Fourteen Degrees

It's April Fools Day. We're forecast to be 14 degrees above normal today at 85 degrees. Time to bring out the sunscreen.

I've got two tasks in mind today. Weeding and planting. The first area that needs attention is along the gully side of the perennial bed. I've pretty much ignored this area over the past year and a half. Today, I plan to weed and plant this space. It's shaded for most of the day receiving only late day sun. I'll have to sort through my new seedlings for things that can tolerate hot evening heat. For now, the privet will stay. Eventually, I'd like to remove this and plant camellias, tea olives, and azaleas along this border.



The second area is in the perennial bed itself. The circular portion around the birdbath has some serious weed growth. There's also a great deal of red clover that needs to be removed. I made the mistake of sowing those seeds in the fall as a cover crop. Their usefulness is now over, so I'll till the greenery into the upper potager bed hoping to increase the decomposition and add nitrogen to the "soil". Other areas of the perennial bed also need attention. I started a small section on Tuesday before work. I hope I can avoid the larkspur that should bloom soon.



It's 43 degrees this morning. It's going to be a warm one. No rain in the forecast for the next 5 days with temperatures in the mid 80s.

10:47am - 70 degrees.

Cleaning up.

I spent this afternoon in the yard after work. Mostly I spent time in the perennial bed. I weeded out some spent annuals, more crabgrass, lots of privet seedlings, and future majestic oaks. Things are starting to look empty in some areas, especially either side of the arbor.





I took out the castor beans. I tossed them down into the gully, seeds and all.





I found out what it was that gave me a terrific stinging sensation on one of my fingers. Saddleback caterpillar. They become an ugly, plain, brown moth. This one was hanging out on my Turn of the Century Hibiscus.



Lord Baltimore is blooming again.



Then I replanted both window boxes with a couple six-packs of dianthus. I'd like to think they will survive the winter, but I'm not sure I have enough soil to keep their roots from freezing. It was just under $2 for all of them. Meh.



I also potted some coleus into the terra cotta container by the front door. Carla got the ficus tree from that pot. I rooted it when I lived in Greensboro. I stuck it in water and a few weeks later, I had roots.

While I stood by watching the hummingbirds defend their own personal pineapple salvia, I remembered the peas I planted last week. They're snow peas, my favorite.



There are also two cabbage doing well, no collards to speak of right now, very little mustard, and the bok choy...Hope the rain kicks things into high gear.

It's 77 degrees, partly sunny. Rain and storms in the forecast tonight and tomorrow. I'll get back into the kitchen later this week when I have more time. I just needed to play in dirt that didn't contain pieces of chicken bones.

A Time to Kill.

Yesterday I had it in my head that I would pull all the Shirley poppies in the perennial bed. The rains of the past week had flattened a lot of them making them unsightly. Instead, I pulled a few plants and left two large clumps. This morning, they rewarded me with blooms. They'd better set seed soon. They've received a one week stay of execution.



Lots of weeds have popped up in all the beds thanks to the rain we had. Highs in the upper 80s today aren't likely to help the problem. I should be outside weeding right now. But, there's coffee to drink, websites to read, blogs to follow, and I've got to wash my hair. I hate weeding.

It's 66 and sunny. Hot today, cooler tomorrow with a chance of rain.