Weekend at the Farm January 27 - 29, 2017

This weekend I had four daffodils blooming.  I guess they are confused about the hot-cold-hot weather.

Arrived Friday morning.  Cleaned the house.  Josh, Blake, Sam and Charlie came for a visit and spent the night on Saturday.  Weather was perfect and the kids were adorable!

• I had three Nikko Blue Hydrangeas and a Julia Child rose to plant.  I got to work after the kids left.
• I planted the three Nikkos in the Medicine Garden.  That garden needs more anchor plants.  I think (hope) that the spot I planted them has just the right amount of sun and shade.  I used my compost to fill all the holes, and I used the soil that I shoveled out of the holes to fill a spot in the Rose Garden where I made a narrow bed.  I'm going to dig up my China Chiffon Althea next weekend and plant it in that narrow bed.  It doesn't get enough sun where it's growing now.  
• I planted the Julia Child rose in the spot where one of my Dame de Couer roses died.  The owner of the Arbor Gate recommended this rose.  It's a yellow rose, and although I have one (Graham Thomas) I really wanted another one.  Graham hardly ever blooms for me even though I feel like it's in the right spot and gets the right amount of nutrients.  I used compost on my Julia Child rose as well.
• I spent a lot of time digging up plugs of Homestead Purple Verbena and planting them throughout the Star Garden, the Rose Garden, and I planted four plugs down in the Orchard which I have not done yet.  Even if I do say so myself, I am doing some amazing plantings.  The spring will be so incredibly colorful (if no disaster strikes - like marauding hogs or foraging deer or rabbits or weird unexpected freezes...).  While I was in the Orchard I watered the four roses and my orange tree, three-in-one apple, and Mayhaw.
• I spent the whole afternoon watering in the Rose Garden to keep all my plugs alive that I planted last weekend.  And I weeded.  I also watered the Daffodil Border which I have not done yet this year. 
• I loaded the wheelbarrow with mulch and mulched the ginger bed in the Star Garden.  I watered all my Philippine Violets (Barleria cristata) that I planted last month.
• I raked out part of the Long Border where pine needles and leaves were covering up my spreading Butter Pat Chrysanthemum - I don't want to lose that treasure!  Watered it for good measure.
• The day was so beautiful, and the weekend was so pleasant, I hated for them to end.