Successes and Surprises

 

Surprise!

The poppies all bloomed at once today 

along with the pale pink peonies.

That confluence has not happened before in

13 years since I began this garden.

 

And they are blooming with

the peach roses, the purple and 

yellow irises and the blue

catmint.  What a colorful

treat they make for a

gardener--and a bouquet.

Success?

All the hybrid mountain laurels

are blooming too. The white laurel 

has a few blooms on a lower stem.

It has never bloomed before!

I read about a trick for improving

underperforming trees and bushes.

Drill 4 - 6 holes around the plant

halfway between the trunk and dripline.

 Fill the hole with slow-release 

organic fertilizer pellets for 

gradual release over 6 months.

Better results next year with

increased vigor and bloom?

We'll have to wait patiently

for success--or--surprise.

Success and Surprise!

I was able to use polymeric sand on

the patio pavers to fix the cracks

myself with not too much

time or effort.  I had some help

from Garden Man with the 50-lb.

bag of sand (The last one for sale

at Paul & Sandy's today!).

A push broom and a soft bristle 

hand brush with a dust pan

made the job easy.

So did the gentle breeze,

the clear skies and the shade!

Pat on the back

for an old gardener 

learning new tricks!