Time to Garden

Spring has sprung at my home in the Mojave Desert. We got one raised bed planted last week, so now the onions are coming up. The tiny tomato plants are growing so fast they've caught up with the one bigger one I planted.  So either they are growing really fast or it is growing really slow.

The thyme I thought I'd fried is coming back now that I'm watering daily.

I was going to plant the last rosebush, which looked great. The very next day I got up to plant it and all the leaves were gone. I'm not sure if it was the chickens or the rabbits! Darn it all. But I got it  planted today. The last one is called Paradise. I used to have one before I had a yard that had to live at my Mother-in-law's house. So now I have my very own.

My boyfriend got another raised box built and now we are taking shifts hauling in sand from the berm to fill up half of it and mix it with potting soil.  I keep saying it is 'sand' and he insists it is 'dirt' so maybe I'll just call  it soil from now on.

We dug 4 big rocks out of the place where the box goes. Ugh, that was tough.

The rock he is sitting on came out of that section as well as the 3 in front of him.

A pinwheel to scare the birds away.

I got six new chicks this week. When we cleaned out the chicken coop we put all that manure and straw in the garden bed. I think I was suppose to let it decompose more but oh well. Still haven't gotten the compost pile to work yet.

Americauna chick.

Barred rock chick.

A Visit to Silverado

I got to enjoy 3 days at my friends ranch in Silverado. The nature there is so soothing. I can sit there for hours watching the birds, squirrels, lizards, and other living creatures.

Striped Roses I Will Miss You

It's emotionally difficult that the owner is dragging his feet on ripping out my garden. So I grab photos when I can, expecting the rosebush to be gone the next time I come home from grocery shopping. It's like a slow torture having so much of my life in the control of someone else I don't even know.

First Rose and Last Rose of Spring

Every year I take a photo of the first bloom on each of my rose bushes.  But now that the new apartment owners have ripped out all the plants in the front yard, I only have the roses in the back yard left. And those were already supposed to be gone.  But the painters have mysteriously disappeared, leaving 5 ladders in our back yard, and everything in disorder.  So I was both saddened and joyful when a purple rose bloomed. So I am calling it both the first rose and the last rose. It's gorgeous. I wish I could take it with me.

I think this would have all been less painful if it had happened in winter, and not with spring in full swing. Sigh.

Purple miniature rose.  The end of my fairy garden.

The work crew has disappeared and left five ladders in our backyard.

Yellow Roses

Good morning. I awoke to the sound of chainsaws as the landscapers wage war on the old landscaping. I truly hope they don't cut down the rose I planted to honor a vet. So I cut off the last flowers and put them in a vase in my kitchen just in case the rose is gone when I come home today.

Nasturtiums Gone Wild

Some plants thrive on neglect. Case in point, my nasturtiums.  They are blooming their little heads off this year. The only water they got was rainfall and dew. The brown eyed Susan vine is also thriving. I've tried planting nasturtiums in the front yard, but the gardeners think they are weeds and always rip them out. Maybe in Mexico they are weeds.

My rose bush was a riot of blooms as well. Every year I look forward to this one blooming. This year it outdid itself. Not bad for a $5 bargain from the local swap meet.

The Roses Are Back

I'm so excited that my roses are covered with buds. It was supposed to rain today too but it hardly rained at all. I spent more time getting the garden ready for the rain, then the amount of time it actually rained.

Fall in the Garden

You can use your garden as inspiration for your artwork. Here is a t-shirt I am embellishing with ribbon flowers, lemons, vines and leaves. Don't spend all your gardening time pruning, picking and planting. Make time for sketching, photographing, and otherwise enjoying your garden. Today I need to refresh the hummingbird feeder. I can't remember the ratio of sugar to water so I need to look that up again.
Leaves are starting to turn colors and fall onto the patio. I enjoy the sound of it from my bedroom window. I have a lot of birds in my garden this year. They seem to be eating the seeds of the grass that is taking over my garden.

Mostly Roses

It was such a perfect weather day I couldn't resist taking some photos of my roses and tomatoes to share.
My brown eyed susans have also sprouted so I'm crossing my fingers that they will survive their infancy.