Not that I'm complaining, but...

Does it seem to anyone else like it's been raining for two weeks straight?   I sure haven't gotten anything done in a while, outdoors.  Mowed the grass once or twice, but that's about it.

I still haven't planted the mint or the Mandvilla I brought home two weeks ago;  the vine is fine, but the mint is really not happy in its little plastic pot.

All the rain - not just lately; it's rained at least once a week all year so far! - sure has done wonders for the lawn in the backyard.  The whole thing is green and fluffy, and there's only one bare spot left, and it looks like it's growing in fast.  Yay!

TO-DO:

• plant the mint in the east side yard near the foundation.  
• Plant the Mandevilla in the corner of the front garden so that it can grow up the post and the downspout. 
• Prune ALL the trees, front and back, before it gets too hot.  Not big pruning, which is best done in the Winter while trees are dormant; just removal of a couple of branches that are dragging, and suckers growing up from the base of a couple of them. 

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Bloomin' Trees

The Mexican Orchid Tree (Bauhinia) in the backyard, which is getting in need of pruning already this year:

And the Chaste Tree (Vitex), also in the back, and also badly in need of pruning - I promise that this is a tree, and not just a giant ball of leaves, hehe:

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My Two Favorite Words, Combined

"Clearance Plants"   

99 cents, you guys.

a red Mandevilla vine!  I had one many years ago that died in the 

drought; I've wanted another one ever since. 

A Coleus of some kind (apparently Home Despot doesn't

label its plants anymore), tucked in behind the begonias

in this planter.  I bought two, for the pair of planters in front 

of the front door.  They'll be HUGE in no time. 

Also: a "Moss Rose" succulent plant (Portulaca spp.),
which is native and will naturalize readily if I put it in the
ground.

And a Peppermint plant, which I plan to grow in a big, fluffy
pot...and then separate and plant in the ground along my side
yards.  Don't worry, I can control it with the mower in that
position, and meanwhile, it'll keep the ants out of my house.

(This little rack on the front porch is where new plants go 
until I figure out where to plant them, and get around to it). 

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Bit Late

Some late-blooming Easter Lilies, planted exactly a year ago this month - they were potted, Easter leftovers.

from above, in the front garden.  These are planted directly in the center, in the back of the bed by the front porch rail. 

a little green Crab Spider in one of them

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Uh...whoops.

Hey, guess what!  I quit smoking!  :D

Of course, the downside, is that I'm not going outside regularly, and therefore not keeping a daily watchful eye on the plants in my backyard.  It also doesn't help that after not gardening for two years, I'm no longer in the habit, it seems, of walking the gardens like I used to, inspecting for insect damage, water and fertilzation needs, fruit and flower progress, etc.

So some things have been a little under-watered, and have suffered for it.  My poor Bougainvillea has nearly uprooted itself reaching for the sun - and you'd think I'd have noticed that, since I pass it every single day on the way in and out of the front door, you know?

Anyhow, things are progressing a bit:

The "vegetable garden", looking not as healthy as it could, due to watering issues - although the two tomatoes and the pepper have just BOOMED as far as size goes.

There's even a tomato!



One!

A few more on the "Juliet" cherry tomato plant.  Like eight or so.

Early on, I dropped something onto the Juliet tomato plant and broke off a branch.  Curious, I planted it oustide the veg garden behind the patio (where I keep all my weeds), and it's actually growing!

And here we have the very wee-est Serrano pepper ever.  It's about the size of my pinky fingernail.

Lastly, a strawberry plant bereft of strawberries - they all dried out and had to be removed from the plant.  Here's hoping it flowers again.

I moved the Bougainvillea from the front, to the back porch here where it'll get more sunlight.  Hopefully this new placement will also prompt me to water it more often.

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