A day outside..

I love completing projects. New beds carved out of dead grass areas satisfy me on so many levels- I get to reduce the turf in my yard, they provide new places to try new plants, and I get a chance to dig deep and examine the layers in my soil- silty brown sand, whitish clay and occasional spots of decent soil. 

Here's a before spot from last month:

And this is the after- I created a new circular raised bed with waterwise plants and a lower curvy bed planted with silver ponyfoot that should be walkable for the boys.

The side view looked great.. until the chickens started digging it up. I've temporarily covered the low silver ponyfoot bed with chicken wire until the plants get established. I actually layered chicken wire under the mulch in the raised bed to keep them out permanently. The wire bothers their feet so they stay away.

The circular bed has a Blue Nolina (Nolina Nelsonii), silver ponyfoot, Mexican bush sage and an orange Desert globe mallow inspired by all the recent beautiful pictures I've seen posted. When it fills in it should be a grey/purple/orange palette which should blend with the Mexican honeysuckle, flame acanthus and purple sage I have nearby.

Other projects for the week have included planting a few succulent pots. It was too hard to resist the variety at the Natural Gardener, so I got a baby squid agave in addition to two Manfreda that are close to blooming. I also finally potted a small Queen Victoria agave I got last year- I think it was happy to leave my kitchen windowsill. I filled in bits of sedums from other pots to add more color. I picked these plants (and gave them gravel mulch) because they should be tough enough to fight off marauding birds and chickens..

I finally realized that my late season broccoli seed plants were too small and too late to produce anything big enough for me to eat- so I offered them to the ladies to distract them from the new plants. They demolished them within 45 minutes..

Now I have room for something new. I would love to find another Shishito pepper plant since the one I had last year produced delicious peppers.

And finally, I cannot keep my bird feeders full. I have sparrows, doves, cardinals, and blue jays eating the seed. Plus this plump guy, who can hang on to bark with his toes- what a superpower!

Busted...

Blossom

Yesterday this was a hint of a promise..

Today I got a lovely surprise.

So glad I bought new irises, but a little irked that (as usual) I threw out the tags in a fit of house cleaning. I want this one to grow and grow and grow..


My Americauna Walnut had been giving me beautiful blue eggs.. until about a week ago. She's a sneaky one, laying all over the garden in hose pots, garden waste bags and bench cushions. I looked in her previous spots to no avail. But when I looked in the gross lint ridden space under the AC vent- voila:

Ignore the neglected organic playdoh container that rolled under there last summer!

It is now blocked off. Let's see where she decides to lay them now!

And finally I had a small epiphany tonight as I looked at the ENORMOUS brown spot in the middle of the back yard. Why do I spend hours (and risk/incur back muscle spasms) removing grass in some areas and spend time waiting for grass to grow back in others? It makes no sense at all. Luckily I have some half days off next week.. I sense a project in the making. I think I'll put in a curvy rounded berm-ish bed, but it will have to be fairly chicken proof and tolerate afternoon sun and drought/neglect once established. I sense crushed granite, maybe some euphorbia, bamboo muhly (contasts of textures) and... not sure. I may have to leave room for a mud pit for my youngest (see below).

Ideas are welcome!

Garden blooming and buzzing!

I'll admit, I scare off the birds in my yard when I go outside. Cardinals, wrens, chickadees, doves, blue jays and grackles all vanish from my feeders and bushes when I bring out my camera. But the bees are cooperating (a little) better this spring. My wisteria and mountain laurel have settled down but my salvias and coral honeysuckle keep putting on a show that everyone seems to enjoy..

Honeybee holding still. 

I cleared out the oregano and passionflower vines and this red salvia (autumn sage if I remember) has doubled in size. You can't see the buzzing all around it from this far..

Fat bumblebee holding still

This is a Biergarden culinary sage- not native, but that hasn't stopped the honeybees..

I caught the other flowers on their own, but have enjoyed their colors..

Dutch irises coming back faithfully in the front with surrounding volunteer oaklets I need to pull and a chili piquin waking up for the season to the right

Red poppies in the back

A blurred explosion of Old Gay Hill roses in a dry spot in the back

Blackfoot daisies (tasty to the chickens so protected unfortunately)

Allium flowers that pop up in the front

Not big yet, but I'm celebrating my first pomegranate bloom.

Purple sweet peas amid colorful chard (need to get around to eating it soon!)

I hope everyone enjoys their Gardener's Bloom Day hosted by Carol at www.maydreamsgardens.com! I love seeing what is blooming in everyone's yards this time of year.

Garden potpourii

Wide angle from the back

Wide angle of the front

Happy things:

Ghost plant thriving in neglect

New potted aloe throwing up flowers

Amazing smells from my sweet peas

Damianita and an agave pup

My first long lasting gaura!

Lavender in the dry bed sending up subtle blooms

Ignored horseherb thriving in a neglected dry bed along the house

Alongside it this.. which someday I'll identify but like it's cheerful sturdy yellow blooms

Why did I throw away the plant ID tags? Not sure if this is a sweet pepper or jalapeno!

Ooh, ooh, first tomato of the season!

Fruits on the hand-me down pummelo plant..

A new iris ("Batik" I think) 

Hand-me down iris from the house my husband grew up in (now demolished..)

These have become....

despite the chickens..

Munching on broccoli..

At least they give me these!

No eggs from this guy, seen on a neighborhood walk in the recent wonderful rain..

Tougher than they seem..

Snowy sweet blooms on my pyracantha shrub in the front. It finally recovered after a too vigorous trimming from some fellows my husband hired as a "treat" for me a few years ago. They left it gangly and thin but it is filling in again. It isn't a native (the plant comes from Southeast Europe to Southeast Asia) but it is tough and produces red berries that the birds love to eat. Despite it's soft look in the picture it has sharp long thorns (and makes a great barrier!).

Bee? Fly? The furry legs make me lean towards bee (as well as it's complete focus on this pummelo blossom). 

Pumpkin looks sweet but has taken to pecking us to get our attention. She stops when we pick her up. I have a chicken that thinks she's a lap cat!

A flurry of activity today, getting muffins baked, veggies and fruit chopped, baked french toast prepped. We are going to have both sides of the family here with an Easter egg hunt (if it is not pouring rain). I love having a garden big enough to have nooks and crannies to stash the eggs! Happy Easter everyone.