Farm girl

 I've been busy with dirt.  Not much to show for it, but in fact I spent Tuesday spreading 21 yards of top soil into 2 very long rows.  Pretty much the width of the front yard of the new place.  Seeds sown: corn, pumpkins, artichokes, sunflowers, wildflowers, eggplant, and I don't know.  It's all a crazy dirt filled haze at this point.  The point is really to give this weed ridden area a boost (vertically) so I can really plant it out at a later time.  

I was good and filthy by the end of the day, and so tired that I just sat right in the dirt to poke the seeds in.  I met some neighbors I hadn't up at that side, and enjoyed some good friendly gossip.  Along with one woman who couldn't stop with "the raccoons will eat the pumpkins, and take all your corn".  She had lots of advice 😅. 

I'll spare you the photos of the pile of dirt, that's all it is now.  If things sprout, I'll be happy to share.

I have a friend coming to visit for a week, no matter the time of year there is always prep for a houseguest.   A couple Saturdays back, David  @slowboat spent the day with us for a BBQ and a good swim in the pool.  He gifted this Acanthostachys strobilacea, a unique (to me) bromeliad that stretches and grows downward a good 3'!  Not only that, he planted it up for me in this planter I had sitting around.  Now it is happily hanging in the shade house. 

And has rewarded me by sending out an orange bloom. 

I'm going to do a random share of happenings, my specialty. 

I planted this Cyathodes colensoi, in front of a similarly colored rock - which I didn't realize until just now.  Maybe that will work out?

My one and only clematis is sending out blooms.

I thought I killed (too much sun) this Dicksonia antarctica.  I pulled it out of the ground, potted it up and it's showing signs of life! 

Ditto, Chusquea mimosa Brazillian bamboo.  Supposedly can take some sun, not here it can't.

No complaints of too much sun from Agave oteroi 'Oaxaca'. 

Echium wildpretii is doing it's big fluffy thing in the center, sending a bloom.  This took the makeover in stride, with soil getting thrown all around it.  I'm glad it made it. 

That's pretty. 

Dahlia, cafe au lait was a complete dud last year.  In fact, I thought I removed the tuber.  It didn't like being on the chopping block, and has made a nice rebound.  

The liatris, by the path to the back gate are beginning their floof blooms. 

Making it look like this magnificent Hechtia (argentea?) is blooming, a gorgeous gift from Gerhard. 

A colorful Bromeliad.

Something's going on in there. 

Happy Father's Day to the Dad's out there!  Sophia and Ivan are on their way over.  Ivan is going to help with a couple palm tree removals, or more like I'll be assisting with tool fetching.  Have a great weekend.😀