Oh Happy Day (in the garden)

The trouble with weather forecasting is that it’s right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it. ~Patrick Young

As I write this post, rain is in the forecast for tomorrow.  Of course, that is subject to change with no explanation of the weather prognosticators. There is always the chance with weather  that we could have heavy rain which can and has in the past wash out plantings.


I have spent a lovely, busy day in the garden.  Finally feel I am making headway.  Hubby helped with the heavy work and finally setting t-posts around the gardens.  Things I have neither the strength nor ability to do.  I couldn't drive a t-post if I tried.  Now, give me a rubber mallet and I can pound with the best of 'em.

This bit of garden is the last of the spaces I have been trying to come up with ways to divert the run off water when we have a deluge.  Last year in March, the water rolled down from above the bench area and flooded out this bed and then moved on to entirely flood my prettiest garden patch.  When things dried out there was not much left. Soil washed out into the grass and through the court yard.

I had a 10'x4' sheet of a mix of "plastic" (the blue) adhered to a backing of some sort of nylon woven "fabric". I don't remember how I came to have this stuff.  I cut 3 strips and am using 2 for this portion.  We will see if my idea of diverting the water works.

Part of the plantings I am concerned about have been subjected to strong winds. So much so that I was concerned about soil blowing of the plants.  You cannot keep moisture in the top couple of inches of soil when winds blow like that.
I came up with this idea out of desperation.  I cut the bottoms out of pots that gardeners always seem to accumulate.  Wedged them with rocks to keep them from blowing off the poor plants.  So far, they look pretty good.

 Don't forget to click on picture to see larger

I try to gather all tools when I am finished for the day. It is so aggravating to need a tool and have to wander hither and yon looking for it.  This wagon is a smaller version of my nice sized one.  Don't know how I got along without them.

Took a little time to take pictures of the flowers.

March dreams ..... again

I came across this quote while trying to get head together for another post.  Made me smile.

Thinking strongly about buying a pint of coffee toffee crunch  and eating it all in one sitting!
Feel free to change the flavor it you wish.
Works for me :)

Pink Bluebonnets have turned up in several spots

I am so grateful for folks who have asked that I start posting again.  I am truly a cool (not cold--there is a difference!) weather person.  Two days ago, I worked all day, with numerous breaks to get back and hips into another pose.  Bending from the waist is not a good posture any more. :)


It was a perfect day.  Overcast all day, misting occasionally, not much wind, and never got over 65°.
I was able to take a few pictures along with amending tired, sandy, washed out beds.  I love digging and stirring goodies into the dirt.


I am still in the process of attempting to let several garden plots go back to nature.  Hard to do when the annoying grass clumps keep growing and growing and threatening to take over everything.  They have such a tenacious hold on the ground that the bigger they get, the harder to dig out. I am too lazy to look the name of it up.

Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer. ~Geoffrey B. Charlesworth

Caught drops of rain jewels in leaves

An old Turks Cap bush. Normally, the stalks die and do not green up.

Early morning blossoms from a tree that I have yet to decide what it is

Had this bowl on the table for days. So delicate and perfect

Cold morning visitor.  Texas Spiny Lizard

I was blowing leaves off the patio and noticed a clump of leaves and trash under the dry sink. Discovered this lizard under with only tail showing.  It was too cold to run away.  I covered it back up and returned later in the morning.  It had gotten behind this old window and looked as if it couldn't figure out how to get across the wood.

They have very odd looking feet, not normal claw looking

A wren, a ten petal anemoe, an Iris and a daffodil

                   January grey is here, 
                   Like a sexton by her grave; 
                   February bears the bier,
                   March with grief doth howl and rave...

~Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822), "Dirge for  the Year"

We have had an "overnight guest" on our patio for about 2 weeks.  A wren comes in at dusk and leaves at break of day.  I have checked evening and mornings out of fascination.  I have never heard of this behavior.  It perches on the lip of the patio roof eave with its back to the night.It was gone one time and then came back.  There has been a lot of very loud calling by this tiny bird and a reply from who knows where.

Another (new thing)..... In 2014, I wrote about a mysterious flower that showed up in the gravel of our flagstone path.  Had never seen one on the place, nor in places where I have walked through wildflowers.  The other day, I went to get the mail and lo and behold, I spied a white flower.  Not as big as the one in the path, but I recognized it right away.  There are actually 2 plants.  

Ten Petal Anemone

The thing I love about gardening is that nature has its own timing.  No matter what it did last season, it will do what it wants to when it wants to.

I have a patch of old irises that I thinned out.  Never got around to fertilizing.  I have been seeing irises in bloom all over town and in other neighbor's yards, even in ditches.  Mine were not blooming.  I am not sure how many flowers there will eventually be, but this bud is so beautiful I won't mind if it is the only one.  It doesn't look "real" even when I touch it.  The colors are so delicate....

 Another late bloomer is a stand of spindly leafed daffodils.  One plant had bloomed a while ago and I didn't expect any more.  They are putting on a show even when the winds lay them flat.