A Good Weekend

When we have beautiful weather as we did this last weekend thoughts of moving to Hawaii subside.  Friday we had the "Little Terrorists" spend the night,  first taking them both to McDonald's for an unhealthy dinner and letting them both exhaust themselves playing on the slide and climbing structure until they said they were tired and wanted to go.  I don't know who was more tired, them or my parents who met us there. But it was time to go, and it was off to Menagerie Manor were we let them stay up probably far to late watching a Disney movie.  MeMa and Poppi are such terrible grandparents ;o)  They both slept in, see there was a plan there after all. At around 09:30 we loaded a wagon in the back of Vivian and set out to see the Fifth Annual 82nd Avenue of The Roses Parade, which is a small community Parade sponsored by the Rose Society and the Chinese community.

Chinese Dragon

Rose Society Members March

My heart goes pitter patter when the pipers play.

Local School bands only.

I might take up golf if I could have a cart like this.

The Little Terrorists opted for the healthier snacks packed by MeMa even though they made quite the haul scampering after the candy tossed by the parade participants.

After the parade we made a short stop home before dropping the Little Terrorists off at their homes,  all sugared up for their parents to deal with.....ha ha ha!
Sunday with a promise of glorious weather MeMa and Poppi had no plans other than home time.  Coffee in hand we began our day.........




MeMa and Max shared the morning paper.

On sunny days I don't last long indoors, so it was off to the greenhouse were I transplanted sixty two Bell Peppers into four inch pots.

I sat out thirty five Roma tomato's in order to begin hardening them off for planting.

After some tidying up in the greenhouse I planted my red and Spanish onions,  I mowed, aerated and fertilised the lawn.  Then swept out the chicken house and planted half of my dahlias before running out of the iron posts that I use to mark the tubers so I will stop and purchase more of those before finishing the planting.
All in all it was a very good weekend,  hope you all had the same.

Look Out Plant Nerd Coming Through

Spring weather brings the best out in us ..... or is it the beast? Saturday we planned a trip just south of Portland meeting up with friends and attending a fund raiser sponsored by Rite-Aid.  It is a gardeners dream with every plant imaginable for very decent prices.  There are also vendor booths set up but prices are a little higher, if you are a plant nerd as myself you pretty much know what a good price is.  So like a crazed beast I hurtled up and down rows of plants loading up my cart.



For $10.00 each my first purchase being two "Bloodgood" Japanese Maples in 2 gallon pots which sell at local nurseries for $69.99 each.

5 gallon size Holly for $5.00
Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Girl'



A MeMa favorite, Pincushion Plant or  'Scabiosa columbaria' "Butterfly Blue"

We also purchased strawberry plants and some more Dahlia tubers.  Then as though that was not enough fun we jumped into the car and headed into the local farm land and stopped at a nursery that specialised in native orchids and other unusual plants.

'Poncirus trifoliata' Japanese Bitter Orange
MeMa loved this plant with its lovely green twisted branches armed with large green thorns, it has white flowers and when mature will put forth inedible orange fruit.  It is a great addition to the line of pots next to the pond.

As if I needed another orchid, but this one is a native to the Northwest so I had to have it
'Epipactis gigantean' also known as "Stream Orchid" as it grows in bog or damp areas.

Easter Come and Gone in a Big Whoosh

This post is late, I have had nothing but problems with posting  of late.
What is going on Blogger?

Ah......back to work to relax! Hope you all had a marvelous Easter,  it is a great time to be with family and friends.  MeMa did all the planning and the meal which included a spiral ham.  There was a neighborhood Easter egg hunt planned but we opted out of that because of the rain and the fact that the Little Terrorists #1 and #2 had both just recovered from bad colds.  So MeMa hid candy filled eggs in the house for the two grand kids.



Taeya and Brooklyn off to a great start

Brooklyn Danhart Chambers
Egg gathering all done



My beautiful mother enjoying the festivities

 

MeMa enjoying her Mimosa and my father on his phone with my twin brother in Arizona

Fresh from the greenhouse
Orchid #4
Epidendron 'Joseph Lii'











Dribbling Along With Spring

Mt. Fuji Cherry in full bloom, with the cold late spring the Candy Tuft at its base is blooming at the same time.




 

Yellow tulips in bloom with grape hyacinth

Tulip "Day Dream"






Wisteria sinensis "Cooke's Special" is usually blooming two weeks from now but not this year.





Tulip "Day Dream", this planting still sleeping

 



Monkey Puzzle Tree
Araucaria arckana





Bloodroot
Sanguinaria. canadensis forma multiplex



Added the large cobalt blue pot (on left) to the pond border

Historical Endeavour

First of all I would like to thank Matron from Down on the Allotment for her kindness in sharing her heirloom seeds with the blogging world and her help in seeing that these cherished seeds do not disappear from our gardens. I will document my progress with "Mrs Fortunes" climbing beans as she requested.