A little bit of rain and a little bit more sunshine and the garden has gone bonkers, rapid growth everywhere. I'm going to have to find some time to trim, or even hack back some of the shrubs. The hollies are the neatest green with so much new growth. Our holly bushes need to be kept cropped as they are part of the low structure of the flower beds. The holly trees have grown several feet since we have been here and are superb major players in the landscape plan. We had several nice ones and then I needed two more as we pulled out the variegated bushes...can't remember the name...just remember that they are particularly welcoming to yellow jackets that I have become victim to one too many times...so as much as I hate to dig bushes out, or even throw anything living, away...they had to go. The bites I had received last year were just awful and I didn't want to push my luck further. I managed to get a great deal on two more at Huntsville nurseries. Eight foot Hollies for $75 each. That was the easy part, getting the deal. Jeff digging the huge holes and rolling them into place, removing the burlap and backfilling, that was extremely hard work. I feel bad watching him in the heat, slaving away. I don't think I would have been too happy if he had made the same arrangements for my time and labour that I made for his. I thought about that quite a bit it. I’ve decided not to buy anything I can't plant myself, or at least give hubby the opportunity to offer to plant them....rather than me buy them, have them delivered, and just expect him to put them in...That was an ah ha moment. I groveled and made great iced coffee and supper for him and won't take advantage of his willing nature again...or at least not knowingly. The daffodils came up early and the irises were emerging at the same time as the day lilies. Everything came in with a bang. I am going to cut out all the dead spring flowers because the Asiatic lilies are looking to bloom any day and I need to give them some space to show their glory. We have been busy to say the least, year four of a five year plan and I have to pitch myself when I look at how far we have come. There are some huge milestones of progress and some miserable failures. The failures affect me way more than I am able to celebrate the successes but I am working on that. Success one, the path that my husband hand dug last year and laid one paver at a time. The fountain that is in place for my granddaughter and her infrequent visits. Almost all the plantings are now established, almost all but the double knockouts. I have to find a day this week to dig them out and it's killing me. They will leave their mark on my person as I remove them but they will leave their mark on me emotionally because I really enjoy them. Last year I noticed they were diseased; I sprayed, harshly cut back and sprayed again...no avail. They have rose rosacea and it's terminal. I have eighteen or more double knock outs and I know that if i don't rip them out, they will spoil the rest of my roses and I can't do that.
This year we plan to make a bridge for a dry river that we will make. I say me but I only really make the drawings, my husband does all the hard labour and I love him for the energy, effort and dedication he contributes to the creation of this haven we call our home.
