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All the photos in this blog were taken by me. The information is taken from friends, books, magazines, conversations at nurseries, the internet and a few of my own amateur-gardener thoughts. Please feel free to share your own knowledge and experiences in the comment section that follows each posting.


Friday, April 13, 2012

New Beginnings

In an effort to write again in less than 365 days,  I opened the newly revised Google Blogger format and was astonished to find that 83 people visited my blog last month and five just yesterday. I was even more flabbergast to read that I have over 4,500 hits. What? Who? The interest in this blog has inspired me to begin writing again. After all, spring is a time for new beginnings.

I find it interesting that I happen to be facing another chickadee leaving the nest as I sit down to reflect on the past twelve months. I often write about the speed of time because it fascinates me. If only I could have understood it more when I was younger. I wonder if I would have lived each day even fuller if I knew about the speed of life earlier on?
Maybe not.
Just something to think about.

New Land

 I have a new garden layout that excites me. I transplanted two large Leucadendron, and a Rosemary to make way for more vegetables. These will be planted in the ground rather than in my raised beds. Below is the "before" picture of my new planting land. I am letting the poppies do their thing until the nights warm up and I can plant tomatoes and peppers.


 A Few April To Do's

  • April is a great time for soil preparation. I always add chicken manure, some of my compost and alfalfa pellets. I till it into the soil and then let it sit for awhile before planting. This year the evenings are still quite cool, so the soil is waiting patiently. 
  • Clean up any flowering shrubs like azaleas and rhododendrons and begin feeding them their acid plant food once a month until the Fall. 
  • Check your irrigation system thoroughly unclogging emitters and testing timers.
  • Begin to add mulch to existing plants just covering the roots not too close to the stem. 
  • Design your vegetable garden so that you are ready as soon as the weather permits to plant warm season vegetables. 
Can You Guess THIS Spring Flower? 


Its a succulent! 
Aeonium Schwarzkopf

If you are a follower of this blog, you know that I am a huge fan of succulents. They add texture, variety and interest to all gardens. They also show off long-lasting flowers.

 


In honor of Chandra, who is experiencing her own new beginning after relocating to Tennessee, I re-planted a strawberry pot she made me several years ago. 
It used to be filled with succulents that happily found new homes within my garden as they grew-up. This will be the pot's first venture into strawberries. I will think of Chandra each time I harvest a strawberry. 

(See April 2010 Posting: Best Laid Plants... I mean, Plans... to read about the creations Chandra and I made with succulents)



I am excited about writing again. It amazes me that I so fondly wrote about Jeffrey's departure from the nest (See May 2010 and June 2010 Postings) almost two years ago. Indeed time speeds by. I may not have known it when I was younger. 
But I know it now. 

It is mind boggling that my second chick is leaving the nest. 
Spring is a time to celebrate new beginnings. 
And you KNOW I love celebrations! 




1 comment:

  1. Glad you are back.....looking forward to seeing the garden evolve.

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