Mystery plant

I've got another photo of the mystery plant that is growing quickly in the back yard. It's definitely something that's going to be tall-ish and it looks like it's already forming flowers, doesn't it? My guess is that it's the false indigo that looked like it died but I guess it didn't!

This spring I amended the soil all around the back yard, since it hasn't been done in probably 6 years or so. When we first moved in, the back yard was full of gravel and weeds. It was really disgusting. Our house was a restaurant before we moved in; and it had actually been vacant for about 10 years after the restaurant closed down, so you might only imagine the messes that we found when we moved in. For instance, it took me about 8 hours to clean the floor of the kitchen! There was so much grease and grime that had never been cleaned up! Totally gross! The walls were dripping with grease! So, we cleaned them and then painted them...It ended up looking pretty cute! We painted the walls avocado yellow and the trim was a cheerful avocado green! It was very Mediterranean looking.

Here are the dogs on the rug that was in that kitchen. That was the floor I spent 8 hours scrubbing.Over there on the right? You can see the leg of one of the pizza ovens! There were three giant pizza ovens that we used as cupboards! There was NO storage and NO counter tops, so we used a stainless steel table as a counter, as well as a butcher block table. For storage, we used the pizza ovens and then a big, metal commercial kitchen rack that came with the house! I cleaned it, painted it and VOILA! Instant pantry!

We had to be clever and use what we had, since we really had very little money at the time. We did a good job making-do!

How on earth did I get on this subject?!!

One more photo today...I know I've shown this over and over, but it keeps getting BIGGER!! This is supposed to be 2-3 feet tall and 3 feet wide! The thing is MONSTROUS! Easily 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide!

Ok. That's all I've got for today. Oh, and I've had my first reader from Egypt! Pretty cool!

King Tut delivered to your door

Well, I just got the nicest surprise when I came in from taking the dogs on their walk this afternoon! The UPS guy (who, incidentally might be the nicest guy in the world!) had delivered my King Tut dwarf giant papyrus plants! Of course, he also left two treats for the dogs, because he is SOOO nice!

So, of course, I immediately unpacked them and they are fantastic! Much bigger than any I've seen in garden centers in the past.

I ordered them from a very nice local nursery called Avant Gardens. If you live in MA, they, quite honestly, have been ultra helpful and if their other plants are like these papyrus, they offer really, good quality plants! And they offer a discount on 3 or more of the same plant. I ordered 6, as I have 6 flower boxes, and that's where these guys are going to end up when the weather gets just a bit warmer!

Here they are:
Nice, right? They're about 2 feet tall already!

Aren't they cool looking? These are still quite young and small, so they will grow and grow and then by about mid-July they will be towering, amazing plants!

Unfortunately our weather will not be cooperating and I'll have to bring them all in at night. They've been living the cushy life in a greenhouse up until now, so they aren't used to any temperatures below 60! It's supposed to get down into the 40s tonight and even colder by the end of the weekend, so that just won't do. They are currently residing in the back hall on my washing machine. I'll put them outside again tomorrow in the warmth.

In other news, I'm coughing again today. Ugh. I think allergies are partly responsible this time, as it was well into the 70s today and VERY windy. There is pollen pollen everywhere. You know the pollen is bad when you get into your car and can barely see out the windshield because of all the yellow crud on it! It's that bad. According to the thingy on my weather forecast, the tree pollen is very, very high right now. Hello? I'm allergic to every tree pollen, so that would be why I'm all coughy and sneezy and have zero brain waves. I'm downright stupid today with these allergies. Stoopid.

Ok. I must go and eat dinner, as it is nearly 7pm! Where does the time go?

Time flies when you're stoopid.

More pretties

We've had some really really hot days here in MA recently. It was almost 90 on Monday, and about 80 yesterday. So strange. So wrong!

The fleurs and trees are all very confused and have bloomed about a month ahead of schedule. Everyone is very worried about the apple and peach crops here because the timing is all off...

In any case, it's very pretty out there today. A very comfortable 70 degrees and just very, very nice. I am also happy to report (quiet, I don't want my cough to hear me) that my coughing fits have lessened. Don't tell anyone, though, I don't want to jinx it.

Below are some photos I took yesterday in between coughing fits! I had forgotten about these pretty peach-colored tulips I had planted...Love that color!



My romaine lettuce plants are coming along nicely!


And this pot has two big bunches of arugula that I had left over from another job - they're getting huge! Salad, anyone?

Coughy with my coffee

MAN, would I love to go more than 15 seconds without coughing. This is getting ridiculous. I've been like this since Thursday.

Today we'll look at the last of the photos I took a few days ago. I'm glad I took these pictures because someone has been stealing my tulips. BOY, does that get my goat! We live on a very busy street-corner, so it's just a matter of time before things start disappearing each year. I've had people steal entire plants right out of the flower boxes! Sometimes they steal 3 or 4 at a time! Oh, it's maddening!

I shouldn't get all riled up. I don't have the energy for that right now!

Let's move on to photos, shall we?

Here are the pretties out in the side yard:
There were actually three more tulips that should be in the foreground, but they were snapped off, unfortunately.

Here is Sadie trying to figure out what the heck I'm doing!Isn't she so cute?

And here is another of those Labrador Violets that transplanted itself here!

These are the other set of lilacs in the side yard. They are much lighter in color than the purple ones out back...
Such a pretty color, no?And, BOY, do they smell delicious!

Ok. Back to my coughing. Later!

Garden, continued

What a week last week was. This cold has seriously wiped me right out. Non-stop coughing is really, really tiring, which I'm sure you already know.

I think I finally slept for a little while last night. I awoke at 6am and I wasn't coughing, so that was a bonus! I slept on the couch most of the night to give my poor husband a break from my incessant barking. Poor guy hasn't slept in several days, so I was a nice wife and did the slumber party thing with the dogs. Sadie would occasionally come over and sniff me, which is a bizarre way to awake from a sound sleep; a cold, wet nose on my arm or face! Gave me quite a start!

So, it's totally screwy here weather-wise. We have jumped from lovely spring weather to stifling summer heat and humidity. The poor dogs are totally miserable in the heat, so I've got the AC on. It's a lovely 73 in the house and not humid at all. I honestly do not know how all of you in the South do it with your hotness and humidness. It's SO unpleasant.

Anywho, aside from this ridiculous weather, the garden is looking fabulous! And my flower boxes are going strong - violas are plentiful and lovely. I saw a woman taking pictures of them today, in fact! Happens a lot.

Below are some more photos in the yard from a couple of days ago. First, we have a view of the yard from beneath my largest butterfly bush. I will take pictures of it when it's in its full glory, because it is SOMETHING else. Huge huge with kajillions of blooms later in the summer. Note that Sadie is there looking for me. The poor dog is obsessed with me. Wherever I may be, she must find me. She is my little, fuzzy shadow.

These are the peonies which are coming along wonderfully! There are a number of blooms on this one which is totally thrilling considering I just planted them last year. Sometimes it takes a few years for them to decide to bloom in their new home, so this is a very nice surprise!

And here, the phlox are getting LARGE. And I've got a mystery plant there in between them...The close-up is below.

It could be the false indigo I planted last year, but then it died died died. It was not a happy indigo plant. So, we'll have to see what this becomes! I love a good mystery!

Last, but not least, are these adorable little Labrador Violets that keep re-seeding and popping up in unexpected locations throughout the back yard! I planted some of these a few years ago in between the stones back there, and they don't ever come back in the same place twice! I love their pretty leaves and cute faces!

Ok. Back to recuperating. Happy May, everyone!