Zelda's birthday party was this weekend in Austin. We drove up on Saturday for the party and got home about 4:00. Weather was wonderful, cool mornings and evenings. Not too many more of those left this year.
- Staked my Mock Orange.
- Tied back the Ox Eye Daisies out of the way, but didn't cut them back because I want them to reseed.
- Used my trombone sprayer to fertilize my camellias and the shrubs in the Greenhouse Garden.
- Fertilized the the new gingers and Toad Lilies in the Greenhouse Garden. It's not good soil in those beds. I just used dirt from the woods to fill those beds and added leaf mulch.
- Cut away greenery that was crowding my Cramoisier and around my Marie van Houtte.
- Made a watering check list of all my plants that are new this season, the ones that were new last season, and the ones that are in a place they don't receive much irrigation. They will need special attention this summer, or they won't make it. I water every one each weekend and mark them off my list. If I didn't do it that way I would forget some.
- Dug up a ginger and some Bluebells that were growing under a boardwalk that my husband built last winter. Moved the ginger a few feet away and moved the Bluebells to the Shade Garden.
- Planted the Bur Oak that my neighbor gave me near the Rose Garden. They have amazing acorns - the biggest of all the oaks. She brought me a basket of the acorns, and I fell in love with the little tree! I read that they do not start producing acorns until they are about 35 years old. That brings to mind two questions: will I still be alive when the tree produces acorns and how will I keep the tree from succumbing to one of the many things that can kill the tree (drought being the most obvious and most likely killer) I have always thought that trees are the most intimidating plants to grow because they have such a long life span. It is the definition of a contribution to the future, you are unlikely to ever enjoy the fruits of your labor. You will be long gone before a tree is tall enough to provide shade for you. Nevertheless, I have decided to make a Children's Garden. I will plant a tree for each of my grandchildren and place a plaque at the base of each of the trees with their name and birth date. I will start with a couple of Pecan trees at the bottom of the back yard near the Orchard. I'm not sure what other trees I will plant. I want them to be long-living trees, and I don't want small trees like crepe myrtles. On the other hand I want them to be planted fairly close to each other so there is continuity in the garden - so trees with huge canopies won't be appropriate. And it will be easier to keep them watered if they are near each other because a newly planted tree needs 7 gallons of water each week in order to get established, and I don't want to drag a hose hither and yon. I would also like trees that are somewhat fast growing. Some trees are inherently slow-growing specimens. I will have to research trees.
- Spent the whole weekend trying not to bruise or scratch my legs. We are going on vacation to the Dominican Republic, and I don't want to be sporting a bunch of purple bruises!!
- Both of my husband's children have babies, and their friends are all having babies as well. Lots of precious darlings around, my arms are never empty.
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