carolyncat353's Blog

I've been checking in now and then, just haven't been posting.  This season I don't have my usual "gung ho!" ready for planting! I do have my vegetables all planted, and actually will have 2 bell peppers to pick by the weekend. 

I am not having the usual riot of color that I usually do in early spring.  My beautiful deep purple iris' did not last very long, nor the azaleas.  I have very, very few zinnia volunteers coming up, and my petunias, pansies and snaps did not do their usual breathtaking show.  They are blooming, just sparsely.  The Bottlebrush always puts on a spectacular show:

Sadly, we had some heavy winds and rain come through, so it didn't last too long either, although, now it is going to seed, and the little finches are in it fighting constantly.  I finally planted my clematis in the ground, and it took it a while to get started, but it is blooming now:

A close up:

 I have an abundance of slugs and snails this year-it's going to be a rough one for insects in the garden.  The aphids are already covering the day lillies, which are already starting to bloom.  Usually, they start in May, so, I'll be spraying them, too.  I can't do too much insecticide this year because I have another kitten/cat.  Itty BItty is 10 months old-she was another stray showed up at our shop.  I lost Fancy Pants in February, found her in the neighbor's yard. Don't know if she was hit by a car or if a coyote got her-pretty torn up.  Anyway, Itty and Peanut play together-well, Itty plays, and Peanut tolerates, so far she hasn't gone further than the other side of the fence to watch the birds and squirrels.  She's a little cross-eyed, but that doesn't affect her at all.

She's a sweetie, but doesn't like to be held much, I call her my "alarm cat".  Wakes me every morning at 6 AM, whether it's a weekend or not. Then, after I get up, and I'm up for an hour, she goes back to take a nap! Dang cat.

As long as I don't get the "virus alerts", I'll post now and then.  It's been an eventful spring-a few deaths, my youngest brother is having a lot of family problems now, Clint is reaching the end of his military service and trying to make decisions, it's just been one thing after another.

Here's the back patio-not much color-The amaryliss are not even blooming like usual.  The hibiscus is taking a long time coming back, and I haven't planted Sunflowers yet.

Make it a good one! :)