In The Thick Of It

 I'm back from Portland, and eager to get to work on the front garden renovation.  This is a large overhaul, bigger than I realized.  I have struggled with my overall vision, and the next minute been inspired. Rinse and repeat.  I thought this mid way point would be a good time to do a post on how it's going. 

First, get more of this c*ap pulled out.  I left the clumpy nothing burger aloe (to the right of the solitary Aloe ferox hyb.) while it was blooming.  There was a resident hummingbird guarding & feeding from it.  Now other aloes are popping off, so the hummer is covered nectar-wise. 

Yuck, thousands of leaves. Rip and toss. 

Yet another 2 yards of soil delivered. Never enough.  I get overwhelmed thinking end picture, and reminded myself just get those rocks placed and dump the soil around.  No thinking about possible plants right now!  Better, I will probably pull the Aeonium, kept a few Delospermum for dogs to pee on.  Cut back the Russelia equisetiformis 'Aurea' -definitely a keeper.  

I'm thinking of this part as "setting the stage" for the final transformation.  Rocks may move, but the foundation has begun.  I have other rocks on standby to be added or switched out.  Obviously my pathways will need refreshing at the end of this, haha. *I've pulled out all of the metal edging that was edging the pathways. 

I'm hopeful, even though everything looks pretty ugly now.  I'M BERMING LIKE CRAZY! This bed will  include a couple tree ferns.  It gets shaded from the house for the majority of the day.  The windows are our front room.  A quiet sitting room, no tv. 

This looong strip by the fence, I'm going for undulating berms.  You can't really see in the photo, but the mounds are a couple feet high. More obvious in person. 

It's all a bit chaotic.  Ivan and I put the Aloe 'Yemeni Orange' in place (middle right bed) last weekend.  I love it atop this mound.  And having a few big statement plants holds down the fort - as most of the plants I put in will be small and I have to be patient for them to grow in. 

I couldn't resist popping in the Agave gypsicola, it has a little damage on an outer leaf from the transport from San Marcos Growers, no biggie. Grows 3-5' wide and will eventually look nice nestled in those rocks.  

There are plants in pots here, there & everywhere. 

From the other side of the meteor, Aloe 'Samson' flower is beginning to show some hot color... 

Dr. Feelgood, Supervisor.  If he naps on it, he approves. 😉

Today, the problem I face is that boulder to the left.  When the big boulders are perched on the soil, I can dig underneath and tip the boulder into the wheelbarrow OR the hand truck.  That one, is directly on the cement.  I can't budge it, I am not 45 anymore.  Today, my husband and son and I will try to heave-ho it into a larger wheelbarrow.  Wish us luck!  My car is IN the garage. 

Changing the subject, the move for my in-laws went well.  A photo from the wayback of their wedding day, in the basement of a church.  *Is that lady at the table smoking?!  They've been married 62 years, and I'm glad it worked out that they can continue being together.  One needing assistance, the other not.  

I try not to talk about the news here.  But I am at a loss that there's been another murder by ICE agents.  R.I.P. Alex Jeffrey Pretti.  Most of the U.S. agrees that ICE is not handling things correctly, it's not like they get trained.  And yet, we keep funding it.  

It's not a clown show.

It's horror.