Friday, April 15, 2011

Weather - planting - under lights- barn work begins

Good morning. I do hope all are safe and well after last night's storms.

We got rain and lightening but no severe weather and are thankful for that.

The next couple of days are going to be pretty cool again, 50's and 30's.

Yesterday was a nice day, but very windy. I didn't do too much outside.

I did plant the two roses in the Garden Fence Border. I am the only one who will see them there but so be it. It is the perfect spot for them with lots of air circulation. I see one clematis back there is about to open a bloom. It seems very early.

I was going to plant beets, mustard and kale and a few other early seeds, but my water bottle that I carry seeped over several seed packages and drenched them. I laid them out in a tray in the sun and they dried quickly. I may have ruined them unless I plant them all this year.

I decided to tour the yard and see what new was happening.

You all know how many violets I have; well this area has increased a lot over the years. I was mowing all but those nearest the shrubs down; then it occurred to me that I had my own "English meadow of bluebells" or meadow of violets and I didn't mow it this year so far. I like how it looks.
From gardening Spring 2011

Finally the 'Grace' smoke tree is leafing out. I think I should cut it way down to make it shrubby but I haven't yet. The morning sun shines through it and the leaves are the most gorgeous red; the picture doesn't do the color justice.

I noticed the old-fashioned lilac is not blooming nearly as much as usual and the two blooms I did see seem to be several welded together:



This is the Korean Lilac and it is blooming perfectly normal as usual:


I see I have a pure yellow sport growing on the variegated euonymous that I think started life as Emerald and Gold.



I think I will try to cut it out and root it.

and the pot of Virginia Bluebells still hasn't found a home,



The redbud tree in the 'Grace' bed. I love how the blooms just seem to be glued on the trunk,


More to follow. I want to take pictures of the barn where he is working and the plants under the lights but it is still very dark outside. I will try to do a follow-up this evening. This is enough pictures at one time anyway.

Off to clean up the kitchen after our 4-grain pancake breakfast.

6 comments:

  1. I love the picture in your new header. Your flower pictures are beautiful. I found some violets in our yard the other day and before I could take a picture Grampy had mowed.

    We've had a couple of days of warm weather but more rain coming today and tomorrow.

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  2. I always enjoy your pictures. I am soooo looking forward to when the tiny redbud tree I planted looks like yours..... well, close to it, anyway....

    We are having wind again today. But we got 1.3 inches of rain in the rain gauge last night. Hubs has been watching the morning news and apparently there was some damage and a couple of deaths in the path of the other tornado that went across the state further south at the same time we were having ours. I haven't heard how Ochelata fared yet. I was afraid you'd be in the path of that one, glad it fizzled out before it got to you.

    We are expecting a little more rain and a couple of cooler nights but there are no expectations of a freeze. This would've been a perfect spring for fruit trees, if only I had fruit trees that were big enough to bloom.

    As a PS, I have been having some trouble posting comments to your blog for a long time. I'm supposed to be always signed in, but I generally have to sign in to my Google account all over again and then make several tries before I can see the word verification. I have this problem on one other blog but on the others my Google ID is already there and my comment goes smoothly. Persistence pays off. Just wanted you to know in case anyone else is having problems. It might be a problem on my end for all I know.

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  3. Everything looks so neat and tidy in your new header pic. Looks like you and the mower gave it a good clean cut. I looked up the Gravely you have and drooled on the keyboard. LOL

    Hope you have good luck rooting that chartreuse sport. That's a stunning color and would really brighten up a shady spot if it takes.

    You're right, your beets, kale & mustard seeds will probably need to be planted this year. Looks like a lot of salad in your future. Yum. Yesterday was lovely and I finished picking up all the winter sticks and branches. Today is colder and very very windy so I doubt I'll do much outside today. Have a good one. :-D

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  4. Great pics! I didn't know red buds bloomed like that,in fact didn't know they bloomed period! I guess i should have, the name say's it all. Blessings jane

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  5. I like your new header pic. I am also in awe of your red bud tree. Mine is a twig, but hangin in there!

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  6. That variegated euonymous is amazing! I'm such a sucker for variegated anything.

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