Turns out the stump grinder last weekend shattered the existing sprinkler line running perpendicular to the bed. This set back our weekend plans of installing a cinderblock bed. We effected repairs on the exposed pipes, which hopefully will be ready for burial this coming weekend.
A mystery wire also got severed during the stump grinding, which we still haven’t been able to identify. This makes for 3 unidentified cables that we unearthed in the removal of the old photinia.
Tyler’s Municipal Rose Gardens offered more flowers for our viewing pleasure. Especially noteworthy during our stroll was their Camellia garden, where nearly every giant camellia bush was drenched in enormous blooms. The park also displayed some seasonal color throughout the gardens, including daffodils, tulips, pansies, and hyacinths. Meanwhile, it appeared that most of the roses we saw had been recently pruned and mulched with pine needles.
We took a short road trip to East Texas to see the daffodils at Mrs. Lee’s Daffodil Garden in Gladewater. Unfortunately, we were a week to late; about 70% of the daffodil blooms had already faded by the time we got to view them. Still, the farm is a beautiful and serene retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The daffodils are in bloom for a very small window of time, maybe at most 2-3 weeks. Maybe next year!
I couldn’t help it: I purchased a couple of salvia plants at High Country Gardens yesterday. They were on sale! Salvia dorrii ‘Desert Purple Sage’ and Salvia jurisicii ‘Blue’ will soon be added to my growing salvia collection. Now I just have to find homes for them. Salvia dorrii squats closer to the ground than the salvia greggiis, about 18″ tall and up to 36″ wide. It would be a great foot companion to a taller perennial. Salvia jurisicii reminds me of tender herb-like sages; I’m thinking I might be able to site this 12″ salvia in the blue bed where an under-performing groundcover salvia (Sinaloa) currently resides. The problem associated with moving a new tenant into the blue bed: disturbing young larkspur and tiny flax seedlings. I had also planned on adding a bag of Dutch Iris bulbs purchased this weekend at Home Depot in this same bed.
I finally got around to planting the catgrass. Let’s see how fast they germinate! I put them in some soil using a takeout plastic container for a home. I still need to find a source for variegated catgrass.
