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No time like the present

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 It's that time of the year where I try to stay away from planting, especially in the back - it's just getting too hot.  I was feeling antsy for a project, and it hit me last night.  Why not start removing plants from the front? Great idea, except for it being 100° today.  Oh well, don't fight it when inspiration hits. This area is to the right of our house. The changes I'm certain of- taking out the two Oleander, the always suckering cherry tree & two rosemary. What to add, I don't know yet. My first focus is winter interest.  It is severely lacking, which is stupid.  It's nice most months of the year.  Sorry for the bright sun photos.  I did just buy a new Sawzall, but I was too intimidated to be lifting it above my head to cut.  And the Oleander is toxic, just felt like a bad idea.  I stuck to old school cutting and pruning. Chopping up the pieces well, so I could fill the carts with as much as possible. One Oleander down! (they a...
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Thrifty fun and a new Sawzall

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 Saturday, we (Sophia,Ivan & I) decided it was a good day to bargain hunt. Off we went to the Plant and Pottery Outlet in Sunol.  About a 20 minute drive from Livermore.  In front of our parking spot, we did not come home with a puppy.   Pots for days. Fabulous stacks of Corten steel planters - I really dug those round barrel-y types.  However, this was a day based on frugality!  Those smaller squares were $120 and the smallest round (not pictured) started at $250.  As Sophia said, with outlet in the name - we expect bargains.   We followed the smell of clearance, and crossed a little bridge. over a ravine, with many metal animals trying to scare us away.  Metal scorpion?  These were thousands of dollars. I didn't take photos of all of them, but we saw crocodiles, snakes, elephants, rhinocerous, etc.  And back in the corner, Eureka!  The clearance building.  We found a few good weirdo deals and Sophia found a...
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Peace & ponyshoes

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When I glanced at this Leonotis yesterday, it looked like it was saying "Peace".  I just searched 10 minutes for this photo, and I don't think my big ponyshoes story is going to be as good as I thought.  I moved this Aloe in March (probably ferox hybrid) from the slope to next to the pool full sun area.  It was reaching for the light so strongly, I felt bad for it.  After a month of no effort, and NO thank-you's for all the spring sunshine  - I jumped in to help the plant "open up". I put these tiny horseshoes -ponyshoes on some of the leaves.  I imagined this to be a dramatic reveal of my efforts, but it didn't really pan out that way.  I promise you the shoes worked! I have had to tune out the news, especially recently.  I checked in for a minute yesterday, and thought "wait, when is his term over".  It took me a second, then I realized - it's still the first year.  Ay yi yi.  Our town has a lovely tradition, a little flag is plac...
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Monkeying around

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 I had a great week relaxing with a friend, now I need to get myself back in gear! Not my home, but Jacaranda trees are in bloom everywhere and gorgeous.   I know they are very messy, still wow.  I'm tempted to guerrilla garden one into the empty planting space in the fire lane, so I can enjoy it and not clean up after it (much). The sunflowers have reached Jack & the Beanstalk heights!  At least 10'.   The goldfinches sit on the stems and rip at the leaves to eat. We've had a week.  Poor Doctor had a "winky" eye, so took him to see the vet.  He had an ulcer removed, and is sporting an Elizabethan collar for a bit.  Along with 2 different eyedrops several times a day.  It's much better today, and he's getting back to normal - restless, and wanting outside.  Sorry buddy.  And I fell at the end of a run yesterday, hard on my knee & hands.  I felt mostly fine, I mean it hurts to fall but I was o.k. and finished r...
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