Spring at Last? Bwa-ha-ha

Probably not. It's just a temporary illusion. A sneak peek at what might be in a different year.

We've not had a day of 70 or over since November 3rd of last year. And it does not look like an official 70 is in our future any time soon.

This has been the coldest spring for a long, long time. We do have our sunny days, but it's chilly all the same. Today, for example, is beautiful. And maybe 67 for a high. Not time for summer songs yet. (Hot Time, Summer In The City!)

The rhodies are struggling to bloom. Lots of my new plants from last spring could not endure the cold and rain and gave up the ghost. Supposed perennials that were doing well in the fall. And they weren't cheap.

We know we're planting onions this year, and had planned on potatoes, but found out you can't grow nightshade plants in the same ground in consecutive years, and especially not potatoes, as the plants suck up everything, good or bad. I think we will do pickling cucumbers and give them to Lauren, as she loves to make pickles. I've got the garlic growing already.

I may put some impatiens out by the back fence as it is very shady there. The hostas do not seem to be doing well back there as I had hoped. Something eats them, and hostas are fairly impervious to bugs and slugs don't like the taste of them. So I don't know what it is and the search for successful plants for our microclimate, soil conditions and degree of neglect goes on.

Antonio Landscaping is taking care of the yard again and did an amazing job of weeding this spring. Yay, Antonio's guys!

Normie is beginning to look like he needs a good defurmination, so that's one sign of spring. He didn't shed much in the fall and he's not shedding much yet this spring. So-called Spring. Ha

Don't know if it will ever warm up enough to ride comfortably. Bah Humbug.

Jason and Lauren bought a boat (!) with another couple and so we are going to have Dad's Birthday Cruise this year. I think maybe we'll boat over to Ivar's. Now, I just have to figure out how to get out of the boat gracefully, in view of all the envious diners who had to drive there in cars, and without falling in Lake Union. Or maybe there is some other boat-in place we could go. I shall have to investigate.

Plants, Plants and Yet More Plants

Yesterday was plant shopping day. No, the plants didn't shop, Mr. Juarez and I shopped for plants at Sky Nursery here in Shoreline.

We talked to 3 different plant experts about the 3 different garden types we have in the yard. As a result, we ended up with:

3 Japanese Camellias for in front of the downstairs front windows. They will eventually make a hedge. The flowers are large and pink, single blooms that remind me of hibiscus.

2 Euphorbia, which are strange plants. They have little bell-shaped green flowers in a cluster on the top of the stalks. They don't seem to have a fragrance, but they are interesting looking and they are evergreen. One is in the grass garden and the other in the back yard.

1 Licorice fern. It has the most interesting leaves and I've never actually seen one in anyone's yard. It's in the back shade garden.

2 Hosta, green and white stripey for the back shade garden. Impervious to most everything and once established carries on without being pampered.

3 Miniature bearded iris, 3 different colors. They are going in the former grass garden that I made a few years ago.

3 Carex grasses for the grass garden. They are goldeny green with little fuzzy catkin-like "flowers" on stalks.

2 White Hellebores for under the mountain ash in the back yard. These are also a strange plant and are native to the Pacific Northbest.

He planted some little corms for something I can't remember the name of, out in the grass garden, but I do remember it flowers.

Antonio and his helper planted them all on Friday after we got back from the nursey.

Today they are out there mulching. He has squeezed the mulching in today because it's supposed to rain next week and he's worried about the good soil he added to the rock gardens washing away.

So that's the plants and plants part. Yet more plants is still to come. The rest of the plants we're after aren't in the nurseries yet, despite the fact that it's been in the high 50s and low 60s lately. Today, in fact, has been nothing short of spectacular and while I was out there wrangling 175 feet of hose (the front water spigot pipe froze during the winter and split!) I worked up quite a sweat.

There are plenty more plants to buy when spring officially gets here. And the nice big Siberian tomato plants will be delivered in April or May sometime. Yum! BLTs again!

We're wanting to put some Japanese Blood Grass in the grass garden and some Vinca Minor at the top of the rocks for soil retention. And maybe some more hosta and ferns. And something for summer color. And Sweet Alyssum. Gotta have that. And some Calla Lillies. White ones.

It's going to be so pretty!

Ray's eye is feeling somewhat better, but still hurts. He's got a doctor's appointment on Monday afternoon. Maybe she'll be happy with his progress and take some stitches out, and let him stop the eye drops that dialate his eye. And then he can get back to work. He's getting a tad stir-crazy.