Cleaning and cutting and cleaning and cutting.

Tomorrow, I have to mow and turn some beds and move an arbor. I still have so many plants to move and staart some more seeds.
What do you do to get your DH to help so much, lol

Ever since I started taking care of the yard; planting flowers, herbs, growing some vines and such - my hubby has taken more interest in the yard. now that it is looking better - he likes working on things out there. I even talking him into building a 8-room Martin House and he mounted that on a pole for me today. Guess I caught him in the right mood to work and the weather has been good too!!!

I hope mine will one day while I'm able to appreciate it, lol
Did y'all buy a plan for the Martin house?

Sounds suspicious to me. I bet you're getting ready to own a bass boat. ; - )

J.D.

Just weeding here & there, planted out some sprouts from WSing, mostly inside taking care of DH. Maybe tomorrow I can sow more seeds. Even walking around outside seeing what has come back makes me happy, it has been beautiful outside this week. Your garden sounds gorgeous how about some pictures ? Bev

Jolana - I looked up some plans online for the martin house...several websites offer a variety of free layouts. Honestly, I will buy the next bird house ready-made. Our initial purchase of wood was $60...followed by hardware, pole, bracing stuff to mount house to pole of $38...plus paint.

JD - hopefully he knows better...he tells everyone his Harley is in the kids mouths (2 of 3 kids currently in braces)

Bev1951 - I will get to taking some pictures. Finally getting some landscaping done, now need to get to growing my plants. Everything is popping up...my daylilies and cannas have just come through the mulch. My tulips are about to bloom and I just pulled back some of the mulch on all my iris.

For the past couple of days, I have been doing a lot of potting up of seedlings and digging and potting of some things for the upcoming plant swap at Trinity Park. I'm finally getting to put some things into the beds that I have been having to do the "spring shuffle" with. I know that I may have to still protect them a couple of times, but prefer carrying empty containers in and out rather than full containers :). Yesterday I got the dreaded Turk's Cap bed cut back and cleaned out....had to use a hand axe to take some divisions. That bed has probably been there since the house was built and let me tell you....it's WELL established!!

And here's plunking at it's worst....I planted out cilantro the day before yesterday. I'm going to move it today, LOL! What a dope.... I am debating on whether to take a blue potato bush to the plant swap or give it to my mother. I bought it last fall and fell in love with it's blooms. But I think that it may not do well here. Since I've been leaving it outside, the wind has been taking a toll on it. We're just on a very exposed hillside here and it's suffering. I guess I'll see if I can enable my mother a little bit :). She has a smaller, but fairly sheltered back yard.

More of the same stuff today....and tomorrow....and the next day :).

Kristi

Scuba,
I will pay $100 a day to you if you will rent him out.

Shucks, Kathy, I'd go $105 -----LOL.

I have to say, it sounds to me like we just got a further glimpse into JD's psyche, lol
Okay if Scubagal is renting out DH, I'll go 105.50, lol

Scubagal, I think that's the way with everything anymore, the materials are more than what you would pay for it already made.

After I read your post to DH lastnight, I don't think he likes your DH, lol
He didn't say that, but I think the flames coming out of his eyes and ears were a dead giveaway, lol

If he'll bring the bass boat, I'd pay $200.00 a day.
Jim

I will need to know his physical accoutrements before I bid any higher. LOL

OMG! Y'all are so bad! Cleaning,cutting,planting and planning....PJ

ya'll are too funny. He works for UPS so they work him like a slave and he doesn't do anything in "low gear". He works nights 6pm to 3-7am depending on when the works done...so his 2 days off he likes to take it easy and often sleep...so I guess he's making up for lost time.

now all he has to do is finish painting the house and I can let him rest -lol

Maybe it is just too gorgeous to be inside and doing projects outside is great?

I know I feel that way. I took a few days off and got a bit of weeding, dividing, compost pile dampened and turned, trimming and watching my WS seeds pop up. If you haven't wintersowed, I'm finding it's a great way to get seeds to sprout. Now if they'll just GROW so they are big enough to set out.

My DH got to work pouring concrete for a replacement floor in the house. Helping with that slowed down the gardening but I am so ready for that remodeling project to be done, I was okay with helping.

Does your DH know the sand bass are supposed to be running when the redbuds bloom? Maybe that's why he's getting stuff out of the way?

My hubby is too impatient to fish...I love to. My dad always took me when I was a kid...but my hubby is done fishing in less than 30mins...he did make it an hour once, but that was for the bennifit of the kids (lol)

I potted about 10 japanese primrose jesamine and 3 butterfly vines for the plant swap. I pulled a few weeds.

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I got up Monday just itching to start working in the yard, but had things to do and couldn't start until Tuesday.

I've done more digging the past 3 days than I usually do in a whole spring. Dug up a crinum I got from the plant swap a few years ago. It had turned into about 25 bulbs & was about 2 feet deep and at least a foot in diameter. It took dh & I together to get it out of the ground & then about 3 hours working on it with the sprayer nozzle on the hose to get the bulbs apart from each other. I don't know where I'm going to replant them, but they are never going to be dug up again. I sure wish I could remember who here gave it to me to see what kind it is & if there is an easier way to divide them.

Moved 3 wheel barrel loads of rock to make a waterfall, garden border, and small path. I don't think I have any fingerprints left on my right hand.

Got 3 yards of compost soil from Living Earth to fill pots and empty holes I'm making.

Dug up a huge Spanish lavender & got 6 small plants off it and still have a huge plant left to divide.

Dug up a yellow columbine and got a few off it.

Dug up a huge mound of water iris, pickerell, bog lily, and dwarf umbrella from my bog. Need to figure out how to separate all of it.

Dug up a moon flower (accidently), confetti lantana, and daylilies and have to find a new home for them. Moved a bunch of sedum in front of the bog to replace them & hopefully not cover up everything by July.

Next I need to dig up some 4 year old dwarf lantana. I dread it as they are in a little space between the sidewalk & house & I have a feeling the roots are under the sidewalk.

Then I need to cut down a mimosa and a fruitless mulberry that are both about 25 years old, and then I will start mowing and weeding, and THEN maybe I can just sit and enjoy the yard.

In the meantime, we got rid of a 28' above ground pool, and dh is rebuilding and adding on to the deck that was built in a semicircle around it. We're going to try to make a vegetable garden where the pool was.

LOL and what are you doing in your spare time?

I've loaded, hauled and spread truckloads of horse stall sweepings. Just have one more bed that runs the length of the house/garage on the east side and fill up the compost bin. I've weeded as I went. But its already time to make another pass through the beds again.

I've moved plants in-and-out of the garage and house a few times. Planted about 6 roses. Have 8 more soaking and waiting.

Next is planting summer bulbs, fertilizing, and finish building and installing the trellis outside my bedroom window then decide what to plant there.

Gosh I really should move some volunteer zebrina hollyhocks before they get much bigger, and get some ferns going.

OH yeah... and put the new pump in the bird bath.
OH OH!!!! gotta do something with the 50 or so packets of seeds I have screaming at me too.

You all are making me sweat just reading about what you've done LOL. I haven't been able to do to much this week nor will I get much done next week but hopefully after that I'll be able to get more done around here.
I have to let my back tell me when enough is enough and I get about 30 minutes in and have to take a break for 15 or 30 minutes then try again.
I did go out today and look at my compost and dug around it, while I was digging in it I found HUGE grub worms, I placed them in a pot to die. I was planning on making this a pepper plant bed.
I don't even want to think about weeds, it's hard on me and there are so many I think I may throw in the towel and let them have their way with the yard.
Well, you all made it hard to afford Scuba gal's DH to rent so I won't even make my little meager offer of 10.50 an hour LOL.

Scuba, love all of your new stuff, that birdhouse is so cute.
I did enough to make my hands, back and knees hurt, lol
Now after reading this, I am bushed, lol Y'all have worn me out
jolana

All that work is making me tired just reading it. Lovely pics of a great start and pretty garden!PJ

Scuba-do,

Cool additions!!

I got the toadlillies in the ground (finally), 2 knock-out roses, hostas, but I didn't get a bass boat.
J.D.

I planted some beans, built a tomato trellis thingie, added some compostables to the compost pile I just started, and then I sat under the ash tree with my dogs and wished I wasn't allergic to tree pollen.

then I sat under the ash tree with my dogs and wished I wasn't allergic to tree pollen.

I know it won't help, but you aren't suffering alone
jolana

The way things look right now DH is never going to get to start the honeydo's, I may have to outbid for scuba-gal's DH. Anybody know of someone mechanically minded that would love to live in Lubbock ? The other tech is quitting on Tuesday & DH will be going back to working 2 territories again. There is all the fun stuff outside that I want him to do but then the necessary stuff from inside has to get done 1st. Sorry to be venting but I can see my summer plans going up in smoke - - just like the stuff coming out of my ears. Think of stuff on the bright side right - - while he's gone I can make the flowerbeds bigger, he'll never notice, I'll have more time to sow seeds to put in those beds. I should have plenty of time to think of plan B & C. Thanks for listening to my venting. Scuba all those new things are going to be the backbone of an absolute gorgous garden. Kathy your garden looks outstanding, hope mine will someday come close to that. Bev

Thanks, Bev, this part is two years old. We are enlarging it. The fence will go over to the primrose jesamine/fence. You can see the green posts in the next to last pic.

BTW At the doctor's, yesterday, the Mt laurels were in full bloom.

Bev, I can sympathize with a DH that travels, and never has time for "honey dos". I try to take a positive stand by saying that at least I don't have to cook, and that gives me more time to do the jobs that I can do. Sometimes, I just give up and hire someone to do them. Okay, back outside now for another fun day in the trenches.

I built a new trellis for a climbing rose, moved LOTS of plants, divided LOTS of plants, Potted up divisions (156) in 1 gal. or 6" pots, for the plant swap in May, started 7 flats of cuttings, started 9 flats of seeds, and did I mention, I've moved LOTS of plants. I also put pre-emergent herbicide and post-emergent herbicide with fertilizer on the lawn, and watered it in. I pruned all the roses and vines, and fertilized the roses.
Jim

Jim, is my house next?

My DH hates yard work :( So Kathy send Jim my way when your done with him hehehehe.

I've got so much more planned for here, I'll never get caught up!
Jim

Wait a minute!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought we were going crappie fishing.

Yea, after next week at the lake, I never will get caught up!
Jim

You guys and your fishing !!!! Have fun!!!!

I know I posted before on this thread, but gotta share with you what my family and I did today. Well, let me start back a couple weeks ago when the city came out and took up the front sidewalk and replaced it. I had planting beds right up against it with those landscape timbers, so had to pull those out and also move some plants to the back until we got things back in order. They finished the sidewalk - did a beautiful job and still needed to replace the edging.

Well, thank goodness for direct depost tax refunds! We went out and bought two truckloads of what the stoneyard calls "Panhandle dry stack" and laid those out as edging along the beds and down the sides of our property line. We didn't have enough to go all the way down one side, but will need to get one more truckload to finish that later on. Next step is putting the plants back in the ground and we should get that done tomorrow.

So, what I did in the garden today, along with husband and my three boys was to lay stone edging. Gosh, I am tired tonight! I should sleep really well. Okay - time for bed since we're supposed to set our clocks an hour ahead this weekend.

The things that hurt: my feet, my back, my thighs, my shoulders.

JD, my dad likes to go dumpster diving. If he finds anything that resembles a bass boat, I'll tell him to hold it for you.

PPB
Tell your dad he should never "dive" alone. Have him call me -------- I'll go too!!!

J.D.

I'm getting over the heartbreak of having 90% of the trees across the back of our property bulldozed down to make way for a 50" waterpipe. Used to have a gorgeous view of trees, now we can see all the houses they built back there.

Then tried to put out pre-emergent herbicide on the front lawn, but the old cranky spreader quit. Bought a new one and it was missing a major part, had to return. Finally put out pre-emergent today.

Cutting back perennials that are greening up, planting some WS seedlings, hauling leftover rocks from the newest flowerbed to the back.

My first time ever with a major weed problem in the new bed - I'm devoting some time each day to systematically work my way across it - I'm eating that elephant one bite at a time !!

Carol

Carol
I'm so sorry to hear about the trees being bulldozed. Our city had to pur in a new sewer line that ran right through the woods/greenbelt at the end of our street. It was quite a mess, but they were good and only took down the trees that were in the way. Many were left standing, thank goodness.

Boy, it sounds like Murphy's Law at your place with all that going wrong. Hopefully today will be a better day.

Well, I finally cranked up for some spring action yesterday (usually best not to rush things up here).

Four pickup loads. One to the city chipping site with branches and limbs pruned off, two loads of city shredded wood back and one of compost from a nursery. The city mulch goes around trees, grapes, and on some canna beds I have.

Between the sawing and the rough tree bark and the thorns on locusts and rose trimmings my hands look like they have been through the proverbial meat grinder today. You guys know how it is, they get soft over winter.

Wire brushed the arbor bench so it could be re-painted.

Today I clean out the beds, put out the Back to Nature compost on the beds and plant some bleeding hearts and tubers.

Sore hands, sore back, bruised knee cap (oops), a little sunburned... only other gardeners would understand the "fun" I'm having. It is fun, right?!

Oh, that is awful about your trees.

This morning I planted my 6 packs of lettuce. Now it is raining. How great is that?

Guess the sping fever has gotten to us all. I've got my dahlia's in the ground, all my "new" canna additions, stargazer lilys and my hubby is finishing up painting the house.
He goes back to work after his week of vacation tomorrow AND he will probably be glad to!!! He's done so much work around here - work may now seem like the vacation!

Let's see...last weekend I decided to fill in the spaces of my front flower bed with annuals, weeding the frot yard as I went along. Kind of a chaos of colors theme since I let my 5y/o dd pick them out. There is a hard lean towards pink though. While I was at the store I noticed, ok fell in love with a weeping cherry tree. My dh and I have a thing for weeping trees. So I went back for that a day later, had the dh dig the hole for me. I think it took him an hour and it ended up moving over a good foot because of the rock bed. Texas Hill Country, 2 inches of clay that leads to solid rock bed. We'll see if it lives, you never know. I've never gardened before so it's a crap shoot. We then re-mulched our tree copses and weeded the back yard. I forgot how wonderful they look when there's fresh mulch in the beds! It's raining today which is probably a good thing since we also saw a weeping redbud tree when we went back for the mulch. I wonder if I'd kill it faster or slower than the cherry tree...

Carol, how awful, I am so sorry
jolana