And it's not so sunny again...it's Spring!

Cloudy and cool with blustery winds yesterday, same today but darker clouds and a 63% chance of rain in my area in the next hour. I love this kind of weather, there's a sort of expectant energy about it and it happens both in Fall and Spring. That's why the plants are so confused sometimes.

Lavender trumpet vines are blooming on both sides of the pergola, this is the one that faces West and is more prolific. The scarlet one on the south side seems to be putting out buds for flowers but not sure.

Top two are today and the bottom is yesterday, you can see by the brighter one that the branches are moving quite a bit in the wind but it was a bit calmer yesterday. I can see the clouds outside my window getting darker and darker... and I just watered yesterday to be sure due to planting bell pepper seeds in the south and west beds. It's taking a chance, I have always grown them in a container first, will see what happens.

 

 

 

 

 

 Top picture was yesterday afternoon along with the bottom left with the onion laying on the ground. Right picture is from today. Nothing wrong with the onion, I pulled it because it was big enough and then took the one from seed that was in a corner and transplanted it to that spot. Transplant took well and is not wilted. The tomatoes are growing like gangbusters and that is going to be my go-to tomato from now until I have a bigger area to plant bigger tomatoes. Wondering if I should have put the taller one in the  middle dangit.

 

Seed discovered when I pulled the two smallest pepper plants. I may regret planting it because it looks like a pumpkin or one of the squash that Dolores was growing. If it is a pumpkin/squash it will take over the entire bed. Should that start growing I may move it to the west bed where it can spread out.  

 

 

Hard to see the stick for a marker but it's marking where I planted the squash seed. The onions had flower buds on them but I nipped those off yesterday, so when those onions come out there will be room for maybe cilantro or something else on that side. The Romaine is growing nicely as well as the peppers.  

 

Comparison from the end of March when they were planted, one full space on the trellis which is about 4 1/2 inches and twice as wide. Gives me a spark of hope they are growing as they should with only new compost in the bed. Still haven't used the other two bags but that's okay, will figure out how to stockpile them somewhere out of the sun so the bags don't degrade so quickly. 

 

On my way upstairs and noticed the epi in the rose garden was putting out a flower and then noticed the dove rummaging through the leaves. It was watching me very carefully of course so I moved carefully and slowly while taking a picture. Seems that bench is a favorite perch of the birds as well.

Just got a gust of wind through the window and smells of wet pavement and asphalt, definitely raining somewhere in the neighborhood but nothing on the ground for us at the moment. Still wonderful smell and view.

Another sunny day but chilly at night

 It was only in the mid to high 70's today which made for wonderful shorts weather. As soon as the sun went down, winter whooshed in. 59 at 9:30 pm right now, double blanket weather for sure.

Early evening/late afternoon sun on the white azalea and the trees. Fantastic lighting with the angled light around 6 pm. Didn't get out until late afternoon and it was almost too chilly for shorts and a t-shirt. A better shot of the azalea earlier in the previous day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally got the peppers and sweet peas planted out late yesterday. Hard to see because of the shadows but peppers and lettuces are still okay, I'm keeping the fencing cover on them still because just my luck some rampaging opossum or skunk would come through and dig everything up. The peppers and lettuce are doing fine 24 hours later but the sweet peas....not so much. They're fading fast unfortunately and getting even more pale today, oh well, there's always the fall planting. Those tomatoes hopefully will do gangbusters this year. If I'm proactive, will have to tie that trellis to the fence now.

The west bed is still going strong with Oregano, onions and garlic. Oh, I planted cilantro along the back side of the south bed. Hoping those come up and take advantage of this great weather. Can't really plant much else in the west bed, only thing left for growing for the summer is peppers or flowers. 

Just had a brainstorm. Instead of covering the raised bed like a hoop house, run a vertical piece around the edge, maybe like a circle so it's removable. Attach to the trellis with hooks made from the cut ends of the wire..... interesting and complicated idea. Would require a LOT of cutting to get a piece that long and maybe some stakes. Will make do with what I have and work on that other idea for next year. 

Slowly but surely...

Weather took a turn, as expected after a day of winds whipping through the area. It is now going to be overcast for the next few days and then clear on the weekend (crossing fingers). Cloudy with very little break in the sky, small possibility of rain overnight and into tomorrow but then just cloudy and suddenly the sun will be out on Saturday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watsonia in full bloom now, way more stalks than last year and doing fantastic. The roses are blooming but not as spectacularly due to age and pruning.

 So sad, they should be replaced but if they get new bushes then they'll be mistreated like the old ones have been and .... The red one at the bottom is near the Montbretia and is root stock blooming. No idea what that bush used to be, that's the only flower that's ever bloomed on it since we've been here.

 

The lettuces are doing great still and the tomatoes are slowly inching up. Color is improving but they need actual food, not the 'natural fertilizer' that's in the bagged compost.  I'll likely interplant the peppers among the lettuces to save space. Being off balance with the foot I decided on the raised bed for the lettuce rather than the west bed. Less hassle getting the chicken wire off and not as far to bend.

The oregano is taking off like crazy! Mostly creeping and not very tall but lush and full and happy. Hard to believe it started from a scrawny little four inch two years ago. That cluster of seed sprouts coming up is in the south bed and I have no idea what they are. Looks like a seed pod was mixed in there when I dug things through. I pinched off one of the leaves and smelled but nothing distinct so have to wait until they get bigger to see what they are. Doesn't match anything else around in the weeds and only other thing could be one of the seed pods from the liquidambar.

Oh did I mention I heard an actual Great Horned Owl the other night? Sitting in bed just before midnight and it was quiet as a tomb outside and would hear the hooting very faint about every thirty seconds. Finally got up and turned on the Cornell bird app and put it in the window.  It is so rare that it is quiet in our area. Especially during the day and on the weekend but it is still quieter than other places I've lived. It made me smile and actually helped me sleep better knowing that nature was out there and thriving.

Almost two weeks.... due to injury

 Well it's only been one week since I wrenched my ankle in the garden area. The weather has been good, I have mostly romaine coming up with the lettuces, just planted three summer squash seeds with the jalapenos because I don't have any seedling mix.

And photo placement in the blog is being stupid again.

 

 

I keep forgetting what this is every year but it's blooming again. This started about a week ago and all the flower stems are opening. Much bigger show than last year. 

Three different days, top one is from six days ago and the other two are yesterday and today. Beautiful blue skies, breezy almost windy today which means change in weather is coming. Early, early morning marine layer that is burned off by the time I wake up around 8. So keeping it cool and perfect weather, if I could get out and do it.

I have to wear a walking boot when I am going to be on my feet, preferably with a crutch to walk. Being upstairs it is a chore and shaky at best going up and down. I choose what I do for the day, take Rocky out or go to the garden.

 

 

 

 

 

The lavender trumpet vine is blooming again, this is the west facing side of the gazebo. Haven't noticed flowers on the other two vines yet but haven't been able to hobble over there well given the uneven ground on the lawn and having a 'frankenboot' on.

I will be taking that cucumber out, it should be double that size and a lot greener. Hoping the summer squash seeds sprout. I was digging the soil in the raised bed and turning it over with one bag of the soil and saw worms, well at least two worms. That is a good sign and no sign of pill bugs or centipedes so far. I am so behind on things in the garden it's really frustrating. I might hobble down later today and see about pulling those onions and the cucumber at least. The tomatoes are growing slowly and gaining a bit of color (all these pictures were done before I injured my foot obviously). 

So will try and remember to get out today, take pictures of the seedlings, of which most all of the lettuce is Romaine and spindly. 

Happy Spring.... weather and all that.

Gosh darn critters....

 Well it was a beautiful day today but still cold and breezy. Very cold to my feeling and doesn't do the new seedlings any favors either.

Most of the clouds are gone from this  morning, no rain in sight so going to be very cold with no cloud cover.

I suspect skunk or opossum for sure. Digging for grubs and other bugs in the soil. They love that west bed so I'm going to have to get the wire cutters out and make another end for where the garlic is.

 

The tomato plants are turning purple which is a sign it's too cold for them. No way of keeping them warm right now. Whatever critter got in the bed didn't disturb the soil in the raised bed too much but that also means it is big enough to hop up and over the 20 inch wall. Opossums are rather good at climbing, skunks not so much and skunks are bigger. Which means it's opossum given how they got under the chicken wire on both beds

 

The cilantro that ended up growing in Layla's bed at the border there was almost folded over so I snapped it off, peeled off what leaves it had and then tossed the stem behind the jade bush. It'll look like an animal ate it. Need to find the last of my cilantro seeds, and if I used them up already that calls for a trip to the library and hope they have some. Have to make a run to HD tomorrow for cleaner and kitchen bags so might grab a package of seeds there. 

Everything smoothed out and tucked in again, here's hoping they aren't disturbed. A better shot of the three compost stages. Front bucket is compost mostly with some large bits here and there, could use a good screening.  Middle bucket is half and half, mostly smaller bits with some compost and the back one is all brown branches and uncomposted material. I'll probably take the shovel to that the next warm day that might happen. Still need to get that corner straightened out and organized. I just might toss that planter since I'm only using it as a container and most of what is in there is scrabbled and pieces of things I was going to use. The brown plastic bag is potatoes that sprouted but they're now shriveling up and drying rather than growing. 

Spring is happening in fits and starts. I can't plant anything in the ground beds and it's still way too cold for anything else other than maybe lettuces and leafy things. Even so, it's like winter temps right now, hoping for sun tomorrow for a warming spell.

 

The weather it's a-changing....

 After it being warm enough for almost a week I had switched to shorts, the last three days it's been cold and cloudy and today, misty, drizzly rain.

Tree from yesterday with mostly blue skies, but it got windy in the afternoon and overnight so here we are, socked in like 'the clouds fell'. It's not that cold, still breezy but nice temperature. Looks like I don't have to water the garden for a few days. Just watered day before yesterday.

Indian Hawthorns are in full bloom and so is the lemon bush. It's got more flowers on it than last year for sure and I know it's expanded at least a foot in the past two years. I didn't realize how much it was blooming until I smelled a wonderful fragrance on the breeze as I walked by. I turned around and not only were there tons of flowers but I could hear the bees! The bees are also in the Liquidambar trees because I saw and heard them as well.

And because it's raining today I can't get pictures of my compost buckets. I went down with the tarp yesterday evening (yester eve??) to get them dumped and it wasn't so bad. One bucket had a really good compost built up but I need a sifter because there were rocks, eggshells, sticks and big pieces of bark. The second bucket not as much compost but still a good amount. So I separated all the uncomposted plant matter and stuff it in one bucket then divided the actual compost into the other two. Also took some of the trash to the dumpster so it's slowly getting cleaned up.

There's now five or six pepper seedlings, the sweet peas are hanging in there and the lettuces are still rather slow but lots more are breaking the surface. Will see what the weather holds in the next few weeks, getting really late in the season for planting lettuce.

 Before clean up of course but it shows that it was sunny with only a hint of clouds yesterday. I could still try and plant potatoes if I could get some soil in that big crate. Someone in the garden group showed pictures of a pick up at the green waste pile of compost at the dump. I don't need a pick up load, I need about 6 cubic feet. Plans need to be made and supplies acquired before that happens.

Like everything else, takes time and money.