Finally, no rain!

On Saturday, I finally got out and was able to set out a lot of seed.  We did some transplants about a week ago and I don't think I told you about those either.


We added two Japanese Maples, two Daub's Frosted Juniper, and two Canyon Blue Willows.  I'll get pictures of those when the Japanese Maples leaf out.


In the annual boxes, I put out mesculun, radishes, spinach, carrots, larkspur, and a flat leaf parsley that mimics the taste of celery.  I used to have a plant called Burnet that tasted like cucumbers.  I need to get that again.


I took some pictures of my spring flowers a week or two ago.  Here they are:


Open Hyacinth - you saw the unopened ones a few posts back.  They are now in their decline.  I love the way they smell out in the garden, but they are like lilies to me; too strong a fragrance for inside.

Daffodils

An early season tulip.  There is also a more orange variety in the garden that multiplied quite well.

I didn't take pictures of the seeded beds because they are just dirt and boring.  I look forward to chronicling their growth though.

So how are the seedlings you ask?

Some are good thank you, I mourn the loss of others, cut down in their prime.

Under the heading of "If it isn't broke, don't fix it."  All the starts I tried to put into dirt out of water died.  I do not have pictures of the carnage.

Things are going well for the Peppers and Chamomile.  

Some Boxwood Basil and the Catnip are doing fine too.

The weird looking brown stuff on top of the dirt is cinnamon, which is supposed to stop damping off, which is what happened to this poor flat of basil.  

They all toppled over, so I stopped doing anything to them and let the dirt dry out.  I dumped it out into a pot outside today.

Yes, I went outside today even though it is Raining, Raining, Raining.  Hanna went out with me.  She loves being out in the rain.  She also loves to be toweled dry, but you'd never know it from looking at this picture. 

She just hates the flashbulb.  You would also not be able to detect that SOME Rottweiler (who me?) was in my garbage can.  Hence the basil seed packet top by her schnozzle.

If it ever stops raining, I will go plant some seeds.  Here's my stash right now.

I can hardly wait!

Birds! Lot of Birds!

The other day a flock of Grossbeaks (at least I think they are) flew in.  They got into the top of the tree across the street and flew around in it to release all the seed.  Then they all flocked to where the seed was dropping.

Luckily it was my yard!

Find the Grossbeaks (Post how many you find!) - I'll tell you tomorrow how many I counted in the picture.

Using the pond like I hoped the birds would

Waddaya Look'in At?

We don't get these birds a lot, but once in awhile, so I'm really glad Kermit called me over to see them from whatever  was doing.

First Bunny Romp of the Season!

Here it is Spring Break, and it is NOT raining the whole time.  It was nice enough yesterday to get out the x-pen and let Pepper run around in it.  He had fun digging, ate a dandelion I put in there for him.

Of course, my Rottie side-kick Hanna was out there with me, keeping the bunny safe while I puttered around the yard.

Pepper

I have Pepper, and two God-Rabbits (my sister's, but I'm caring for them until she can have them again), so you'll be seeing more Rabbits.

Hanna

Hanna loves being out in the yard with me.  Penny was out in the yard with me yesterday, but I didn't get any pics.  She ALMOST caught a squirrel, and man, it was just chittering and chattering LOUDLY at her from up my neighbor's tree when it got away.  Just cussin' her out something fierce.

Here's the Hyacinth from a little bit back.  I have some early tulips that the foliage is up, but no bud yet.  A few daffodills right by the house have bloomed.  They get heat from the dark color of the basement paint, so they bloom a good two weeks before the daffodils out in the garden.

See ya soon since I'm on break!

Back to Spring...

at least in theory.  I was able to get outside today and putter about in the yard.  I try to be as organic as possible, but one thing I do that isn't kosher is use Preen.  I love that stuff.  Really does work.  Picked up a bunch of leaves, raked in some Preen, pulled some weeds, and of course, took some pictures.


Hanna supervising my work.

Crocus in two different spots in my yard

Why deer are cute as long as they are not eating in MY YARD!  This was, repeat, was a nice little row of crocus.

Hyacinth that used to be out front, but I had to relocate them because of the earlier mentioned deer.

I'm really looking forward to buying a lot of perennials this spring to fill in our new border in the side yard.  Today while I was doing some spring pruning, I found two new Sage starts.  Some branches made their way under the mulch and started new plants for me.  That was a nice surprise.  I put them in the front slope today.


Happy days and happy gardening!

I was definitely punked by the weather...

Decidedly NOT springlike for the last week or so.  Very cold, but sunny and snowy!  Makes for some really nice photo opportunities.  If I was a winter sport enthusiast, this would be great weather.  For the record, I would be a "Lodge Enthusiast" if someone forced me to go to a ski hill. This afternoon I'm being a "Nice Warm House Enthusiast."

These are shots taken from the top of the Orofino High School baseball field.  They were heavily photoshopped with the clone stamp tool and content aware in order to get rid of the HUGE light poles.  I'm pleased that I don't look at them and go "Oh, that was photoshopped."

The two blips to the right in the last picture are either Eagles, Ravens, or possibly early Osprey.  Let's just leave it at "Really Big Birds."  I didn't see them in the viewfinder when I took these.  Nice surprise when I went to work on removing light pole clutter.

Spring is Coming!

Or at least the weather is cooperating for a little bit.  Today was Beautiful!

Took my Rickety Old Rottweiler Hanna for a walk around the block.  She really enjoyed that.  Then Kermit (my husband) and I took Maggie and Penny for a walk around the neighborhood.

Kermit opened all the windows in the house for a nice airing out.  The first time this happens every year is so sweet.  The air is so clean and crisp, gets the musty out of the house after a long cold winter.  He also cleared out the stairs from the outside to the basement.  I don't exactly know how it started, but when shoes no longer fit, or whatever, we'd just throw them down there.  Kermit just picked up about 15 years worth of shoes.  We've cleaned it out before, but it was quite stacked up down there.

Then I got to play in the dirt!  Well, it's still mud.  Dug up some vinca.  Nice up on the hill, put a pain in the perennial beds.  Just wants to take over everything.  Cut back some bushes and looked at different plants peeking up out of the ground.

White Hyacinth

Tree Peony

One of my vegetable beds with a row cover on it.  I put in lettuce seed, but so far just wildflowers have come up.  The stool is an old milk jug with a seat from a tractor welded onto it that my neighbor made and gave me a few years ago.  The rocks in front really need to be moved.  I need to hire a strong teenager to haul rocks, move fallen limbs from the big winter storm, and general back breaking work that I don't want to do.