Pat, I didn't realize you were ill.... something one never needs, but especially in the Spring. I hope you are well soon.

westelle

Thank you ladies for your concern! You have no idea how much I appreciate you all! I had a 4 day stint in hospital, comfortable bed, scenic view of the pigeons, exceptional food, good service and care all around. But glad to be home! I have so many oxygen tanks and tubes going thru this house it's almost comical! Everyday it gets better and I have a portable tank so that I can go outside and see what is growing and what is sulking! I saw a few sweetpeas in bloom this a.m. but can't get to the vine to see if there is any scent, will pretend there is. Hollyhocks are starting to bloom, they are well over 6 ft. high now. That about brings me up-to-date, so how is your day going?!? Pat

Well, since you ask, I'll take my sore knee over your pneumonia any day. (I knelt on something in the garden... nothing more.)

LOL Westelle, I'll take your sore knee too! Just came in after looking at the roses, they need deadheading badly! Will get my plan of attack for manana and see what happens. DD had husband get 5 bags of mulch for me, but he figured if mulch is good, compost is better...ovay what's a Mom to do, love them, grin and be grateful!

Oh, dear, they have you on oxygen! I imagine that does help quite a bit in the healing. The more oxygen, the better, right? :)

Westelle, I sure hope your knee is ok! Cripes, I thought I was the accident queen of the western states! LOL

I have buds on one of my hollyhocks! A little delayed, thanks to my late seed starting, but I'm so excited to see them bloom!

I sure wish I lived closer, Pat, so I could get to some of those yard chores for you! I know what it's like when you can't do stuff...and DH means well, but...it's not the same when he doesn't know what he's doing. He would probably do the same compost/mulch thing, too. LOL

I hope you're all healing up at a rapid pace! You ladies are my gardening heroines! (I haven't seen a post from Leslie lately, either. *nervous nail biting*)

Brenda

Brenda, LOL, dear lady, I suspect you have enough to take care of without wishing for more! DD is monitoring my activity like a mother hen, so everything is o.k. here. A few weeds are growing, but I'm just giving them a false sense of security, then SAP! come on Round Up! Hope we hear from Leslie soon , this hot weather must be getting to her.

Holy cow Pat! I check out for a few days and you go and get really sick on me!! That is nothing to mess with, that last time I got that I spent a month and a half in bed. That was pretty serious to end up in the hospital with oxygen and still be home with a portable tank. All these weather swings make it tough too. I hope each day finds you feeling better and stronger. I'm sorry you got so ill.

You are saying that you feel better and you're getting some exercise every day and are getting outside for some fresh air? Even though you have an oxygen tank attached. What's the dr say? Even 4 days in bed would leave you feeling pretty weak. Just double checking here:)

We've been up in Stockton and at the kids in Modesto. The headaches have been really bad but I also think I was dreading the trip we had to take. We just got back this afternoon. I'm hiding out from the heat, but I want to mulch the front and back this weekend.

Here's one of my first daylillies to bloom last week. So far only the yellows and oranges are blooming. None of the other colors are yet.
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Yes Pat, I'm with Brenda, if I was closer, I'd come over and help you out:)

Leslie, so glad you checked in...the lily is gorgegous. My day lilies are all up and the foliage is great, but no sign of blooms yet. Westelle, checked on the salvia this afternoon and it's growing like crazy. Brenda, sat with a spray bottle this a.m. and got the azaela wetted down to a point that the blooms are looking refreshed and happy! It's been very warm here today, but things are looking so good, sure tomarrow will be eve better! Nighty night!

Beautiful daylily, Leslie! I love that color; I could eat it! LOL I'm so sorry that you have to suffer with those headaches. I can't even imagine how it must wear you down, physically and emotionally. Stockton has given me a headache whenever I've gone there, if that's any consolation. :D

Pat, what kind of Salvia did you get? I've totally forgotten! Oh, Mom says if you can possibly wait, fall would be a good time to plant that florist-bought azalea. It sounds so loverly.

The weather is cooling down, so it's time for me to get more things in the ground. :)

Brenda

Westelle gave me a list of salvia and I think the nursery only had a few of those, can't remember what they are and can't get out in back to check, LOL! There was a blue something and a sage something! Big Help huh! Tell your Mom thanks from me. I may have to put the azaela in a larger pot. The florists put these lovely plants into small pots to force blooming....disposable....I recycle everything I can and I think if I transplant it now into a larger pot it will be o.k. till outside planting time.

How are you feeling today Pat? I hope better, pneumonia is not something to mess with at any age. I think that's almost feeling better by degrees or inches. It's not supposed to be as warm today, I hope it's cooler for you too. I noticed from your post you were up pretty late. Your Sweat Peas you labored over to grow are flowering now? That's great!

I meant to get some salvia and haven't done that yet. I may still try to transplant some of the lavender by cuttings.

My butterfly bushes are getting nice and tall, but I was considering cutting the tops to see if they would fill in even thicker. I planted these last Sept.

I think my violas are really all done, one kind of just fades every few days along my bedding border in the back. Need to replant all of that with something, could do something permanent, but they're annuals in front of the seasonal bulbs. I kind of like being able to change what I have. DH sees no use in anything that doesn't last. Everything else is permanent, well until nature kills it anyways:)

What are you going to be planting today Brenda?

Westelle, I hope your knee feels better also.

What kind of salvia available say at Lowes, would do well in full sun, and or is there one that would do well in full shade?

Pat: "Blue" "sage" ? LOL! Salvia officinalis is cooking Sage and has blue flowers. ????

Leslie, I can actually bend my knee today without suffering great anguish. I've been being a good girl. HAH!

I need to get out the Gator and go collect some more Coyote Poo off the driveway.... since I can't really hike that far.

Maybe it's 'Black and Blue', Pat? Or maybe 'Victoria' (a.k.a. 'Victoria Blue')? My officinalis has never bloomed for me, but maybe this is the year! :)

Geez, you must have really messed up your knee Westelle! What happened?! (I have 2 bad knees, so I feel your pain! :D)

Not sure about cutting back the butterfly bush now, Leslie. I usually whack mine back to 18" in late winter/early spring.

My pansies are pretty thrashed, too. Farewell, happy darlings! I'm excited about planting some more Portulaca this year, since mine don't reliably reseed. Talk about a happy plant, especially in full, hot sun with little water!

The last few days I've planted a Berberis thunbergii 'Crimson Pygmy' (Japanese barberry), Callistemon viminalis 'Little John' (weeping bottlebrush), Calylophus 'Southern Belle' (sundrops), and Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Dark Knight' (blue mist). Today, I need to get a couple more things in the ground - Coreopsis grandiflora 'Early Sunrise' and Juniperus sabina 'Buffalo'. Then I'll only have about 8 or 9 more to deal with. LOL I love getting my nails dirty, though!

Most of the Salvias you'll find at Lowes will do great in full sun, I think. I'm hoping they get some 'Black and Blue' soon, so Mom can pick one up! She always leaves drool trails on mine when she visits. LOL

Brenda

I think I'll take the dog for a walk before it gets too hot and got over to HD for a change and see what they have. Really need to do the mulch, if I do the bedding plants now I'll have to be careful. But, I might not being able to stand it and buy them anyways:)

Oh, I cut the Butterfly bush down to about a foot tall early spring, just one of the colors is pretty leggy. One of the colors is fuller. I've got two pinks and two purples, until they bloom I've forgotten which is which:) I thought if I cut down slightly on the top the sides will bush out more. I don't mean whack it down now, just slightly. Oh well, maybe next year they'll grow in fuller. They're not a year old yet. A couple are about 5' tall and the other two about 4'.

DH stepped on his first bee out in the yard. I have nothing but plants that are blooming or will bloom eventually. That's pretty mean of me, he's allergic to bees:) They ignore me.

I didn't know there was a weeping Bottlebrush, I knew of a dwarf variety. Wow, you've been busy, I've got to look those all up now:)

Pat, how are you feeling today? Have you made a circuit of your yard for exercise? Anything new blooming yet? I still have just 5 daylillies in bloom, all different yellows and oranges. I'm waiting on the purples and pinks:)

I'm not sure if the butterfly bushes would fill in, Leslie. I haven't tried pruning them any other way than the usual. I have buds on mine already! Yippee!

Ugh, sorry about DH's bee sting! :(

I hope you're resting up and feeling better, Pat! And NOT over-doing it! We're thinking of you.

Brenda