Back to houseplants, and a few container gardens
 

Good day friends! Maddie here, and I thought since I was at the
library online, I'd write a short one and report in with my over the
fence friends out there. Having relocated to Greeneville which is a
slightly different climate as it's closer to the Cherokee National
Forest and mountains, sits between the mountains and is in a kinda
bowl, I'm also in town with a considerably smaller yard to deal
with.

Good directional abilities of sunlight, not much in the way of trees
for shade. A rental, but we're gonna be here for at least a year.
Landlady said plant what I wanted......so I've already planted the
three gallon pot of "Cherokee Red" crape myrtle in the front yard four
feet from the neighbor's recently dug up and replanted holly bush. It
was about 10 years old and due to early spring weather, it's not
suffering yet. Miz Nancy had planted it too close to her front
porch. Still waiting to hear word from my landscaping friend about
the many containers she's got of all my stuff at her place. Due to
things out of our emotional control and the rising price of gasoline
(she's now no longer ten minutes away, but an hour give or take) I'm
helplessly waiting for her to calm down and listen to loving reason.
That and I've got other plans that will assist a few things to come
home to me. I miss my plants and am champing at the bit to start
plugging in beds around the house!

The front porch faces north with stong southern and western indirect
sunlight. There's a 40 year old red dogwood blooming at the moment
and James has already pruned off the dead branches and limbs of
anthrachnose it had. Hopefully it will be fine now. I intend to
plant a small raised bed around it and prevent people from cutting
through the small area to the driveway. There is a proper straight as
a ruler sidewalk that I'll make two foot wide beds as well, but I will
encourage people who visit to come up the drive instead of cutting
across.

There's an old glacial stone wall that isn't more than a few inches
off the ground at the start of the front yard, rising to three feet of
so and it's perfect for my sedums and semps to tuck in. Full western
exposure, I know little slips and pieces will tuck in nicely. A
narrow bed along the top of this wall will give me plantable area as
well, and things can cascade down the rocks. A true capability of
rock gardening.

There is too much lawn and grass and I'm already trying to figure out
a way to lift the sod and transplant it to where it's been dug up by
previous dog. The eastern side is nice and perfect for my hellebore
and other semi shady things as I reclaim them. And since there's just
city birds so far (aka robins, mockingbirds, starlings, cardinals and
a few jays and such) I hope to put the bird feeders and such on the
eastern side to enjoy from our bedroom window. The ground is close to
the windows and provides me options that I like.

The back yard is southern and western exposed, with two trees on the
rise in each corner. I've already pruned a mostly dead snowball
viburnum down to slips of remainders, and the crape myrtle that I'll
know what color when she blooms. mostly boulders and huge rocks, the
back yard will be a challange as it's fenced and Sugar and Smeagol are
captives. First time for me to scoop poop, though.

I've already set up one compost bin, and the second one will come soon
as I locate the screws to fasten it. Bought it reduced from Sams
last year. good to be back to routines though. I didn't compost for
six months............

I'll write more as I know I'll have the thoughts and werds there to
share. Spring is in full blown here in Greeneville, and before I left
Faerie Holler, (now referred by me as Vinca Ridge as there are those
of you who know why LOL) the peepers were rejoicing early. Dogwoods,
Redbuds, Bridal bouquet spirea, button spirea, tulips, and other
wonderful signs of spring abound. Mom's Nature hasn't had her last
laugh though, haven't had the blackberry winter yet, but we've had the
Dogwood winter. My tree peonies are bud tight and the pink fragrant
one is opening up 9 blossoms. Never knew she was lifted and
repotted. There's that to comfort me. Next will be the huge purple
one and then the striped. I'll position their pots later in a better
spot. Right now they reside underneath the locust tree with the pots
of hellebore.

I'll holler at you all later.

Madgardener, up in the Greeneville bowl, with the Cherokee National
Forest and mountains close enough by to touch them gardening in zone
6b- 7a now............

Back to houseplants, and a few container gardens
 

Maddy, let me give you a hint on pooper scooping. I used to cut bleach
bottles into a shape which had a handle and long plastic part, and line this
contraption with previously used but dried paper towels. As Jean or Brian
or whatever Scottie squatted to poop, I would place this thing under them
and the paper made it slide nicely into a plastic bag I carried with me on
our walks.
Easy, simple and cheap.
Good luck,
Jackie
wrote in message
...
Good day friends! Maddie here, and I thought since I was at the
library online, I'd write a short one and report in with my over the
fence friends out there. Having relocated to Greeneville which is a
slightly different climate as it's closer to the Cherokee National
Forest and mountains, sits between the mountains and is in a kinda
bowl, I'm also in town with a considerably smaller yard to deal
with.

Good directional abilities of sunlight, not much in the way of trees
for shade. A rental, but we're gonna be here for at least a year.
Landlady said plant what I wanted......so I've already planted the
three gallon pot of "Cherokee Red" crape myrtle in the front yard four
feet from the neighbor's recently dug up and replanted holly bush. It
was about 10 years old and due to early spring weather, it's not
suffering yet. Miz Nancy had planted it too close to her front
porch. Still waiting to hear word from my landscaping friend about
the many containers she's got of all my stuff at her place. Due to
things out of our emotional control and the rising price of gasoline
(she's now no longer ten minutes away, but an hour give or take) I'm
helplessly waiting for her to calm down and listen to loving reason.
That and I've got other plans that will assist a few things to come
home to me. I miss my plants and am champing at the bit to start
plugging in beds around the house!

The front porch faces north with stong southern and western indirect
sunlight. There's a 40 year old red dogwood blooming at the moment
and James has already pruned off the dead branches and limbs of
anthrachnose it had. Hopefully it will be fine now. I intend to
plant a small raised bed around it and prevent people from cutting
through the small area to the driveway. There is a proper straight as
a ruler sidewalk that I'll make two foot wide beds as well, but I will
encourage people who visit to come up the drive instead of cutting
across.

There's an old glacial stone wall that isn't more than a few inches
off the ground at the start of the front yard, rising to three feet of
so and it's perfect for my sedums and semps to tuck in. Full western
exposure, I know little slips and pieces will tuck in nicely. A
narrow bed along the top of this wall will give me plantable area as
well, and things can cascade down the rocks. A true capability of
rock gardening.

There is too much lawn and grass and I'm already trying to figure out
a way to lift the sod and transplant it to where it's been dug up by
previous dog. The eastern side is nice and perfect for my hellebore
and other semi shady things as I reclaim them. And since there's just
city birds so far (aka robins, mockingbirds, starlings, cardinals and
a few jays and such) I hope to put the bird feeders and such on the
eastern side to enjoy from our bedroom window. The ground is close to
the windows and provides me options that I like.

The back yard is southern and western exposed, with two trees on the
rise in each corner. I've already pruned a mostly dead snowball
viburnum down to slips of remainders, and the crape myrtle that I'll
know what color when she blooms. mostly boulders and huge rocks, the
back yard will be a challange as it's fenced and Sugar and Smeagol are
captives. First time for me to scoop poop, though.

I've already set up one compost bin, and the second one will come soon
as I locate the screws to fasten it. Bought it reduced from Sams
last year. good to be back to routines though. I didn't compost for
six months............

I'll write more as I know I'll have the thoughts and werds there to
share. Spring is in full blown here in Greeneville, and before I left
Faerie Holler, (now referred by me as Vinca Ridge as there are those
of you who know why LOL) the peepers were rejoicing early. Dogwoods,
Redbuds, Bridal bouquet spirea, button spirea, tulips, and other
wonderful signs of spring abound. Mom's Nature hasn't had her last
laugh though, haven't had the blackberry winter yet, but we've had the
Dogwood winter. My tree peonies are bud tight and the pink fragrant
one is opening up 9 blossoms. Never knew she was lifted and
repotted. There's that to comfort me. Next will be the huge purple
one and then the striped. I'll position their pots later in a better
spot. Right now they reside underneath the locust tree with the pots
of hellebore.

I'll holler at you all later.

Madgardener, up in the Greeneville bowl, with the Cherokee National
Forest and mountains close enough by to touch them gardening in zone
6b- 7a now............