Harvest time

It’s what’s for dinner!

Hope it tastes as good as it looks!

WINTER LETTUCE

For the last year I’ve been so disappointed with the supply of lettuces at my 2 local grocery stores. They look good in the bag, the date seems fine, but when I go to serve them up….YUCK. They are starting to wilt and go bad. Such a waste of money especially when I buy the organic lettuces.

So I’m attempting, for the first time, to grow winter lettuce in pots on my patio table. I can’t put them in them ground unless I build a fence around the perfect little plot of land for growing vegetables…HINT HINT! We have tons of deer roaming day and night eating whatever they please.

My ROMAINE & RED SAILS lettuces…..

So far, they are looking good and the deer have not ventured onto the patio.

What I accomplished yesterday and this morning

I did pick up the 1/2 finished chair slips,

I love the tone-on-tone single BIG letter.

But I didn’t do any sewing! Because….

MY BACKYARD IS A JUNGLE

It constantly needs trimming,

pruning,

cleaning,

weeding,

and more weeding. Every day I spend hours

cherishing my purple elephant ears,

weeding still more,

sweeping,

mulching,

clipping palms,

skimming leaves out of the pond,

DE-ALGAEING, which doesn't always work,

feeding & watering the birds,

dodging the birds nesting here,

spying buds & new flowers,

appreciating the sweet delicate puffs of the MIMOSAS,

spray painting,

taking a break,

listening to the waterfall and enjoying!

I DID MAKE MY RESERVATION TO DC TO SEE SON-IN-LAW & DAUGHTER!

The past 3 days...

5 hours on Saturday, 6 hours on Sunday, 5 hours on Monday equal 18 bags of Lawn & Leaf trash bags full of garden material.

My 17 year old palmetto palms needed huge

cutting back from winter freeze damage:

Between the 3 palms...

I cut off over 100 fronds. Each frond has to be cut into 3 segments to put in trash bags.

Onto my Asian Jasmine. 17 years ago I bought 3 little pots of Asian Jasmine. Thought I was being smart by taking cuttings from these 3 plants, and replanting in my multiple beds. What a nightmare I caused for myself. Asian Jasmine grows like crazy and has to be trimmed weekly from April til December. First, my angel was engulfed and the brick wall was covered. Below is the after picture. Angel can pray again and her little toes are showing.

Below is a before picture showing the Jasmine growing into the grass. Husband thinks one can take a weed eater or a machete and butchered it all away.

Nope, not if one wants this beautiful crisp line and separation between the grass and the Jasmine.

This can only be achieved one way that I know of.

My paths had about 2 inches of walk space before I cut the Jasmine.

Very manicured!

How does one achieve this lovely look, you might ask?

A garden scooter, a pair of hands in work gloves, and a Fiskar's garden scissors. Oh, and R2D2...he's my shop vac that follows me everywhere in the yard and swallows up garden waste.
The late blooming azaleas....

They are a double rose variety, no clue what the name is. That was 17 years ago...

The above represents maybe 1/3 of my yard. 2/3's still need dire attention!

Lamp Tramp is a little sore, the rest will have to wait!

Trying to get better...

I'm still not feeling 100%. Due to coughing all night long, I'm not getting good, restful sleep. So I'm whipped during the day, just keeping up with the daily boring chores like laundry and dishes. Try to go outside but can still feel all that yellow pollen in my nose. I'm locked inside on yet another lovely day. Here are some views outside where I wish I could be playing...

Happy weekend of yard work

Our weather has been beautiful! Things are budding and getting green. And our azaleas are just starting to bloom. I've mowed to pick up the last of the water oak leaves, spread 10 bags of cowmaure to top dress ruts in yard, planted 3 new plants...

and enjoyed my koi.

Cinderalla is the white one....she is very greedy. George is orange. Greybeard and Sharkey are difficult to see as they are so dark.

I love my yard again. It's finally under control since all the Katrina damage. In the Spring, my yard makes me happy to be alive!