is very humid out for me 43% I will be glad when that eases up!

Transplanted another vol. plant lambs ear, and planted flowers and herbs I had and was waiting for warmer temps.
put oil & gas in mower, it was still dewy out a bit so will wait a bit more.
Got the back yard hoses rolled up.

[Nancy]

I have been working on the last corner of leaves piled up, got three lawn & leaf bags full ran out.
Put some in the vacuum box still have about a kitchen trash bag left to do so will see about that I have plenty of those.
Watered in front lovely day here today.

[Nancy]

I in puttering mode but did pull a few weeds by the door of the potting shed.
I cleaned the bird bath 1 part vinegar to 9 parts water is recommended 2 -3 times a week.
Now I know why the once a week was not working so well.

[Nancy]

I went to the Cattle Woman's Assoc. Plant sale this week & got plants!
Also to the greenhouse as I did not find all of the ones I wanted yet and still looking for thyme.
I got tome cherry toms. red & yellow
Some others not beef steak ones but the in between size ones.
Some Red Some yellow.
Celebrity and an early one 4th of july a couple others I forget the names of.
Herbs scented geranium, aka mosquito plant, lemon or rose scent.

Veg.
Zuchinni & yellow squash.

Flowers:
Pink geranium flowers
marigolds white and gold
cosmos.
Purple petunias.

I got them all planted, I did that in rounds.
Weeded the drive way as well also done in rounds with rest breaks in between sessions.

[Nancy]

So far only a weakling yellow squash has died.

I have dug up a old fashioned yellow rose, and pink old fashioned type ever blooming, and potted them both up.
One more red one to dig out of where it is at. But I need to figure out what to put it in. I have a 3 gal bucket that can be used so that is
one idea. I can do that on my next round.

[Twins' Mom]

My outside plants weathered the period we were away, and my two tomato plants have grown. One has blooms! One of the basils I put out hasn't grown, has barely survived I think. I'm going to give it some extra TLC. The other may be a small variety, it's already blooming and not very big. I have several planters I'd like to get flowers into, but wondering if it's worth it with me away.