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Decided over my breakfast to run out right quick and get some pine straw for the azaleas. So I get dressed, the truck started and I headed out. Was to get cash at the bank first and forgot. So the man loaded my straw, said the price and NO he didn't take a credit card. He trusted me to take the straw, go to the bank and bring back his money then we shook on it . I did just that, the lady sent me the little container and said to me "Mrs did you know that your drivers license has expired"? Did I realize that, of course not. So now I realize for the past 2 months I have been all over town and into Columbia, driven my grand daughter that has just gotten her learners permit to school several times without a valid drivers license. How embarassed would I have been if I had gotten stopped with my GD in the car. Red face all the way.
Now I have the pine straw, have paid for it, came home went online, learned that I am now too old to get a license through that process. I did however establish that our Department of MV is open until 1 on Saturday. Called my sweet and wonderful DIL. She took me down and I did manage to get a DL. When I looked into the little box to read the letters? another surprise for the day. I couldn't see the fourth box of letters???? So now I will have to be sure I do have on my glasses for driving. It is rare I don't have them on because honestly anything less than 2 foot high is not so clear any more.
To make up for all the stress of the morning, we stopped at a new place in town that has been dubbed 'The Theives Market'. It was full of all kinds of dusty, very old stuff. I think the theives must have just given it to these people. She did find a small trellis for $11 and I found a square piece that will look good in the yard somewhere for $7. My purchase turned out to be part of a fund raiser for the Humane Society. A donation is good.
Now it is raining and I won't be able to get back outside until Monday when it is supposed to be clear for a couple of day. So the gardens wait again and so will I.
More To Come Later
is what this week has been like. Spread two loads of mulch in the front yard. I am hopeful it will get finished before I start in on the back yard.
Saturday was a great day as we met my son and DIL at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. They were holding their Spring in the Zoo day and the Master Gardeners were holding a special day as well. Lots of vendors, plants for sale and of course the Botanical Gardens themselves are beautiful. It was an all day affair and we were ready to rest when we returned home.
Sunday I did a little bit in the yard late in the afternoon, digging up the Crinum and Ginger Lily bulbs. Those gingers really like to reach out to better pastures and the Crinums had grown to be nice sized bulbs. Moved them to a sunnier spot as they were under the outer limbs of my Granny dogwood tree.
Monday saw me for most of the day in the piles of Mulch in the front yard. Just did so much that day I can't remember it all. Weeds to be pulled, plants to move and on and on. Planted the Lantana at the driveway and it is looking good.
Wednesday was cleaning up all the debris I have been tossing aside as I worked in the past couple of weeks. Two city dump carts full. Those got emptied and I have already filled one again. And trying to pull vines out of the dogwood trees at the fence line. You could sure do a nice imitation of Tarzan they are so tough. They would not come down through. They will just have to die and get wind blown I guess.
Then last night my son came over and we thought we could just download all my 'stuff' on the old computer to a USB drive and get it into my new computer. OH NO! not so easy that transfer business. For one thing the old computer is soooooooooooo slow, it took forever to get it on the flash drive, then it didn't hold enough and everytime we tried to start the second flash something happened. We finally gave up close to midnight. This evening he will come over with another type connection with the hopes of networking the old and the new together and forcing them to talk to one another. I sure do miss my 'stuff'. At least I can get on the internet and do my email.
The first of the azaleas are in bloom and the dogwoods are coming out rather nicely. The daffy's are gone but there are still a few crocus popping up here and there. I need to mark where they are and move them to one area.
Have been watching for my very early white iris to start blooming. Can't wait until I can get to the back yard gardens. (I wish I had names for my beds like Witt) But the lilies and the iris are coming up nicely. The little rose of sharon tree looks really good and our new Red Rocket Crepe Myrtle is still alive. Sure hope it will do well this year and maybe give us a flower or two.
Cut back the yellow Lady Banks rose to a manageable size it should start to bloom soon. Bought a $4 climbing rose at the Dollar General store last week. They just kept staring at me every time I entered the door, so I had to give in and take one home. Put it on a piece of fence at the side of the house where it will get good air flow and sun.
On a trip to Home Depot to use my two internet coupons I found they had nice looking thrift plants for under two dollars. Bought 2 in a deep pink that I put at the sidewalk in the front yard and two other types that looked different in white and pink. They will go in the rock garden that is yet to be established at my little patio. The one plant I bought last spring has outdone itself this year and must be 18-24 inches in diameter. It is really pretty so I wanted more of course. I am thinking of moving it after this big bloom time and praying it will take to a new home.
The last thing I did last evening was put out the pre-emergence. Just bit the bullet and did it myself, coming right in afterwards and getting a shower. It was not dusty like I thought it might be so that made me feel a bit better. All in all it has been a great and very busy week. Rain came gently down for awhile yesterday and this morning. Was better than nothing at all. Do believe spring is here.
More To Come Later
is a catch up of sorts. Last week like many of you, we had first 85 degrees, next day 65 degrees and the next 45 degrees which has lingered way too long and of course this rain front going through - GO ing is key in my book. Ready to shed my watered logged outer coat and get some sun.
Did manage to get the siding on the addition and the windows cleaned with the pressure washer. Looks ever so much better. Then one morning I mowed down some weeds and the mower mulched the left over leaves. Yards always seem to perk up afterward.
Raked under the big Magnolia tree, it was such a mess. Had the huge city trash dumpster full and still have some piles of rakings yet to take care of. Not quite as much as the first one though.
Do hope to finish off the front yard this week. Getting tired of looking at the unfinished mulch job. Hope my little truck does not decide to take any more trips away from home.
Also built my very small raised bed box. Left the big flattened box down and used the old boards from behind the shed as the sides. Have not secured them yet as the rain got here before I got that far. Did put what was left of a big bag of peat moss on top of the box, purchased three bags of compost/manure and garden soil and put them out. Will need to get four more bags of garden soil. I think before I do my plantings I will mix these materials a little. We will see what comes of my wee patch. I wonder if the rabbit and its friends will be back. I may have to put some fencing of some sort around it. I still have the bird screening from last year I can use.
My Master Gardeners annual Workshop and Plant sale was this weekend. It went really well. The speaker was a real hoot and a wonderful story teller. His name is Pat Stone from North Carolina. We sold lots of plants and had lots of plants left over as usual. You know gardeners don't know when to stop propagating so they went back to the greenhouse until we can decide the best way to get rid of them. We all take home as much as we can handle. I only got a few plants this year. They had propagated some of the old variety of Lantana that takes over so I got three of those for the front driveway edge. Want to put the blue Plumbago in between them. Also got an Alternanthera or Gail Choice and a nice looking Sedum which I will put in a container for this year.
The blueberry and strawberry plants look really good. Both blooming and loving this rain and warmth and more cool and rain. Can't wait to pop a blueberry in my mouth as I walk around. Lots of different bulbs in the yard, a few I have planted but some that have been in the gardens from years past. The colors popping up here and there are really nice on a gloomy day.
More To Come Later
VirusDoctor popup. I just received it and am sure glad I know what I have as virus protection. This thing looks so real. But DO NOT open it or save it or download. When I goggled it there was nothing but sites telling you how to GET RID of this thingy.
On a happier note, I did see the Bluebird again this evening. I put a few of the dried meal worms on the ground where he had been getting a little dinner and under the new BB feeder. So who knows I may get to see this one and his family sometime this summer.
Used the blower and cleaned off the carport area where we sit all the time in prep for using my neighbors pressure washer tomorrow. At least that is the plan this evening. The siding of the new addition did not get cleaned last fall and it looks really bad. No wonder several visiting folks have offered to do it for me. But I love cleaning it and seeing all that nasty dirt slide away.
More To Come Later
Here is the Feeder -
And the dried Mealworms. They look as if they should plump up and start wriggling.
Here is the spot that is to be a Rock Garden. Those big rocks have been in this area for years. I managed to find them and pull them out last fall.
Here is a small patch of pink Thrift or rock garden Phlox. They have bloomed a bit off and on all winter.
Found the Candytuft beginning to bloom this past week. It grows in front of my Red Azaleas which will be starting to show color in a few more weeks. April is the big bloom time for us.
Really enjoyed my time outside today. Did a little cleaning in the fence line and pulled down some more vines that I had cut off at the ground last fall.
More To Come Later
Has started out in a good way. Eleven year old grandson had his first Soccer game this am. This is the league at the Y and everyone gets to play. During his 15 minutes as goalie he blocked two scores. Other team won in the end, but he really does like to play.
Yesterday was so beautiful, didn't get outside until late. Put up my Bluebird feeder and filled all the other feeders. Received a Gardens Alive catalog last week that actually gave you a free $25 dollar order. They are an ll natural company selling a few plants, soil amendments etc. They can be found on the internet. I bought some dried meal worms 'Bird Grub' to use in the feeder. Actually saw a Bluebird yesterday evening before I came indoors, so I am hopeful they will find the feeder. It has two removable clear sides and holes just the size the BB likes just under the roof of the feeder. I will get a picture posted soon. Here is a good site for the specs on building birdhouses.
http://www.birdsandblooms.
com/Build-a-Birdhouse-/detail.
aspx
Was checking out the area I want the raised veggie bed and think I will need to give it a little thought. Hope to get out this afternoon and do some more cleaning in the fence line. Sure wish I could have done this last fall as I feel sure there is a bird nest or two under those huge Azaleas. If I am careful and look before I cut maybe I can keep from disturbing them. Have seen the Rufous Sided Towhee a few times this year. The Towhee and the Brown Thrasher are two birds that nest on the ground under thick cover.
More To Come Later
Posted this several days ago and it has acted like a ghost. First not showing up, then showing up and now it is gone again. Wonder if this will work? I am editing and reposting. :-)
The Warm Front won out over the cold front that dumped snow to our northwest. My sister in Winston Salem area got a good amount. 
It is just deary and cold here today with a big warm up coming in a couple of days. In the 70's this weekend. What a roller coaster this nation of ours has been between the crazy weather patterns and the economic situation the way it is. Life is definitely not a bowl of cherries for lots of folks.
Have been writing some articles for the Associated Content web site. It has been fun and a couple have been published. The URL is so long that I hesitate putting it here. You can go to the site and search for the two articles. 'Lessons in Mulch' and the other on the 'Master Gardener Program'. If any of you are interested it is easy to sign on and begin writing your own articles. The rules are simple and I have enjoyed it.
So now I am just writing a bit and waiting for the warm sunshine later in the week. It is time to get the mulch laid out so I can enjoy putting together my little raised veggie garden.
More To Come Later
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