Time To Bring In The Big Guys

The electricity was turned off at 7:30 AM and was off until 5:45 PM!!  It was a long day of INTENSE ACTIVITY outside my house windows .  And, I might add,  given my proclivity for learning new things , it was very interesting and educational .

Look - - - The big guys have arrived .
      
NO MORE Jack Hammers and that is very good .

The crew has started working on the other two poles across the street .  Three locations are being worked on .  There are so many trucks and most have cranes .  It is quite a sight .

 The Hummingbirds have been at the feeders all day .

 Noticed this beautiful rose while taking these photos and wanted to share .

 The new poles are a lot taller .  Very interesting how all the power lines were transferred .  The satellite cable company will have to come and move their cables from the old poles to the new poles .

The crew of workers is large and they appear to work exceptionally well together and safely . After the tools and supplies were reorganized on the trucks it was quite a sight to see the long line of very big trucks all leave at the same time driving by my house.  They will return on Monday to finish a couple more poles beyond my house .

Yes, the Peony flower stems are bent over even though I tied them for support .  So sad !   After a few dry days we are suppose to get more rain .  These rain storms in mid-May are so challenging for the beautiful blossoms .

I feel like I have worked all day ! ! !

Wishing a Great Weekend to All .

Mary

Jack Hammering All Day Long

And, Trucks everywhere you look .

A week or so ago I received a notice that several power poles in my neighborhood were going to be replaced .  The first thing that came to mind was the tremendous difficulty it would be to dig the new six to eight foot deep holes in the ground that is mostly large rock on rock .  There is a power poll at the corner of my White Garden and two more across the street from the front of my house .  

This first photo shows the new power pole being moved by crane from a truck to the ground .  This was the morning of the first day .  I don't think they had any idea that digging the new hole would be near as difficult as it is .  They have been working with Jack Hammers for two days and they still have more digging to do . That new power pole has been returned to the truck !

Most of these photos were taken from inside the house because I have been sick with a Head Cold since Sunday evening .  At the end of the second twelve hour day I went outside to take a look .  It is a little startling how the large rocks are visible all the way down . And it is a long way down !!!

To complicate the situation , rain started mid day but was not very heavy .

I certainly can empathize with their challenge as I reflect on the many many hours I have spent unearthing rock so I could plant my garden .  Of course, I did not have to dig at such a great depth to plant the garden .

They are working right at the edge of my fence and they have been exceptionally careful .

The first day they did preparation work at the top of the pole . These photos were taken from my front porch .

With the anticipation of rain throughout the night I took a couple photos of the White Peony that are starting to open .  Gorgeous !!!

And, yes it rained throughout the night and the large White Peony heads are drooping over today .

I have no idea how long all of this activity is going to continue .  But, it is good that the poles are being replaced and the transformers will be updated .  As I close this at midday the third day, the Jack Hammers are roaring !

Until next time .

Mary

So Much Going On In The Garden

There are so many surprises going on in the garden this year . This large magenta red Clematis, Ernest Markham was planted years ago with the intent of it giving a nice contrast with the 19th century Rose, Cecile Brunner (often called Sweetheart Rose) that I planted on the front fence not far from the Lady Banks yellow climbing Rose.

The Cecile Brunner Rose is loaded with these sweet precious delicate roses .

And Lady Banks Climbing Rose continues to bloom profusely .

And, of course my Iris Garden is showcasing the many Iris that I purchased and planted many years ago .

2009 Iris Photo (click to enlarge)

I think every Iris that is in the above photo is blooming again this year !  It's amazing what some good soil , fertilizer and winter rains can do for a garden !

My Red Geraniums and the sweet little Calibracho Cabaret flowers are looking good ! 

The Herbs - Chives, Rosemary and Oregano are being joined by more Herbs - English Thyme, Sage, Dill, Winter Savory, Marjoram Sweet and Lemon Verbena that I have planted nearby .

 Additionally, the Roses are starting to open .

My garden is like nothing I have ever seen in the past .  It is looking fantastic !  Since the Oleander Hedge has been cut down many neighbors that walk by almost daily stop and tell me how beautiful it is looking .  One person even said that it is the prettiest garden in our little town .  Now - I don't know about that but it sure is pretty!  I have enjoyed many many hours outside nurturing my little piece of heaven.

Hope all is well where you are and if your geographical area is experiencing untoward weather conditions I pray for gentler weather .

Mary

The Date Is Set

The house exterior is going to be painted in June !  I am starting to get excited about it .  I  am firm on my color selection of  Yellow with Royal Blue shutters and Royal Blue front door .  This google image shows the color combination I am hoping for . I  have been looking at shutters on the Internet .  I am thinking , possibly paintable vinyl with a simple design .  There are only six windows in my little house and my painter will be installing the shutters .  The shutters should not be very expensive and I am hoping they will give my little house a little bedazzle, but NO rhinestones 😏 .

I like this style shutter .  They will have to be painted my choice of color .  Maybe I can use the same spray paint as I used on the table and chairs .   At least the same Blue color  tone .

I am still enjoying my Blue Bottle Tree .

Of course, I have been spending a lot of time in the garden.  

Many years ago when I moved here there was a couple areas of ground cover (Prunella Vulgaris) and I thought that since my physical ability did not include mowing a lawn I thought it could be a substitute for a lawn. Through the years I propagated the ground cover by collecting seeds and sowing them the following year to fill in bare areas .  The larger healthy plants in this photo are Daylilies and I am looking forward to them blooming, especially with the rains and the soil amendments and fertilizer I have been able to add this year .

This is one of those plants that is considered by most "As A Weed".  Remember one of the meanings of a weed is any undesirable or troublesome plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted !

The summer flowers of the ground cover are a bluish-purple .  This is the way the ground cover looks when it is getting enough water and flourishing .  This photo was taken a few years ago .  The flower stems are even coming up through the holes in the chairs !

Recently I ordered seeds of Prunella Vulgaris so I can try to fill in the bare spots of the ground cover  I think they have arrived at the Post Office already .  I will check today .  The Blue Shutters and all of these accents of Blue in the garden may work together very nicely. 

The White Tulips have finished blooming and the White Iris have started their performance as they sway in the slight breeze .

And - a little walk further in the Garden

AND SOME BASIL - Why not ?

I wish I had more time to blog about more of the garden activity . Maybe next time I can tell you about some of the perennials and herbs that  I recently planted .  

Hope the weather is enjoyable where you are located .

Mary