another windy day

Today was too windy to plant so I mulched and mulched. I mulched the area we pulled all the lemon balm from... I don't like lemon balm, it smells like lemon pledge ech! In that area yesterday we planted two phlox and moved a delphinium struggling in and amongst some daylilies. I also mulched the vegetable beds. wood chips are heavy mulch but they are free this year.

I haven't watered yet today because we got a little rain this morning and supposed to get more......

I did take advantage of that small rain to pull some weeds where I want to plants some seeds later on...maybe I'm getting smarter in my old age....

later I'll post some pictures I took this morning.

Rain Garden pictures

For some reason, I couldn't get the text to publish with the pix, so I just did it separately....

Ok, the rain garden is in. Start to finish on Sunday. 75 little native plants in there. and yes... because we're total geeks, a laser level was used start to finish because we built it on a little slope. we even planted dry natives on the berm. Dean will dig in the trench for the piping when he gets back from the boundary waters next week. we even filled to overflow and watched it go. we're lucky in this 30 yr old housing development that we have good infiltration. maybe even too fast... I hope the red lobelia and the all the sedges last. and we only had chip mulch (free) from all the storm damage, so I may have to rescue some plants if we get a good rain. and if we get some stormy rains as predicted tomorrow... well, I might be diverting that pipe, don't want to flood those little buggers out. What is a rain garden? It is an infiltration basin designed to catch the rain water.... ours is specifically diverted from a portion of our roof. it is about 12' x 7' x 8". We used native plants as they are successful in developing amazing root structures that will send the water to our groundwater aquifers. Keeping the stormwater off the roads! If you want to know more about rain gardens, check out http://www.raingardens.org. Just keep in mind that you need to plant natives, native to your area, not the plant species listed at these web sites.

My backyard smells like lilacs

and its heavenly....

and I have got herbs in the ground.. and plants are shooting up like crazy. and after two 90 degree days it has settled back down into the 70's. yeah! maybe we will get a little bit of spring around here. Thank goodness. I need the spring energy---although it seems as though I am full of full moon energy today!

A little garden sadness

Snow, wet wet snow, is falling on my garden today. with temperatures hovering around freezing this week is just not good on my plants. all those daffodils and little lillies starting to come up? we'll see. my guess is it won't be a good year for them this year or next. and the tulips that had budded? well they are done for.... alliums that were halfway up and not budded, we'll see. I think over the next few weeks, my big tasks will be adding bulb fertilizer all the way around. with hope for next year. with all the damage wreaked by the freezing temps, that greenery won't be supplying much nutrients to those bulbs!

good news? some very pretty birds have found their way to a new feeder I installed outside of my window by my computer. I have been comforted by a pair of cedar waxwings and a pair of cardinals. gorgeous views on a snowy day.

keeping my hands busy since i can't be in the dirt yet

here's a little hat I made to welcome a new little addition to our neighborhood. her name is lucie grace. isn't this pattern just adorable? the pattern is by black purl. I picked it up at my lys in dsm--knitted together. I used sockatta yarn. this is the newborn size. I love the little details, especially the picot edge. and I know barb will love the fact that it is machine washable. i took older brother over some sidewalk chalk and candy when I delivered the hat along with some baby soap. we all can only imagine what it is like sharing mom's lap at this point.....

and, he loves me still

its march cold here in iowa..... for april that is. and my husband brought these tulips in last week in an attempt to make sure we didn't lose them all. and it worked! aren't they beautiful. but their buddies are so sad out on the ground. all 125 left out there. I don't know what we'll have left from them. but I am grateful and joyous for these, my own little taste of spring in these cold cold days.