New Family Addition!

The new addition to our family.  Born April 8th, 2013.  He is absolutely perfect.

He weighted 9lbs and 4ozs.  He was 22 inches long and born at 11:07am.  We got to bring him home Wednesday the 10th and we are feeling blessed that god would honor us with the privilege of raising him.  I could keep going but will stop there.  Proud parents!

Garden Time: 04/04/2013

A quick update on all my progress.  I will note that in inherited a backyard from the previous tenant when I bought this home in November 2012.  The previous owner had never done ANYTHING in the back yard.  That includes the grass, trimming the hydrangea's or the Azalea's.  So..........I have done a ton of work and still have at least that much more to go.  I hope to have it configured by the end of summer, all beds and borders in place at least if not planted.  So many plants to choose from!!!  One of the many joys of buying a new home is a new start, which includes the new plants that you put in.  Here is where we are:

My raised graden, 4x8, has okra, straight neck squash, and cucumbers all planted.  None showing at this time.  We got a lot of rain the last few day so we should have plants next week if I didn't screw anything up.

My pretty, but neglected Azalea.  It will receive a severe pruning after it finishes flowering this year so it will fit the bet it was provided and will quit shading my grass out.

 Another color of Azalea present......but has been allowed to grow "wild" and is not as full and bushy as it needs to be.  Another recipient of a good trimming when it finishes flowering.  I will use this area as a good sized bed but I am waiting till my plants get a little bigger before the mulch and borders show up.  Will probably get to this section of the back yard in May.......hopefully.  Probably do boarders soon.

I have three hydrangea's that follow the back line of this soon-to-be flower garden.  Most of the hydrangea's will be light to dim blue in color, which is typical for this area, given the acidic soil.

As you can see, I have been an ambitious gardener and have a ton of plants on the way.  I have run out of room or there would be more.  I wish I had a green house so I could have started earlier this year and my plants be ready to harden off.

My peppers and some tomato's that have their first true leaves.  They are coming along nicely.  I pot these to keep the Central Alabama sun from burning them up in July.  They will be porch plants in June.

 My table on the back porch..........

I still have quite a bit left to sprout with Holly Hock, Veronica, Nuestrium, Commelina Dianthifolia, and two types of Cosmos still waiting to come to life.

Turkey 2013..........

My father went this weekend, the original turkey master, and was handsomely rewarded for the effort.  It's been a hit or miss weekend and both of these birds took lots of patience.  Both were killed because Dad called the hens to his position.  Obviously, it's very early and most everyone I have talked to is dealing with birds being "henned up" all day.

11" beard......very large bird, sans head.

9.5" beard, really good two year old.........

Garden Time: Part two

Update to my previous garden post..............04/01/2013


My tomato's that I planted in February are still barely more then seedlings.  The cold weather and lack of sufficient sun really put them behind.  Three weeks ago, I made a significant run at starting my flowers.  Most of my planting from this batch have sprouted and separated from the seedbed to their own cups.  I like cups, because they are so easy to reuse from year to year  AND the plants come out without hurting the root systems.

The pepper plants have done really well and have been tempered to the sun over the last several days. Out of 10-12 tomato plants, I still had five yesterday.  Last nights heavy rain has left me with two.  I shouldn't have left the other three under the eave of the house last night.  I am still ahead of the curve on the peppers and the few tomato's I still have.  All the Cayenne peppers died however and I have since replanted a large plat of both cayenne and Jetstar tomato's.  I hope to have them up by this coming weekend.  I was able to get okra, my hybrid yellow straight neck squash, and some cucumbers in my raised garden before it rained.  I hope they will sprout quickly before temps. start getting over highs in the 70's during the day.

Surprises?  

My Twinkle Mix Phlox is a lot stronger then I first imagined them being.  Nearly all my seeds emerged and the leaves have really broadened with the first hints of true leaves showing now.  I should have a find stand of those this year, which was my personal favorite pick.........

I had really good luck with Saponaria Ocymoides as well.  While a ferocious ground cover, it is a mere wisp of a reed  with small pine needle sized leaves in the dirt right now.  I am sure that will change soon.  Nearly all of those emerged leaving me with 12-14 individual plants.  I will be giving a few of them away it would seem.

Believe it or not.....I still don't......I got my Dragon's Blood ground cover to sprout.  It was the smallest seed I had ever seen.  A grain of sand didn't have anything on these seeds.  Regardless, I have about 6 plants that are so small, you literally almost need a magnifier to see them.  I hope I can keep them around long enough to get them in the ground.  I am really anxious to see what they look like mature.

My new Pinata rose I bought two weeks ago is really coming along.  I have been impressed with the color and frequency of blooms for such a small plant.  It is a climbing variety and should be a striking addition to my garden with some age and height.

  

It appears I mislabeled one row of seeds and now have no idea what 8 of my emerged plants are.  I do this every year and it's totally annoying.  I guess time will tell.  As the small boxes become full, all available table space has been utilized, you can tell it's spring!  I will post pictures later of all my new little plants!