On the flip side . . . You'll be pulling weeds 12 months out of the year!
Update on Will's Health ~ Will is finally 100% back after an almost 3 week bout with some wicked-bad flu. This weekend he mowed the back yard real-ly short, raked up piles and piles of Bermuda grass, bagged it (I helped) and planted Rye so we will have a beautiful winter lawn for our Girl's (chickens) to eat and for us to enjoy!
Piles of raked Bermuda grass . . . Bermuda likes weather 90F and above.
Rye is planted when the weather is 60F or below at night. Hard to believe this yard will be thick with beautiful rye grass in a couple weeks!
Did you notice the big red pomegranates in the left background? They will make the best pancake syrup for my Grands!
This represents hours of raking and bagging and then the lawn had to be over-seeded.
While Will was sick I got most of the garden planted and prepared 3 new flower beds along the driveway. The soil in each flower bed is so different, one has really hard compacted dirt, the middle bed has quite normal soil, but the last one is filled with rocks the diameter of quarters. I spent 2 mornings just going through the last bed pulling out buckets and buckets of rock! Now if we can keep the gophers out!
Our neighbors, Jerry and Pat, let us share their pile of beautiful, rich, worm-filled mulch! Will shoveled a small trailer-full for me to mix into my new flower beds. I decided to start up the rototiller to mix in the mulch. Who knew rototillers are made for right-handed people? It took me a bit to get it started, I couldn't find the primer, and I had to use my right hand to pull the pull cord! Somehow I engaged the tines while I was pulling and it took off without me! When I finally had finished and came inside to clean up, I was still vibrating!
I know it looks a bit bleak right now, but that's where faith comes in. You have to sow, water, weed and wait, to reap! If you sow, you will reap, in due time!
In the first flower bed I planted a red/orange Lantana (upon closer inspection, it appears to be dying already!) and a mixture of seeds from flower packets dating from 2004-2008 . . . I'm not sure any will come up with the seeds being so old, but I couldn't bear throwing them out! You see, I'm a compulsive flower seed buyer! I buy flower seeds with the dream of beautiful displays of flowers everywhere! The problem is, until now, I really didn't have a place to plant all the seeds I bought over the years! They say, "Confession is good for the soul". Well, I've confessed, and feel so much better!
In the middle bed I planted an Orange Mexican Bird of Paradise, perenial Shasta daisy seeds (I love daisies!) and a Yellow Bell bush.
The third flower bed, in the back, is the largest and longest. The far end has a Palo Verde tree and Yellow Mexican Bird of Paradise. I also recently planted a bright pink/yellow Lantana, and a Texas Sage. Between the bushes and tree I have now planted Purple Coneflower (echinacea), chamomile, painted daisies in all shades of pinks to rose colored, sea shell cosmos, and a mixture of wild flowers for partial shade. I planted each type in a specific spot so their will be a large splash of each individual color, and plant. I love planting perennials because they will come back year after year.
I am trying to incorporate flowering herbs, like echinacea and chamomile, in my flower beds for use in homemade soaps, lip balms, teas and home remedies. This is something I have always wanted to learn more about, and the timing seems perfect! As you can see in the above photo I have also planted several aloe vera plants with the plan of using their gel in lotions, balms and haircare products.
The area west of the driveway is my new frontier to conquer and beautify and I am very excited about the additions I've made, the seedlings that will be popping up to bring beauty and ingredients for my homemade products.
Can't wait to show you updates as my empty flower beds become real bona fide flower beds, filled with an array colors, shapes, textures and fragrance . . .Over at Julie's!!!
P.S. ~ Knowing you are cheering me on in my new adventures is such an encouragement! Thank you for dropping by! I appreciate your visits!
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