Plant row is GONE, baby!

For several weeks, I've had a row of plants lined up, sitting so patiently to be planted. Every day I'd give them a drink, promising them that SOON I'd get them into the ground so they could spread and prosper. Every night I would apologize to them because I wasn't able to get to the planting.

Yesterday, I finally planted all of them but two. The lightening and thunder outside was a deterrent, so we quickly packed up everything and it called it a day. We also went to Home Depot to find a material to cover my vegetable gardens for those pesky hail storms that are so prevalant this month. Brian had constructed three hoops to go over the gardens made out of PVC pipe that he slipped into some cut off pvc pipe he attached to the raised bed. After doing some research, it looks like screen door material is the easiest to work with, and will still allow sun to come through when I can't roll the screen back. Since the gardens are on my east side, I really have to make sure the sun can get to the plants the full 7 hours of the day for optimum growth. Because of my planting, we were not able to finish this project yesterday, and I'm hoping the weather holds out!! First year veggie garden, please be nice with comments! ;)





I planted a newly released rose 'Julia Child' that is yellow with a sweet scent. I also planted coreopsis 'Moonbeam', a blue lupine, two different hibiscus plants ('Galaxy' and 'Fireball'), two types of Lobelia (one for the shade and one for a sunny spot), a perennial four o'clock, two more 'Rocky Mountain' penstemon, some California poppies and a new annual that seeds, the soon to be famous 'Lauren Springer Grape' poppy. I also planted two everbearing strawberry plants 'Ft. Laramie'. I'm not sure if I'll like the taste, but I know I'll love the color. Two more ornamental strawberries were planted by my 'Wine and Roses' Weigela that hasn't done much this year. I can't STAND holes in my gardens. After I plant my delphinium, all will be planted. I still would like to purchase a Blue Mist spirea, but as Brian has pointed out, we've run out of room. We'll see about that.



My idea of planting all shrubs in the back has quickly left the building. Brian and I aren't all that surprised. I just love color, and designing the backyard so I get optimal color all seasons. One plant that I have been going back and forth on is the Beautyberry so I get more winter interest. After doing a lot of research, it sounds like this shrub is iffy making it out here, but it is so gorgeous, I might order it online.

I know that Davey will be ordering more, which excites me and makes me filled with dread because I have to find more spots to plant. I do have room for more ground cover to hide all of my dying bulb foliage and am so happy with 'Snow in Summer' that I think I'll be adding more of that in my rock gardens and the other side of my front garden.

I am NOT happy with my hardy glads that I ordered from Breck's. They are small...PETITE even, and barely visible from my back patio. Bright pink, which you can see better because of my fence backdrop, but nothing to jump up and down with joy about.

I have to resist the temptation to pull out my burning bushes that I transferred last fall. They look pathetic and are such an eye sore. I promised myself that I'll give them one more year to rebound, and if they don't look better...they are GONE.

All in all, a very happy planting day! The daily changes in my gardens are wonderful, and as always I'm happy to walk them.

Mom update

I was told by several people that I haven't had any updates about mom written here. Well, it's because there's not a lot to update you with. I talked to her last night and she reports, "I still have leg pain, I still have neuropathy in my hands, and I'm still bald".

The leg pain gets bad in the evenings, and she's trying so hard not to use strong, prescribed medicine to get through it. Since she had fibromyalgia before her chemo, she isn't sure if it's that, or the taxol in her system. I'm guessing taxol, but that's only a guess.

As for her hair, I know it takes awhile for it to come back, but I'm really praying that it takes root soon...she's desperate for her hair to be back!

Her next Avastin treatment is the 10th, and she goes in for a womanly check-up today. She can't remember why she goes in for that since there's "nothing there anymore" but we'll find out today.

Her days are pretty good, but she still tries to take it easy since she gets tired so easily. All in all, things are the same.

To fertilize or not to fertilize

I garden green. Or...try my very best to. Reuse a lot of pots, plant shrubs and perennials that after the first year just don't need lots of water, etc.

With all of that in mind, why would I suggest fertilizing? First off, try to grasp a fertilizer that is organic rather than bad for the Earth, birds and bees. Second, think of your trees. Now imagine them as 'happy little trees' that perform better than your neighbors. We spend so much time making compost for everything else in our gardens, but sometimes forget our trees. When you fertilize, it makes them healthier, makes them warden off disease and little critters and because of this, makes you smile because they are providing you with lots of shade during the hot, summer months.

There ARE organic fertilizers out there. Shop around at your local nurseries, they should be going organic, too.

We also tried corn glutten this year for our grass. Brian had heard about it. So far, as a weed killer and fertilizer, we've been very happy with it.

My favorite fertilizer that I use is actually an organic foliar spray called Bioform. It's got seaweed, fish emulsion, molasses and other natural ingredients to really make the tree healthy. I also use it on my roses, and they thank me every day! You can also pour it around your trees, just make sure you add water...it's concentrated!

Happy guilt free fertilizing!

Camera cleaning day!

My Monarda patch that has gone haywire this year!

FINALLY, 'Black Lace' Elder is actually doing something!!




Brian calls this the hairy testicle flower.




No name iris brought from Picadilly's gardens.

'Rare Treat' iris, not quite unfurled.

Blaming it on the cats

I went downstairs last night to do laundry and kept smelling a strong odor of pee. Our basement is not finished yet, but we have carpet pieces laying down everywhere, so I checked them all to see if the cats were using them as...uh...comfortable places to relieve themselves. I couldn't smell any pee on any of them. I then take the trash can that is buy the washer outside to the trash and dump it, and the smell (along with liquid!!) comes out in full force. Our smallest darling had decided to use the trash can as a toilet.

With several minutes of extreme protest, he finally admitted to peeing in the trashcan. He first decided to blame it on the cats (which would have been a feat that I would have loved to behold) and then realized that I wasn't going to be mad, I just wanted him to fess up and then not do it again.

Pee smell is gone, kid confessed, I won't be pissed (ha ha) at the cats. Problem solved.

Diary of a Nursery Worker

Had a woman come in saying she planted three shrubs...all of the same, all get the same water and one of them died. She wanted us to replace the shrub at no cost to her. It was, in her words, "a faulty plant". I explained to her that it IS a plant, and that plants can sometimes die. That I can buy the same three plants and one of them dies. It's part of gardening. She said it's, "our faulty plants and she wants another one. I mean, it didn't even root!" I explained to her that it takes a year for plants to become established, and not enough time had passed.

JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

I understand it's money, and sometimes...money wasted. How do you guys deal with something that dies? Do you take responsibility and just know it's a part of gardening, or do you personally attack the nursery you got it from saying it's a faulty plant? Am I wrong to want to backhand this person???

I had a customer that comes in, oh, about once a week with absolutely no idea what she has in mind to buy. We generally spend at least two hours with this woman telling her what will work, won't work, and then plan her gardens for her.

I would like to tell this woman that for a fee, we could come out and design her yard, but I don't think that will go over well since she's already using a designer.

Um. Yeah.

Sunshine...please? and the fun job of car buying.

After 5 days straight of rain (which I won't complain about...really) I'm ready for the sun to work it's magic right along with the nice nitrogen that the rain brought. I won't have to water for a week. I worked half a day yesterday and then literally booked it out the door at noon because Brian and I went car shopping with the boys.

I am not great at negotiating. We weren't really ready to BUY a car yesterday, but wanting to test drive the Mazda CX9. There's a car down in Centennial that seemed to have everything we wanted (gadgets are FUN!) so we all piled in the truck and headed down. The boys loved the car and were, uh, very loud about it. Cardinal rule #1 killed: Never let the dealer know you LIKE the car. Brian had sent an email to the credit union to figure out what kind of loan we're approved for. Cardinal rule #2 killed: Have cash in hand so they can't bug you about financing!

We were so wrecked from trying to keep the boys on good behavior that I didn't get to use my stone face while talking to the dealer. I was pretty much obvious that I wanted the car, but wasn't ready to buy.

In the meantime...we found another CX9 in Longmont that is a year newer and has a lot fewer miles. Now we get to make another trip with the boys and check that one out. I'm working Tuesday, Thursday AND Friday of this week, so I'm not sure when we'll be able to go out, but at least we're really aware of the ins and outs of this car (thank you intrawebs!) and are prepared to give the dealer everything we've got.

In the meantime, last night I cleaned my van for everything it's worth and it's looks pretty good. I'll enjoy it being clean for, oh, a day...until the boys step back into it!

The past couple of days have brought lots of rain. With the rain comes the slugs. They are everywhere. I can't even have the satisfaction of throwing them on the street and letting their slimy little bodies fry because it's still overcast out. So...I've been squishing them one by one all morning. Only a fellow gardener would understand this process, and the little thrill of the killing. I'm sadistic today. My Mock Orange looks like a weeping tree at the moment with the heavy strain of rain drops. I do hope it comes back because the only reason we have kept it is for the shade on our west facing porch. It needs to be it's full 12 foot height to be any good for us!

Yesterday Brian came by to get two loads of mulch to finish the backyard. I am hoping two loads will be enough to cover the mud by my vegetable garden. With all of the weeds that have sprung, I also need to add a couple of inches around the rest of the gardens. I do not believe in weed barrier, but heavy mulch to take care of the weed seedlings. I'm thinking I need another two loads. :)

I also have 15 plants to plant today, and hope I can get to them before the BBQ at 1 pm!

I'll be working a half day tomorrow and then going car shopping with my hubby. We have decided to forego our deck this year for a new car. We have narrowed the search down to a Ford Edge, a Mazda CX9 and a Toyota Venza. I cannot fathom spending so much for a Venza, but do absolutely love the ride!!

Kindergarten graduation

What a great graduation ceremony. They had all four classes sing three songs, and then each pupil was handed their diploma. They then had a slideshow that included each child. I was very impressed, but this isn't new at this school. They seem to do everything right! Riordan was so happy that he is now a first grader!!!

No warranty? Are you crazy?

I went to another nursery the other day and was astounded that there was not a warranty on their merchandise. I mean, the warranty stated that they had good merchandise, but once it left the grounds, you were on your own.

HOW CAN YOU BUY A HUGE PRODUCT LIKE A TREE WITH NO WARRANTY?!?!

We're talking a lot of money here, especially during these times. I just couldn't imagine getting a tree, shrub, vine, etc. without having a warranty with it.

In Colorado, we can have very, very dry winters. When selling our merchandise (especially trees) we talk about winter watering. With the dry winds and drier winters, there's a good chance you could lose your tree within the first year. We WANT your trees to survive. We want you to be happy. Who wants to plant two huge trees within two years? We understand that you just want to sit back and watch the tree grow.

Don't put up with places that don't give you a warranty. There are lots of other places that DO, and will honor it.