2.21.10

The early months of spring are always hard to wait out. Things look so bare! Last winter (2008, not 2009), I was able to get into the yard to cover everything when we were expecting a freeze. So, at this time last spring (2009), there was a lot of life and color in the yard. This winter (2009), I missed my mark for the very first cold snap, and it was a hard one. After that I sort of figured everything was a loss and focused on the front yard. Now I'm kicking myself. Fingers crossed that more things wake up, SOON! Here's sort of an "around the world" of the backyard, starting with the beds near the house and going counter-clockwise...

Oh, before I start, Angie and Chris are making their way back home to Alaska via Austin, so their shining faces made it into this entry as well! Hiya, Chris and Angie!

Not a lot going on here. All of the trumpet trees died, as did the geraniums, which I had been able to keep alive last winter and had woken up with a vengeance by this time last February. And the bulbines. And ice plant. Gah! But there ARE some lovely pansies that Chris and Angie helped me plant. Thanks, Chris and Angie!!

There's Angie, working hard to get her passport back. I mean, to help me pretty up the dormant beds...

Better view of the pansies, and you can see the weed-ridden "trash can bed" behind...

A pic Angie shared with me. I love seeing things through other people's perspectives. This is a hobby horse Trent surprised me with, having found it curbside in the 'hood, set out for bulk trash. Don't tell anyone!

I had had roses and rosemary and mandevilla and some other gorgeous things growing in all of these containers. Last year I pulled the roses and parked them up front, where they're doing great. The others all seem to have perished. I'll be putting more roses in, and hopefully get this area back in shape soon.

That fun, fuzzy green plant? That's a weed. Yeah. Those gangly, hard-to-see twigs? Dead plants. Yup.

Another fun pic from Angie. I need to set this pot full of puppies and kitties back into one of the beds. At least it'll add some color!

This is along the long back bed. This was a very cool hibiscus. I think it was three different varieties, braided together to form a little tree. Oh, I SO hope it comes back.

Hungry Hungry Hippo wants to know where all of my beautiful plants have got to!

More hibiscus and other things in the long back bed, looking quite dead.

Hiding our guests' passports until they have done enough back-breaking pansy planting.

Dead, dead, dead, and DEAD. I need to make time to get in there and cull the ick so the new growth can be seen.

It's so sad.

Chris, planting pansies. Yay, Chris!

Trent's Cowboys helmet. Love it! And some airplanes, and trucks, and ATVs. Very manly.

There's a skeletal fern, and a bunch of dead leaves. OMG. The carnage. Please, can't we fast forward to mid-Spring?

More pansies - the only things providing any color in the garden at all!

I think there's a little bit of green at the bottom of that feverfew. Right? Some green?

Ahhhh! Color!

Ryan's old Tonka truck. Love that thing! And a purple grass that isn't looking very purple. And an awesome mirrored bowling ball that my mom made. And some fairies looking a little worse for the wear...

Ahhhhh, more color!

A couple from Angie of the front yard. This is that omnipresent planter. Yup. Full of yumminess.

One of the brassica beds. For some reason, some of my brassicas did better than others. My kale and mustards and greens took off, as did my kohlrabe and beets. But my broccolis and cauliflowers and brussels sprouts never seemed to get anywhere. Better luck next year, eh?

Bye kids! It was an AWESOME coupla visits! You guys are welcome back anytime.