Landscape projects

My friend Darlene came over yesterday to help me in the garden. With the unseasonal rains we had last week it was the perfect time to weed and start planting the new landscape. We weeded for a couple hours took a break then started planting. The first item in the ground was my Reed Avocado that Tina and Andy gave me.

Next we planted the sour orange. We were on a roll!



After that, we put in the agapanthas, salvia, day lilies, scented geraniums, flag iris and heliotrope, all drought tolerant, just outside the corner windows in the dining room. It will make a pretty display when they take hold.



Time for another break...next I dug out 4 bottle brush plants (hate them things!) and a small fan palm. Darlene likes the bottle brush so in her car they went, soil and all. In their stead I'm planting pink and purple flag iris. The bottle brush were near my Panachee fig outside my kitchen so I think it will be pretty in the spring, iris surrounding my favorite fig.

Next we planted the bare-root flag iris rhizomes I had in the garage, maybe 75-100 of them! We dispersed them randomly across the front hill. Again, come Spring, it will be beautiful. After that, we planted a Paradiso fig by the seasonal stream and 3 pomegranates across the top of the hill along the roadside for a little privacy.

Yes, I'm exhausted and can feel every muscle in my body and not in a good way...where's the advil?

By now it's close to 5:00, time to stop, pour a glass of wine and watch the sunset. Yep, another spectacular evening show.

I fixed a nice spaghetti dinner with Italian sausage and parmesian reggiano, warmed some rosemary/olive oil bread and poured a good Sangiovese wine from Orfila winery. Not too bad a way to end a very productive  day!