Compliment

Penny came buy to pick me up for VT.   She said how really wonderful the yard looked.   It is really beautiful this time of year with the pink and white moss phlox in bloom plus the lilac trees and the spirea is still a brillant orange.

Projects Done

We got the shrub althea planted and the spireas pruned.   We also did a little weeding.   We got most of our task list finished this week despite cold wet weather.  It started raining so we had to come in.

The new Livin Easy rose is doing well and the transplanted JFK is also doing well.   I'm really pleased with the result.   I've lost all my peonies except 2 plants.   We need to do some reconditioning of the area.   I've also lost the dianthus.   I'm going to purchase several new for the water fall.

Projects Completed

Last night it was really cold and windy again.   I could hardly stand to stay outside at all.   The bleeding heart has filled out and so has the candy tuft.  I feel like I am missing it all.  

Projects we finished:  mowed lawn, sprayed insect repellant around the house and along kitchen mudroom baseboards.  This is suppose to stay for a whole year.  Hopefully it will get rid of the ants.

We transplanted the JFK rose to the area in between the water fall and the tree.  Hopefully it will survive.  We also planted the new Livin Easy rose in that place.   I sprayed the three older roses with insect spray.   It's suppose to last 30 days but doesn't cover the new growth so it has to be a weekly thing.

We didn't get the Althea planted because it was too cold.   We'll try that again later.   The cold weather has been really a detriment to working outside.

In Bloom

The lilac bushes are now in bloom in the front.   They really don't seem to have been hurt by all the cold weather and frosts that we've had.

The grape hyacinths are up, but we still need to move them to a better place.   They look great, but we can hardly see them.

On the other hand the tulips on the south side look rather ratty.   The white, yellow and pink ones are up, but it's not a great show.

In the back the lamium is blooming as it always does.  I need to clean up some spots and work on others.

New Plant Purchase

Two plants purchased at Bordine's Nursery in Brighton on Friday.

Name:  Livin Easy Rose
Variety:  Rosa Floribunda Livin Easy
Type:  Shrub
 Light:  Full Sun
 Size:  3' x 3'
Bloom time:  Summer through Fall
Flower color:  orange to peach
Fragrance:  Medium fragrance
Plant location:  front north of rose bush garden

Name:  Shrub Althea, Chiffon White
Variety:  Hibiscus syriacus notwoodtwo
Type:  Shrub
 Light:  Full to Part Sun
Size:  8' x 6'
Bloom time:  Mid Summer
Flower color:  White
Fragrance: None
Plant location: North East Corner of the house

In Bloom

The bleeding heart and candy tuft are in bloom in the back.  However, they are not the usual lush foliage and blooms we usually have.  Maybe as the weather gets warmer they will fill out more.

New Plants

Purchased from Lowe's today.

Name:  Blue Ice Bog Rosemary
Variety:  Andromeda polifolia Blue Ice
Type:  Perennial
Light:  Part Sun
Size:  2' x 3'
Bloom time:  Late Spring
Flower color:  light pink
Fragrance  Leaves have rosemary fragrance
Plant location:  on the ne side of the waterfall

 Name:  Blue Rug Juniper
Variety:  Juniperus horizontalis Wiltonii
Type:  Evergreen low growing shrub
Light:  full/part sun
Size:  1' x 8'
Plant location:  On the east side of the waterfall

In Bloom

The moss phlox are in bloom.   The forsythia is fading and so are the pear trees.   The temps have been much cooler and so the growth rate in the yard has slowed down considerbly--fortunately.   Still the phlox are blooming three weeks early.   This has been one strange spring.

Planting

We tried to work more outside but it was too cold in the back yard.   However, we did plant a package of bush peas and one of red swiss chard in one of the south side planters.  They will get lots of spring sun, but be gone before summer heat hits.   Hopefully they will produce lots of great plants before June 1.   They are both about 60 days to maturity.    Wayne also worked on getting the bird bath put in.   I was too cold and went inside.   In the house we also finished putting the new fabric on the four deck chairs.   It was a much easier project that I had thought it would be.   Hopefully they will last  for 10 more years and then we can purchase a new set.

The red bud tree is now in bloom.   So are the Adrem tulips on the south side of the garage.   I just wish it were warmer so we could get outside and work more.

  

More Yard Work

Last night we took about half an hour to do some work.   It is light now until after 8 pm and so we could work outside.   However, it is still rather cold and we have to bundle up.   We both pulled some weeds and Wayne pruned the dead wood out of the south bridal spirea and pulled up the grass around it.   We also dug up one of the peonies to discover that the roots had rotted.  the problem with that area is that it is way to wet for plants.   We need to do more digging and get better drainage.  Wayne also put some dirt around the burning bush to cover up the roots.  

The forsythia and the pear trees are still in bloom.  We have buds on a lot of other things, but the temperatures has slowed down anything blooming.   Tonight is suppose to be more cold weather.   I just hope things don't freeze.

The barbary and the lemon spirea have burgundy red and tomato red foliage on them.   The cool weather has slowed down the growth of the foliage, so the front yard is ablaze with color.

Around the water fall most everything we planted last fall has come up--even the hostas.   The ornamental grass is still dormant, but everything else has green on it.   I look forward to lots of blossoms.

Yard Update

Wayne mowed the lawn for the first time.  It is still pretty ragged looking.   He also spread the fertilizer.   The pear trees and forsythia are still in bloom.   All the rose bushes have leaf buds.  The Julia Child has leafed out quite nicely.   We sprayed them for insects and mildew.