The Magic Garden

Happy in my element.

(photo credit: Octavio Arizala)

This weekend I was up at the crack of dawn on both Saturday and Sunday. I had to repot the new plants I'd gotten Friday night and was determined to clean out the side garden space by the raised beds. I had to sacrifice a few plants that were looking tired, old and not very healthy. I always feel terrible doing that, but I felt it was time. I noticed the neighborhood cats have been making a litter box out of the raised bed where the Rosemary was planted and the plants weren't looking very healthy. I think it might also have been because the bed is shaded most of the day, and I have a vertical garden hanging above it which usually drips into the bed. When I pulled out the old plants and turned over the soil, it looked like there was a mold or fungus in it. I'm going to leave it alone for a while and try and dry it out, but I'm not really sure what to do about the cat situation. Right now I just stuck some potted plants on top of the soil there so the cats can't really jump into the bed. A friend recommended putting out shavings of Irish Spring soap. Worth I try, I think. I know my cat can't stand the smell of toothpaste so perhaps the soap idea will work.

I'm starting to feel like the side garden is looking to overcrowded and messy. While I do strive for the look of an English Cottage Garden, I think mine is starting to get a little sloppy. This mostly has to do with the fact that I simply have NO SPACE. Not much I can do about that, but I should probably rethink the layout of what I have going on back there. It's a continuous learning process.

Sunday morning I took all the herbs, roses and various other plants off the porch and gave it a good sweeping. I gave everyone who needed it a good clean up of dead leaves and stems that were old or chewed by the earwigs. These earwigs are becoming a problem. They are eating EVERYTHING. Today I saw them making edible motels out of my rose blooms. I have a bottle of organic spray, but I really need about 10 bottles with all the plants I have to get them under control.

I really didn't plan on doing any work today but, as usual, I became fixated and was out there working for a good 3 hours or so until I was hot and exhausted. It's all worth it though. When I walk by my house you can smell the fragrance of the roses and all the herbs. I love sitting on the porch in the evening drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying the aromatic combination.

It's about 4:30 pm and I just work up from a pleasant nap.

I'll close with some images that I shot around the house Saturday morning.

Heliotrope, Dark Blue

Fuchsia, Dollar Princess

One of the Moon Flowers I put in a pot.

Tomato messy-ness. You can barely see the two bell pepper plans I have in there also. Plus they are already being eaten by bugs and they aren't even ripe yet.

My white Hydrangea

Baby Angel Trumpets

Sunday morning I watched a Hummingbird drink the nectar from this Agastache. It was a beautiful site to see. Most of the time I watch them drink from the feeder, but this is the first plant I've had this year that they can actually draw nectar. (Mental note - need more Hummingbird friendly plants.)