Yes we did, and a whole lot of it. The Rain Barrels, tubs, jugs, and buckets are all full. After today we are supposed to get 2 weeks of dry. Tornado watch in effect this am. Whew!
The new garden plants are doing well, except for one Bell Pepper that a rabbit nibbled, but I hope it will grow back. They have to taste test you know.
I weeded Val's garden beds yesterday and am proud to say the Zinnias, Cosmos, Tithonia, & Silene are doing great. She does need fillers, but I just couldn't go last evening. Maybe today. They definitely need an overnight to harden off before the sun hits them.
On Monday I found a barbeque grill in someone's trash can. It is one of those that is deep, and I knew it would make a nice planter. I added mulch at the bottom, a good potting soil, and then sowed flower seeds. That rain will make them sprout in no time at all. I plan on transplanting most of the plants to other people's gardens and putting a thriller in the middle, fillers around that and spillers coming down the sides. I will take a photo when it gets established. The greatest thing about that grill is that it has 2 wheels on the back to move it around easily. Love it!
Today is my day to weed, and deadhead Ray's garden. No need to worry about water. .
I lost a bunch of Tithonia rotundifolia due to the drought, but I have enough plants left to get more seeds if all goes well.
Peace & Plenty.
Bright & early yesterday morning I started the new Patio Garden. I had been keeping Basil & Bell Peppers in pots in the semi-shade waiting for the Silene to finish going to seed before starting the garden. It was taken out on Friday, seed safely stored to dry and then be put away until August. I should have enough seeds to start an acre farm of Silene. .
There were 3 Basil plants to put in, plus I have more in the Raised Bed, but I'm leaving that in there for now. I had 6 Bell Peppers, 2 of the Tithonia rotundifolia, 4 Tithonia diversifolia, 2 Blue Salvia, 1 Cleome, 1 Mango tree that might not make it, lots of Crackerjack Marigolds, Cosmos, and Zinnias. I put in a whole row of the Tithonia rotundifolia seeds to make a fence line on the outside of the garden, and a row of Cape Honeysuckle on the inside section. There will be no fence around this garden, and it will be easier to mow around it.
DH & I attended 2 different get togethers yesterday. First, we went to my friend Val's for dinner. She has been wanting to invite us to dinner since I started working on her garden and carrying away the Red Lava Rock. Believe me, we carried a ton of it from her garden to mine. Her DH is the cook and I tell you it was awesome good. He made beans with bacon, cornbread, mac & cheese, deviled eggs, and they served a Honey Baked Ham. Man, it was so good. Apple pie for dessert. We talked and laughed so much and there were 2 other friends there as well and they really enjoyed themselves also. My friend Ray was having a soiree at her house and told me to be sure to come up after Val's party. We did, and I am so thankful to have her for a friend. She had gotten together a group of their friends, and we had the best time I've had in a long time. One of her friends made a Lemon Cake, and one made a Blueberry pie from scratch. Since I had not eaten a piece of that apple pie at Val's I had a piece of each. Wow! Can you say delicious? We talked, laughed, shared, got caught up, I showed 2 of the ladies my garden and they want plants. It was wonderful and I made new friends. Life is good. Not only that, but Ray & her DH brought down all the leftover food later in the evening. Now, how you gonna beat that?
Garden trough beside Patio Garden.
Cherry Tomatoes, Mountain Magic
My largest Hamelia Patens
Four O' Clocks on Bank.
My largest Tithonia diversifolia
My gravel path.
Some potted plants.
More potted plants.
And more pots of plants.
A sunflower from seed sowed last spring.
One of my patches of Ginger Lily.
We got rain last night and it was a pretty substantial one. More forecast for coming week. Hope you have a great Mother's Day.
I worked on putting the gravel down to make a new path to the Rain Barrels. DH did not like walking on the Red Lava Rock, so I made a new path with the gravel only. It looks smashing and I'm worn out. It took me 2 days to finish it and last evening I worked until dark. Some of the bags of gravel were full of Barb's garden soil because her irrigation sprinklers had gone off on top of the gravel where Barb had raked it out. I just scooped it up and put it in bags, 12 bags of stone. Only 4 of them were muddy. Big job, but I am proud of my work.
We got a few minutes of rain today, but it was only a light sprinkle. I almost lost a container to this heat because I have not been watering as I should. I need to pay closer attention and see when the plants are wilted early in the morning. I am very thankful to have a good shady tree in the back to keep my potted plants under.
The surgery for DH's macular hole has been cancelled until further notice. It's a problem between the doctor, surgery center, and our insurance. They will work it out and do the paperwork and then they will call him with the new date. I hope it won't be too long. He was devastated when they called yesterday afternoon.
The Patio Garden looks naked because I had removed the Silene, and now it's just a sand pile. I want to get some shade out there before I plant anything else in that area. I will take pics of now and later.
Peace & Plenty. .
Looking out Lanai window.
Before the Silene started growing.
Silene & Tomatoes, etc.
These are the before, and I will get some good pics later after I have planned a decent Patio Garden.
Yep, it's taking a toll on just about everyone and everything. We found out today that 150 letters have been sent out to folks who live in this complex regarding things about their house/lawn that needs repair, or they will be fined. I think it is so sad when we try to save water and then a drought happens, and your grass dies or turns brown, and they can ding you for it. I am not a fan of HOA's.
I've been watering the grass in the front with the hose, and it is actually looking better. I go out at 4 am and then again at sunset.
DH is having his eye surgery on Monday. We have an appt. to pick up more bags of gravel in the morning at Barb's. I will not put it down until we start to get rain. After surgery DH won't be able to lift anything heavy or do anything strenuous for a month. We bought swim goggles for him to use in the shower after surgery. So cute!
I'm dog sitting tomorrow from 10 to 3. We have 2 invites for the weekend. Yesterday evening I cleaned out the Patio Garden and saved Silene seed and pulled up the dead plant stalks. I have a good-sized bucket full, plus more left over from last year. Early this morning I moved all the plants from a smallish garden bed in the front yard and put the plants in a different bed. It does not matter if I lose them, because they had to come out of there. I left the 3 Ginger Lilies that I had planted there, and they are starting to grow. Yeah! This drought is awful, and it makes me feel like giving up trying to garden. Just when you get your plants in the ground or pots, and you anticipate some good rains make things grow lush and beautiful, that is when the drought hits.
Thanks for letting me vent. . . .