4/29/2020 Time to Cut Back

Yesterday I was out and noticed that the four
Heavenly Bamboo were looking not so heavenly.
I found that the base of them were covered 6 inches
deep with fir needles, walnuts and pine cones.  No
wonder they looked bad!  These sit up under the neighbor's
fir trees and as I started to cut back I found lots of
sticks and limbs.   A few weeks ago limbs had hit
a couple and there was damage.   These shrubs
were close to the top of the fence, so it was time
to cut back and clean out the bases.  Sorry no before
photos but here is what is left.  Will take out the remainder
when my recycle bin is emptied today.  I can also
clean the fence and they will grow back.

Here is one we cut back in fall due to 

mold that had spread the from a neighboring

yard.  The Honeysuckle was covered with

the mold and the squirrels use the fence area

to travel.  

May 2020

I had a request to post when flowers bloom here.
Currently we are seeing the Wisteria, iris, primroses,
Columbines, pieris, red hot pokers and quince blooming.
The Clematis, hostas, poppies and peonies are starting to open.
I have had to cut back the Brugmansia due to being sunburnt
so they need to grow some before they bloom, best time to
see them bloom is the fall as we won't push them this year.
Fall/August is the time for the perennial hibiscus, they are just
popping up from the ground now.


May is the time to maintain your gardens, watering fertilizing and
deadheading. Trimming after the shrubs have bloomed.

Work on your grass, weeding and fertilizing.  You don't want to
fertilize in the hot heat, water the grass and tree!!

Now it a great time to put in your veggie garden!!  Feed
the soul with home grown veggies!

This is also the month that folks need to cleanup after the
fir trees drop their junk.  Ya don't want to leave this on the
soil or in your potted plants.

If you are putting in a new lawn now is a great time,  while it's
cooler.

After the Azaleas are done blooming it's time to clean the blooms out
and or cut them back.  These need to be cut all the way back to the
soil to rejuvenate the plant ever few years.   You can clean out the center
of the shrub at this time.  Check for moss and diseases that can spread to
other neighbor's shrubs if you let yours go.

April 2020

As we get this lawn taken care of we
have an issue with broad leaf grass that
isn't perennial grass we grow here.
Some bird or critter has brought
seed in and it's spreading like crazy.
So we will be spraying for it.

We have also been spraying for
Dandelions and thistle that has been
coming in my seeds.  No one sprays
for weeds so when they go to seed
they spread like crazy.  All one has
to do is look around at the yards with
weeds.

I have been putting out plant markers
so that the plants have a name so when
the gardens open the olks can pull the
marker and see what it is.  What the
goal is ID all the plants with what they
are called and on the back the name of
the plant.  Clematis on the front of the
label and the back 'Multi Blue'.  That way
they are marked and not in my head!!

We have tilled the veggie garden and
put out lime to sweeten the soil due to
the fir needles that have falling into this
area.  With the drop in temps we have put
off planting crops as we learned a few years
back that seeds won't sprout until it warms up.
Our temps have been going up for a few days
and then dropping to cool for seed germination.
Way to cool for tomatoes without giving them
some sort of protections.

We have just recently given the whole yard
the first of the fertilizing for the year.  Something
are growing leaps and bounds where there are other
things like the brugmansia needing some warmer temps.
The first tulip has bloomed so we are starting to
see the yard bud out more.

Come on May!!

karma 'Happy Toes' Gardens May 1, 2020

As we all start this season in our gardens
we have to deal with this nasty virus.  It
is a good time to stay at home and work
on projects to keep us busy.  As you can
tell from the photos below we have been
hard at work creating our love for gardening.
Moving plants out to start the season was
a huge task this year of getting everything
in place.  Now it's their turn to get used to
their place and start growing.

Hope you enjoy!!
4/21/2020

4/26/2020

5/10/2020  Mother's Day!

Decided to try to tidy up the plants on the driveway.
I really needed to pot up the plants in the greenhouse
but was out of dirt.   So after cleaning the south corner
we decided to go get dirt.   While out getting dirt I found
some simple plants to put at the curb.

My Mother's Day Gift!!  

5/11/2020

Spent today vacing up and playing IT person as
our Modem went out!!  Thank you Comcast for
your help!!