Around The House And Garden

The seeds I planted a while back have grown and are ready to transplant.  If I just took them outside and planted them straight in the garden they wouldn't do very well.  Very likely they would die...ackkk!  Sooo... instead of throwing those babies out in the garden and praying for they best you should gradually acclimate or "harden" them off...which is what I am now doing....

 ...on the front porch....Hi wittle baby plants!  The first day I put them out for a few hours,  then all day, then all night and day.  It's best to choose an overcast day to do this.  If no overcast day is available, well put them in the shade and gradually move them for a few hours at a time to a sunnier location.  Until they're ready! yea-uh!  If your thinking (whining)  "That's a lotta work"  Remember...they're babies.  Babies always take more work, but if you take the time and do it right they grow up to make you very proud. 

 I have these old black iron column pot stands that I bought second hand from a florist that was going out of business.  They've been standing around my back yard for some time.  I thought they were cool and just knew they would come in handy some day...the day has arrived!  I'm going to plant up some pots with...

 STRAWBERRIES!  ...and turn those columns into Strawberry towers!  I'll post a pic when finished.  I'm hoping the strawberries will fill out and eventually hang over the edge of the pots, keeping them from rotting.  It is so humid here that I haven't had much luck with strawberries in the ground.  This may be just the trick.

 I planted up the pot in the front garden with green onions and creeping jenny.  I use green onions a lot and thought I'd save my self about 25 to 30 extra steps by doing this....hee hee...actually I think they're pretty!

 The orange trees are growing like crazy.  See those oranges on the ground.  They fell during a wind storm.  I'm not being wasteful...promise.  The oranges from my tree weren't that great.  There were lots of dry pulpy spots.  I think it's a combination of the young age of the trees and the lack of rain we had at times this past year.  My Mom-in-law's tree produced absolutely DEE-liciouscrumptuous oranges.  My mouth is watering.  Her tree is a good ten years older.  My babies are only three.

 Love, love, love this water lily flowered camellia.  I bought two of them and they are going on either side of the gate on my property in Mississippi.  Camellias and Mississippi...can you get any more southern than that?

 My red camellia bloomed beautifully this year but it's leaves don't look that great.  Guess research is required.

 Can you believe...figs already?

 It's amazing how much fruit is setting on the trees right now!  The loquats are actually producing ripe fruit.  The birds are loving it.  I better get myself outside and pick a few.  As the tees get larger and the shrub cover gets bigger in my garden I am seeing an amazing variety and amount of bird life.  Oh,  I'm just loving it.

 The mulberries are setting....

 ...and the pears are blooming!

 Even my Oldham bamboo is shooting out some nice sized canes...sigh!!!!

 This antique rose I bought at a local flower show is just gorgeous.  Look how it makes these double blooms sometimes!

 An overall pick of the veggie garden.  I just mulched it for spring and the seeds and transplants are going to be planted during the next few days.

 Luscious...even in early spring!

 We chopped up the kid's Rainbow play system in the back yard.  No matter what they tell you...they don't last a lifetime.  Ours lasted maybe ten years, and the last two weren't that great.  No matter, Byron's making me some great recycled things from the lumber...like this pole corral.  Now I don't have to trip or trip my visitors on piles of poles laying in the path!  Thanks babe!