Happy 2015 New Year

Gardening 2015 resolutions:

• I want to put a flower garden in the hollow stump of the old walnut tree. 
• Replant some seeds for the poppies - or Ben flowers as Grinny called them. 
• Do 5 minutes of weeding, pulling and clean up each day, switching from my 5 main gardens. 
• Take a photo and post it (even though they look the same year over year, there are minor differences) 
• Re propagate the forsythia. I got a moth or something that killed most of mine with a center hole in all the stems. 
• Create a hanging basket with wave petunias using the multi hole hanging baskets and potting mix. 
• Put the hanging baskets on the front porch and don't forget to water!! 
• Keep the hibiscus growing inside during the winter so they are there on the back porch during the summer

The November 2014 snowstorm was a doozy. I thought we'd end up with a very snow December as well, but no snow in December.

That was too bad, since I never got any skiing in between Christmas and New Years.

The resort is making snow, but it just doesn't seem like winter with green stuff showing.

 After the initial shock of all the white stuff and clearing the driveway, things got back to the usual.

Without snow in December, I got thinking more about the beautiful flowers this summer.

 I've saved lots of seeds and plan to plant them in my gardens around the house.

It's been 2 and a half years since my bee sting and I'm getting more used to carrying the epipen and phone with me.

 Planning to really plant a lot of flowers this spring!

I've got 5 gardens going:
1) Along the fence out front- about 150 feet by 3 feet of bushes and a few flowering plants. I keep the trash out of it, and pull the bad weeks.  Forsythia, sedum, PJs, hostas (plain and striped) with a mix of east sun and shade under the big maples and smaller/medium pines.White clematis

2) North side of the house: This was crazy last year when I took a big walnut tree as thick as my upper arm out of the middle of it.  Always fighting the "volunteers". I tied up the red bud tree that has turned into an awkward bush.  Lots of daylilies of different varieties and timing.  Lungwart. Mountain somthing. Some daffodils. a peony, moneyplants, two huge hibisus and bordered by 2 huge huge lilacs. purple clematis Maybe 35 feet by 8 feet?

3) Next to the garage: This has a walnut stump that defines it. 3 or 4 huge hostas, some ferns, aloe plants, pink whispy fern, pink clematis, ben flower (poppy), sundrops, something tall that Bruce gave us, pink somdethings that have lots of rattling seeds, 2 overgrown japanese irises, volunteer purple things. (I really should learn all the names of stuff!) This is about 20 feet by 7 feet in a football shape on one side, with a tail.

4) Along the deck Lady's mantle, sundrops, pink clematis, monkeyfist/spiderwort, 3 peonies, small sunflower/blackeyed susans, pink somethings. Not my favorite garden to weed due to the u smell. 10 feet by 3 feet.

5) Next to the turn around: Bad soil here and I've been thinking of giving this one up.  I created it to keep people off the lawn and because we had a woodpile there that was serving the purpose before.  Now I have a tree/bush from Grinny's and a former Christmas tree holding the spot.  This got so overgrown that when I weeded it my daughter thought we had just planted the 2 trees.  My goal, to keep it weeded and get it smaller!! 12 feet x 3 feet.  Maybe down to 6 feet by 2 feet.  Iris, monkeyfist/spiderwort, black eyed susan sunflowers (this is what got overgrown - they are ugly till they bloom).

6) next to the stairs: this one is so small, it doesn't count: sun flowers, cone flowers, sun drops and black eyed susans. 3 feet by 2 feet.I love this one, but the bees are too close to the deck/stairs that I have to walk by and it attracts bumblebees too.  I need them farther away for safety.

Total flower garden estimates:
450 + 280 + 140 + 30 + 36 + 6 = 942

Gotta keep the 450 looking great, because it's by the road. And it's fairly easy to get to and has perrenials
The North side got outta control, but I'm gonna scale back on the types and quantity
The 140 by the garage is the hardest because its too packed
The Deck's 30 is not very pretty. Maybe take out some of the ugly ones (spiderwort that attracts bumble bees)
Turn around - definitely plan it and shrink it.
next to the stairs - shorter flowers for safetly.  Maybe put the big sunflowers somewhere else (another sun garden?

I didn't even count the massive daylilies around the coop (I've let that garden of irises get out of control.
Or around the garage. (ditto)