Very warm and humid today, in the high 70s. Hot sweaty work outside today!
The magnolia Elizabeth is blooming. What a showgirl.
Most of the tight buds did get freeze-burned earlier this month, and they are looking a little brown and mushy after all.
But a few are creamy yellow and untouched. Wow.
The tree is still so little (and it got reduced even further by the October snowstorm), so the heavy butter colored blooms look strange on the too tiny branches.
But she will fill out in the coming years.
The forsythias and daffodils are still in bloom, so it does look like spring. Although the forsythias are just about to turn.
Geums are just now opening their orange blooms. So cute.
I finally cleaned up the last of the load of soil / compost. Jim took a trailer full out to the compost pile and we covered it so I will have a few buckets of soil for new plants.
Now, with the pavers cleaned off, I can order mulch. Six yards? Too much? Not enough?
With the pile of soil cleared away, I worked on cleaning up the thymus serpyllum on the little bank edging the pavers. What a mess. The construction equipment killed some when we put in the gravel garden, the soil was dumped on the middle part, and a lot has been lost.
I put in six new plugs from Whiteflower Farm (divided, so 12 total), and you can see the tiny clumps in between what is left of the original thyme above. But I need a lot more, especially to go around by the bluestone stepper entrance. To Do -- order more.
So . . . more thyme to cover the shoulder of the berm. This fall I want to put in a lot of white daffodils, I like those, and when they go by, the big smokebush foliage should start to cover them.
I ordered aurinia (Basket of Gold), and that can go around the edge of the gravel on the back side and spread about. I hope.
Finally, today I planted 'Gleam' nasturtium seeds outdoors, all around the gravel garden edges and in the strawberry jars. Supposed to trail somewhat and I want them to spill over the edges of the gravel garden.
Too early?
It says wait until frost is over, but the next 10 days are forecast in the 40s overnight, and that brings us to Memorial Day. Iffy, but it could work.
If not, I'll cover any seedlings if frost occurs.
Or replant.
