tz_garden

                                                                                      Time to get dirty! 3 yards of top soil (I knew 2 wouldn't really be enough) and 1 yard of California Gold 3/8 (looks a bit smaller than 3/8 but that's great). I spent most of the day wheelbarrowing heaps round to the back, but because I had to stop to remove plants AND part of the old duck enclosure I forgot was buried oops I didn't move as much as I hoped.  Removing my shoes every time I had to go inside for a saw or clippers was the most annoying, lol.   I had selected about 16 rocks/small boulders to be delivered in the topsoil.  Lucky they loaded them first and they ended up on top.  Could I finagle them to drop right onto the handcart?  Some I can pick up, but about half I cannot.  To the right of our house (where the grass is) is a walking path/old fire lane.  This is closed for through traffic and is used by walkers, runners and good dogs & babies getting their walks.   Sweet, s

  Random drop of recent pics.  I am hoping to get to Cochran Landscape today to order the topsoil for the back bed reno, as the next few days looks sunny dry and hopeful!  I'll take a gander at the rocks as well to drop a few in the order.  The evening hummingbird feeding frenzy is going strong. Bright buds on mammillaria senilis.   The aeoniums are so fresh & beautiful right now.  With aloe marlothii -smooth. All the Dudleyas doing what they do best right now, Dudleya caespitosa has easily tripled in size since planting 2022. S & I couldn't leave without moving a tree, lol.  A palm in the slope fell due to the wind/rain.  Second chances.  The anchor pot holds a poor decapitated rainbow eucalyptus I had to chop last summer.  It is coming back to life, even in it's horrible disfigurement :(.   Peek-a-boo, cute bloom from aloe divaricata.   My buddy.

  The kids are all here!  Spring break and we have a nice full house.  We have 3 kids in college, 2 daughters ( S&O ) away and a son at home ( V ).  After dinner, S 's BF I was feeling like he needed an outdoor challenge.  He went after one of the branches on the neighbor's pepper tree that has been nagging me.  *The branch is on our side, and we informed them.  The wind storm did clean out much of this tree, and now that I've picked up most of the debris, I'm thrilled about it.  This tree drops massive amounts of detritus on the slope.   I can't even begin to say how much he has helped with the heavy lifting and overall inspiration to the garden.  He always finds a way to get that huge rock home & placed when I wouldn't have tried, which I LOVE!  Plus the killer deals they have found on plants - it's truly amazing.  Both S & I are knowledgeable plant enthusiasts and a complete delight to go to garden/nursery/rock hunting with. He cut it into 3 s

A good days work today (and in the sun!).  I'm replanting/changing this center bed in the back.  Here is a before shot from a month ago. I still had many frost coverings up. Dr drooling on the edge of the catnip pot.  No worries, I'll keep the catnip & catmint for him. Pretty cleared out!  I saved plants to give away, or moved them to the front.  The speedwell & small salvia plants I will keep in this bed for pops of blue blooms amongst the cactus/succulents.   They will get moved to appropriate spots.  Next step is to replant the lime tree and order soil/rocks for mounding.  I should probably get 3 yards, but 2 sounds a little more realistic for wheelbarrowing from the front around to the back.  Probably a couple days work, then to be repeated with top dressing after planting.   Found so many snails.  I need to spread the Sluggo around.  Miss having the chickens around to take care of the snails. It's difficult to get a picture of the entire bed, I think I'll m

  Yeah!  A beautiful agave macroacantha to replace the rotted one!  Can you guess - did I go get gloves and patiently remove the compostable styrofoam or just dig in?  lol Beautiful, and a boost in size! Agave Joe Hoak rebounding from the wet & cold winter.  Will take a bit before he's pulled himself together, but the new growth looks nice.  I moved him from above the pool slope (which is a bit of a brutal area) and he's been in the corner by the fence for some extra protection and heat. So pretty & unscathed ~ what a tough guy! Agave macroacantha tucked in! Lots of clean-up, hours of this... Not gardening related, but to keep my mind off of Tuesday's rain I painted the downstairs bedroom a nice dusty desert blush color.  Wall doo-dads still need to be put back up.   Another loss.  A large 3' Agave Vilmoriniana rotted, I was surprised that it made it through 11 atmospheric rivers, but the 12th was one too many.  R.I.P.  Sunny signs of spring, leucodendron always

  This post is as messy as my yard, but it's that time of year!   I am in full Spring Clean mode.  I'm thankful for the warmer sunny weather!  I had 2 barrels rot in the slope, luckily found replacements at Ace Hardware.  Roughly the same size as the barrels that met their demise, and affordable.  So much detritus after the wind storm, I filled one refuse green can and am nowhere near done.   Planted a few of these wall containers, some compartments I planted with seed - chives, nasturtiums, etc.  Will take a bit to fill in, but I do like looking at this instead of fencing.  Not very impressive lol.  They do look better in person. These smaller metal containers are lying flat on the ground until the cuttings I plucked in have some roots to hold.  The larger one, a little messy 😆.  I was out for hours, and feel like I barely got anything done.  Endless projects, but I do love that. The palm spathe filled with succulents is in a protected spot by the house, but usually sits as c