Once Upon A Time

Lillies RIP

I'm just devastated. Yesterday some nimrod working for the landscaping company that is contracted by my HOA came around to do the edging/weedwhacking. There is some common area next to my property that these folks maintain. Well this guy took it upon himself to do more than the usual and customary work. He came behind our row of townhomes and started weedwacking several of the backyards. Personally, I became concerned he was casing the homes. I was going to go out and say something to him, but being sick and in my pajamas, I decided better of it.

However, later in the day when I went out toward my backyard, I found this nimrod had decimated my lillies that are next to the small piece of fence by my deck. I mean, he whacked them to the ground. I'm sorry, but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to know the difference between grass and weeds and lilles. Not to mention, this area was on MY PROPERTY, not the common area he is responsible for. I was simply fuming and livid, yet at the same time very saddened that my lillies which had been growing nicely, will not likely bloom this year. Heck, he may even have killed them.

My HOA is gonna get an earful on this one.

Fungus Among Us

I'm kinda bummed right now because I believe my dogwood tree is not going to bloom properly. All the buds have started to open, but they appear stunted and haven't progressed to the white flowers as they should have. I fear the scattered mold I saw on the tree last year has damaged the buds and the health of the tree. I've only had the tree two years....I really don't want to have to replace it. :(

Spring is in the Air

Hey! We actually managed to get some great weather for the weekend!

I took a lovely walk around the lake this morning. I even spotted a Black-Crowned Night Heron perched in a nearby tree. I've only seen one once before. Apparently this one has been hanging around more recently as both my brother and a neighbor spotted him in the last week. I also spotted some cute turtles out sunning themselves on a log.

I pulled some weeds and wild strawberries and removed more leaves from my garden. I think I might stop and get some plants for the garden. Might as well get things started if spring has finally arrived. Ohhh...I'm just so thrilled it's spring....It's my favorite time of year.

Gardening woes

I've been trying to figure out what's wrong with my tomato plants, as they have started to develop spots on the leaves and eventually the leaves turn yellow then brown. Two of the plants have this problem badly, the others in a much more minor way. So far I'm still getting tomatoes, but the two more badly affected do have some less than perfect looking tomatoes.

I suspect the problem has to do with the high humidity and lots of rain we have had lately. Prior to this week the plants were looking great. In reading up on tomatoes I found it could be a mold, bacteria, or insect problem. I tend to suspect mold since I've had mold issues with other plants around my yard. *sigh*

Another plant affected by mold is my irises. They have been rotting at the base and I've heard I'm not the only one having issues with their irises. I just haven't bothered to try to find the fungicide meant specifically for them. Instead I sprayed them with the fungicide spray I used on my verbena. Hopefuully that will help.

And I think the Japanese beetles may finally be subsiding. They've been awful this year. (So much for all the talk of cicadas....who knew beetles would be the real problem, LOL.) I don't have any roses for them to eat, but they sure did a number on two of my azalea bushes along with the flowers on my verbena. Nature has not been too kind this year.....

Gardening Nut

Next time I go near the gardening section of any retailer, please tell me to back away.

Yesterday I went to buy a fungicide to treat my verbena with and I came away with two lilies and 2 black-eyed Susans. Like I needed more plants to tend to! But the lilies were a unique color and the black-eyed Susans were less than $3 each. And I figured both plants were perennials.

I should be buying clothes at the summer sales and instead I'm buying plants. I clearly need help, LOL. ;)

Optical Confusion

Not sure why, but most of the pictures came out blurry while a few came out fine. I'm thinking something mst be up with his camera. My hand surely wasn't shaking that much! LOL. Here's a sample:

Name that Plant

Thanks to a woman walking past my yard, I now know what those plants are that are currently blooming in my backyard. They are Yucca Plants. I did take some photos this evening before dusk. I hope to upload them soon. Well, as soon as my brother downloads the pictures from his camera. *sigh*

Agave anyone?

I have these plants in my backyard garden that I believe are in the agave family. This spring they developed these spikes that are in the process of budding. On one of them, the branched spike is now taller than me....and I'm almost 5'4". I've been anxiously awaiting them to flower and now I think the buds may finally open this week. Or at least I hope so. I'm growing quite impatient waiting for them to do their thing. I saw similar plants at the Clara Barton House near DC, and those were blooming a week ago. And the blooms were prettier than I had imagined they would be. So I really want to see mine bloom...now. LOL.

And last year, I was hating these plants because I thought them ugly and boring....but then again, they didn't bloom last year.

Mary Quite Contrary

I spent another lovely day outside gardening. I planted Verbena in my flower boxes on my deck and then I worked on the back garden planting some unnamed orange flowering plants--unnamed because Home Depot failed to label them and I don't recognize what they are. My three irises in the back are all ready to bloom. They must get more sun then the others or something.

Most of my azaleas are blooming, though I have a few stragglers that should be blooming within the week. One of my azaleas changed colors this year. It was lavender last year and peachy pink this year. Perhaps the Miracid or the top soil I added to it changed the pH causing the color change. At least it was the one in the middle--the ones on either side of it are still lavender.

I noticed the other day that someone planted a tiny tomato plant in my front garden. I'm assuming it was my next door neighbor. While I like tomatos, I don't appreciate one being planted without my permission in my front garden. I was planning to just remove it and put it in a pot on my deck. My mother thinks I should ask my neighbor if she planted it there and give it back to her.

What the hell do you do about a neighbor planting stuff on what is clearly your property??? How do you indicate nicely that you'd prefer to decide for yourself what should be planted there? And if I'm not mistaken, our HOA does not allow vegetables to be planted in the front yard! LOL.

Blooming

It was another gardening day here since the weather was simply marvelous. I finished mulching my garden beds, did some more weeding, and planted some flowers. My mother questioned whether it was too early to be planting. But I checked the forecast and its set to be nothing below 45 degrees for the next week. A few days more than that gets us into May and by then the chance of frost diminishes. I think they'll be just fine.

I bought 4 marigolds and 4 nicotania which look kinda like star-shaped petunias. My overachiever iris has started to bloom today. It's a beautiful shade of purple. And my dogwood and azaleas will be blooming any day now.

Can you tell Spring is my favorite time of year?

Spring has sprung.

After a week of too much freaking rain, I got outdoors today to do yard cleanup. I raked out my back garden and pulled out a bush that was infringing on the space on one of my other plants. I'm not sure who thought it a good idea to plant so many bushes in such a small space, but it's not the only thing around this house that I question the previous owners' forethought.

I'm delighted because at least one of my irises is set to bloom. I'm gonna have to figure out what irises like so as to encourage some of the other plants to bloom also. LOL. My bleeding hearts plant is coming back this year and it looks like it will bloom in a few weeks. And my forcythia is currently in its brilliant yellow splendor.

Can you tell I'm just so thrilled it's spring?! :)

Spring Forward

Looks like many of my narcissi survived the winter, but will probably not bloom. The ones on the north side of my house, however, appear to have croaked. Also, my azaleas on the north side are in rough shape. The cold winter winds did a number on them.

What a bummer.

My lily tulips have been popping up. They appear to be doing well. And my forsythia appears to be ready to bloom soon.

I can't wait for spring to truly burst forth with color here in Maryland. It's coming.... :)

Shadow Shmadow

I can feel it. Spring is on its way. The days are getting warmer. And they are getting longer. There is still light out when I leave work now. And flocks of geese are arriving at my lake each morning, honking to their hearts content.

I can't wait! I so look forward to working in my garden. One of the first things I need to do is replace the one azalea bush that died last year.

I anxiously look forward to my bulbs coming up and seeing the new irises, narcissi and lily tulips I planted last fall. Though I'm not sure what the narcissi will do, since they sprouted last fall. I'm not sure if that will have killed them or stunted them for this year.