new bed

Oh – it was a back-breaking day in the garden today.

I brought home 10 bags of mulch and compost yesterday in my DH’s truck, and he was going to haul it to the back in the mower and cart for me.

But a bad mower battery but a monkey-wrench in that plan. So after getting a new battery today and a mower driving lesson, I set about to haul 18 plants and 10 giant bags around to the back of our property.

Thought about taking a picture of the mower and cart, but I was too focused on getting the hauling done before it rained on me.

Which, of course, it did not, because it’s not ever going to rain here again — I’m quite sure of it!

So, I survived big rocks and a lumpy path and even backed the mower and cart on several occasions to get my #$%&*@ stuff where it needed to be.

The first photo is a bloom on my Tangerine Crossvine — I found it by accident while standing next to the corner bed thinking about what a good place it is for Oxblood lilies.

So, this is the bed I ripped the two giant, over-grown Primrose Jasmines out of last week. (Well, if you read my blog, you know that I didn’t really do it, I had it done!) As you can see, the grass is dead where the vines covered it up, so it needs to grow back up.

And, Dakota Blue, Missy Hound dog that she is, thinks this bed of dirt is JUST for her! She’s been digging holes in it, so I’m in a big rush to get it turned into a bed. And I sprinkled Cayenne pepper in it yesterday to try to keep her out. I think she got a snootful yesterday as I saw her rubbingher nose in the grass and pawing at it, so I am hoping that helps.
I got two big plants – a nice Sago palm and some black Elephant ears to be specimen plants on this corner that you see more often.
I am also planting two Maggie roses, since this is a full sun bed with no deer access! They smell just wonderful and I am so psyched about getting to have roses. They have bright pink blooms. I hope I can keep them happy in there. See the hold back there where Dakota was digging? A toad lived there. He’d be wise to move!

Across the yard, I have a nice collection of tomatoes coming. I had to shoot this up inthe air as they are in cages about 6-8 feet tall and trailing down!
And it’s finally cooled off enough for the nasturium to bloom a little. I just like having these little guys in my garden and some of my window boxes. They’re perky — and sometime we eat them!

And this, to my surprise, is a yellow Skullcap. I didn’t know that’s what I’d gotten until it started to bloom this week. I’m very excited, because it grows so well and the deer leave it alone. I’ve been looking for a lavender variety with no luck. I’ll keep my fingers crossed – sure wish I could remember at which nursery I bought this.