I didn't get anything done outside today, except taking a few photos. I think I'm still recovering from all the work to have Easter here. Tomorrow I must get back to it!

I did order some stuff from Hirt's Gardens. This is my first time buying from them. I did see they have some negative reviews. Well, we'll see.

What I bought:

Strawberry Foxglove - Digitalis mertonensis

Old German tomato plants

Samurai Toad Lily - Tricyrtis

Kuchibeni Chinese Hardy Orchid - Bletilla

Hen and Chicks - Semperviven

I brought this statue from my mother's garden to mine. She loved my white Siberian irises, so this seemed like the perfect place. I'm thinking of painting this.

The gorgeous 'Clementina Carbonieri'

Clementina closeup

'Belle of Woking' clematis

Happy Hens

How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?

I know it sounds crazy, but I miss my Clementine so much! She was really my pet. The minute I opened the back door, she came running, with the other girls following. She was the sweetest girl ever.

So what could help me get over my heartache? Only one thing that I could think of: baby chicks!

So I did it. I just ordered four chicks (the minimum order for my area) from My Pet Chicken. They're not scheduled to be here until August 8, so it will give me something to look forward to during the long summer.

Here's what I'm hopefully getting:

White Cochin

Partridge Plymouth Rock

Blue Cochin

Easter Egger

Yay!

Back in Business

Today's purchases.

I can't believe it's been almost two years since I posted here. More than that, I can't believe it's been almost two years since I gardened. I had a rough spring/summer last year and just let everything go. But I'm back to it now! I have a renewed passion and many new ideas for my gardens.

I also have a few obstacles, the biggest being the dreaded kudzu. A creek runs along the back of our yard, and all it took was a sprig of the horrible stuff floating down and taking hold. I hate even writing about it. It feels like a never ending battle.

The other problem I'm facing is Rose Rosette Disease. I've lost two roses to it, so far. We found a wild rose with the disease, and I'm hoping that after destroying it, the rest of mine will be safe.

The saddest thing is I lost my favorite hen, Clementine, a few weeks ago. She was killed by a possum. I am so heartbroken over it still.

OK, that's enough bad stuff. After a year of neglect, the work is overwhelming, but I'm taking it a little at a time. I have cleaned up my little road garden and my main front garden, and they are ready to explode into bloom. I have already had irises and a few rose blooms.

'Batik'

'Little Showoff'

'Lady Banks'

'Pat Austin'

'Crown Princess Margareta'

'Comtesse du Cayla'