New happenings in my garden

Remember my Japanese Maple Trees I bought from a nursery in OK. Here they are today - looking very nice with pretty red leaves. They're still in big pots as I'm still working on their exact placement in my yard. I want to be sure the shady area I've picked really is shady once we get into the heat of the summer.

This one is the 'Acer disectum (laceleaf) weeping Crimson Queen'. Love the lace leaves.

This one is 'Acer palmatum Emperor I.'

Do you hate weeds?  I hate weeds.  This is the pile of weeds I pulled yesterday. My yard is so full of weeds - I'm sure I should receive some sort of award on how many weeds can be pulled in one afternoon - and let me tell you - my ham strings are really sore this morning!   

Last fall, I planted some herbs in the garden - just for fun.  Wanted to see how they did.  This is spearmint - and it's really taken off.  Looks a bit invasive  - but I won't hold that against it. 

 

Those are just a few things happening in my garden these days.  Looking forward to nice warm sunny days this week. 

 

Color - lots and lots of color!

I found this book at Home Depot on one of my visits last Fall, and couldn't help but buy it because I just LOVE the idea of Veggies and annuals - and all of the color! I'm really in to color - if you saw my house - you'd know exactly what I'm talking about.

I enjoyed this book and refer to it alot. It's got a great cross reference in the back listing Veggies and annuals that worked the best - the ones that didn't work so well - and of course those that just wouldn't work at all.

I've started some seedlings inside for things that I know I can't get at one of the local nurseries or from the Master Gardeners - such as snap peas and purple peppers (remember, I said I liked color?) I can't wait to put lots of their suggestions to work.

This is the website you can buy the book from as well as other gardening trugs and trellises:
http://www.kinsmangarden.com/category/Pamela-Crawford-Planters
(Full disclosure - I nabbed that pic from their website).

I just love those trelisses with the cherry tomatoes and red peppers - also paired with other annuals. What a great idea - hope I can post pics of my trails later on this summer.

2012 - the year of the tree!

2012 is the year of the tree for my backyard (whoopsie, don't tell my HOA). I've purchased 2 trees from a local nursery and had 2 others shipped to me. All of them are about 3 to 4 feet tall.

The locally purchased trees are an ornamental Retama (I know, these guys are like weeds) and a Mimosa tree. The other two are Japanese Maples - ordered from a nursery in Oklahoma... and yes..... japanese maples are not native and adapted... but I'll work hard to keep them happy in my backyard.

The two japanese maples were delivered to me in these cool burlap bags. I purchased a 'Acer disectum (laceleaf) weeping Crimson Queen and 'Acer palmatum Emperor I.'

For now, I've potted all of the trees in large pots and will place them in their planned final spots just to make sure they're getting what they need - and not too much sun - before I put them in the ground.

I can't wait to post more pics as time goes on as each tree gets leaves and grows!