Memorial

Right after I posted that last blog post I got a call that my father in law had passed away. Since my husband can't travel due to health issues, we are having a memorial here today at the same time as the one where my father in law lived (as does most of our family).

Lovely morning

It's a beautiful day outside. I've been planting kale in the front yard and onions in the back. Been a bit under the weather so I wasn't out that long this morning.

But I did take some photos for you. :)

A yummy update

Along with the kale I had gotten some pansies and cabbages, which are now in the front yard around the apple trees in an alternating pattern. Did you know that pansy leaves taste like lettuce? And they grow pretty well in the winter, too.

Today, though, not much got done -- sort of a day off for me. :)

It's finally raining!

We got some wonderful rain last night (they're saying almost 2 inches!), which normally wouldn't be a big deal here but we've been in a terrible drought lately so it's great, because in this area, the dirt is either concrete or slimy mud. But today my husband and I went out and planted a grapevine in the backyard and the dirt was actually just right.

This week I found some lovely "ornamental" kale plants, which I'm going to be planting in the front yard over the next few days.

A short note to check in ...

I'm off to a high school marching band competition that my son's school is participating in so I won't be out in the garden today.

Earlier this week, I planted strawberries and onions ... I'll try to have some photos for you next time of their progress.

I also planted saffron crocus bulbs by one of the apple trees. We'll see how they turn out next year!

(By the way, what do you think of the new design?)

Weird weather aftermath

Well, it finally seems to have cooled down. Which is good, because we've all been sick the past two weeks, so I haven't gotten much done, and it's nice to have decent weather to get back to work in.

The bad news: both blueberry plants are gone, as far as I can tell.

The good news: my daylilies have recovered, and everything else seems to be doing okay.

Today I planted a prickly pear in the back yard to start off my desert garden. I chose an area that in general is always drier than the rest of the yard, and that not much grows in anyway. I'm a big cactus fan, and I'm so happy to finally get this garden plot started.

Once I get the rest of my cacti in (I have a potted agave and a dragon flower plant that I've been lugging indoors to overwinter for a couple of years but that will grow here just fine, and I think I'd also like to get at least one yucca), I'll put down gravel mulch all around it so I won't have to do any weeding.

There's a lot of trial and error to this, which is why I think that landscaping companies tend to stick with the same few plants in any one area. They choose the ones that they know work and ignore the rest unless someone specifically requests something different.

Still here

It's been cooler here, and I've been rushing to lay mulch and start seeds for fall/winter.

One of the seedlings that was being attacked seems to have survived the grasshopper army, and is putting out a tiny leaf from its nubby stalk. Good for it! The rest of the flat seems destined for the recycle bucket.

I've decided that my first goal needs to be trees, shrubs, and perennials, because the annuals don't seem to be surviving long enough to plant! But I did plant a grapevine in the backyard this week. Hopefully it will survive -- the last three haven't, but you never know.

I haven't been feeling well the last few days, so not much has gotten done on the front yard. Been mostly inside working on the site rather than out in the "real world". :)