More Blooming

Last year I fell in love with this plant. I saw one of else while driving home from work. It is what looked like a huge white hydrangea tree. It have these beautiful white blooms all over it. After a trip to Pike's I learned it was a fittingly name Snowball bush. I had to have it. When I planted it last summer, I was only able to get two partial blooms during its season. So this year I was anxious to see how things would come out.

Needless to say, I have tons of huge blooms this year, so much that the branches are wilting down from the weight. A beautiful way to add softness to my evergreen garden.

© The Simple Wife

New Sprouts and Cupcakes!

Two of my favorite things. As Erik and I were working 'round the house this weekend, I came across these little ones poking their way up through the mulch. My hostas. I love seeing the return of my winter sleepers in the spring. They are so green and vibrant and determined to get out, and that's exactly how I feel!

We took Sunday off from house work. Erik went golfing and I went to have dinner with my family. This Sunday's family dinner took place on the ol' Square at Marietta Pizza. The best place to get a huge, thick, and crispy slice of Sicilian Pizza. It was amazing. Afterwards the fam came over to our place for desserts. I filled the house with the sweet smell of cupcakes earlier in the day. We sat and indulged in our treats and watched a little America's Funniest Home Videos, a family tradition several years in the making. It was a great weekend.

© The Simple Wife

Changing and Rearranging

{ New sprouts everywhere! }

Because of the on-slot of beautiful weather here, Erik and I have been spending a lot of time outside. From eating, to playing in the dirt, we are soaking up as much of the sun as we can. Yesterday I spent some time doing some 'green' gardening- dividing and moving existing plants. My goal was to not buy any new plants this year. You can spend an arm and leg at the nurseries, so I wanted to make the most of what I had already. 

First I cleaned up some shrubs with a little pruning. One of my dwarf boxwoods was dying off so I trimmed both -that are in large planters on the front porch- into small trees. 

Next I dug up and divided two bunches of Lamb's Ear. These things multiply like crazy for me! I started with 2 small plants and have ended up with almost 8 bunches almost 2' wide. I replanted some of it in the front of the house by the steps. I usually plant annual flowers here, but I decided to keep it 'green' and low maintenance with the Lamb's Ear that requires almost no watering.

The planters that greet you at our back door were also filled with some of the soft stuff- annuals are usually purchased for these too.

My 'ponytail grass' or Mexican Feather Grass was getting big so I divided it and filled my whiskey barrel with some along with a couple sprouts of Phlox that popped up from last year (I thought it was dead!). 

I also grabbed some ivy from a tree in the backyard and put some in the planter to trail up my trellis.  

So for absolutely no money and a little sweat I was able to add some nice new pieces to our landscaping. I even had left overs for a neighbor! Before you head to your garden center, shop in your own yard, or swap with a neighbor!

© The Simple Wife

Winterizing the Plants

Today I worked outside for a change. I planted new annuals in my whiskey barrel planter and I got my plants ready for the winter ahead and I even prepped for the Spring. I blew lots of leaves out of the landscaping beds and trimmed the shrubs one last time. New mulch will be laid soon to give them a warm cozy bed for the cold months.

I also purchased allium bulbs for the spring. These tall purple snowball blooms will be a whooping 3ft high! Doc really wanted to help me plant them.

{What's that?}

First you have to dig a hole for them,

then plant them pointed side up.

Then everyone got a good meal courtesy of Miracle Grow Shake and Feed, then it was washed down with a cold drink of water. Now they are ready for a warm, full-bellied winter!

But Wait!!!  Real Simple has some more wonderful tips for getting your garden ready for the winter:

Remove and discard annual plants — flowers, herbs, and vegetables — and clip green-stemmed perennials back to just above the soil. If you don’t, insects and disease can infest your garden, says Charlie Nardozzi, a senior horticulturist for the National Gardening Association.

Do one last sweep for any remaining weeds, and spread any type of compost (available at garden centers) over your beds to insulate them from winter’s freezing and thawing cycles.

Remove and discard plants and the potting soil from containers. Then stash the empty pots inside a garage, a basement, or a shed so they won’t crack during the winter cold. If you have perennials or evergreens in pots, move them to an unheated garage or shed.

Drain and unhook garden hoses. Roll them and store indoors to extend their life span.

© The Simple Wife

Blooming around the Grubbs' House

Gardening has become quite a hobby for me. I'm no master gardener like Mrs. Graham, however I do like to dabble. I am a big fan of evergreen shrubs (LOW maintenance!) with annuals for color. My most prized plant is a snowball shrub that I planted this summer. It can grow to the size of a small tree and has white snowball shaped blooms, very reminiscent of a hydrangea. Here is mine with its first bloom:

My Endless Summer Hydrangea in my front yard is also blooming for the second time this season. This variety blooms into the fall season, hence 'endless summer'. Here she is:

I also added some pansies a planter on my front porch that houses an iron obelisk. I planted purple to contrast with the olive green of the house exterior. The flowers seem so tiny and delicate next to the iron of the sculpture. They will be so happy here during the winter.

More flowers and planting to come...