A love story discovered?

I went out to check on things of course and despite it being cloudy planned to water. Because the seeds need to stay damp ya know. For whatever reason, picking up the hose where I had tossed it, I noticed something that may well have been there all along and could have been covered by leaves all this time.

 

I saw the names and figured them out sort of, 'Pete .... Norma', this looks like it's been here for a while but why have I not noticed it before? Likely because I was busy looking at other stuff and it may have been covered by dirt or leaves. I got the hose and after watering washed the dirt off and made it even more touching. 'Pete 💛 Norma' it looks like the pieces were taken from somewhere else and put there given how the breaks are placed. Double checking the business card we got when we first filled out our application, Norma is the owner of the complex. Awwwwwww. So it may well have been something that was done when they first made the garden? Built the complex? I have met Norma and she is 90 if anything and like to think that he was still alive when the complex was built and he inscribed this on a sidewalk somewhere on the property and it was moved here. This place was built in the 80's

I think it's even more imperative to do good in the garden .

 I felt the breeze come up late in the day yesterday and then saw little puffy clouds coming in so should have expected it being overcast today. It's fine, need the break in the weather, just wish the clouds would drop some more water is all.

It is clear that the soil even in the new bed gets crusty when dry.

This is one of the potato holes and you can see the soil has pulled away and cracked from being wet then dry and repeat. I watered again of course, maybe I should toss some seeds over there in the corners of the bed . Potatoes need more sun than they're getting and am hoping that they aren't in that ground rotting instead of sprouting.

It is getting more cloudy and windy now so it will either get worse tomorrow or clear up. Weather app says cloudy all day today and possible partly cloudy tomorrow. As I was heading out at noon it was getting a bit drizzly but due to the wind it was glowing all over so just spitting rain as they say.

Now something else I noticed that I mentioned previously as 'pest plants that need to be eradicated' is this little thing.

See that papery thing in the corner with the two black seeds? That was blown in by the wind and is the seeds of Koelreuteria bipinnata...yeah otherwise known as Chinese Golden Rain Tree or Golden Rain Tree... a few other names but not going into those. Those two seeds can grow into a seedling faster than anything I can plant. People usually only notice them in the fall when that papery husk is a bright salmon color and think that's the flower. Nope, the yellow flowers came before that and they are noticeable but aren't as catchy as the seed pouch. 

I can tell you right now that is out of my bed and if by chance a seed or two happened to get in there I will notice it and be pulled with extreme prejudice. All gardeners have plant prejudices, can't help it and it is especially bad after you've had three semesters of plant and tree ID.  You learn a lot about how they grow and little known facts about why certain trees became popular and how they aren't so popular anymore.

Remember to do extensive research when planning on adding a tree or bush to your yard. Pick up any copy of a Sunset Western Garden book you can find, anything post 1990 is good. Older is okay but that's about when information was getting more detailed in the listings. Successive printings are another bonus.

Seems like it's going to rain and possibly snow in the mountains yay!