Herbicide

Used 3 gallons of Roundup along the sides of the property line to get rid of the adjacent weeds.

Mulch

The Conservator path was getting washed away too much so we backfilled with stones and gravel and then removed the stone edging and remaining wood chips and mulched with pine straw, making it continuous with the planting bed. Perhaps this will help the water flow more gradually rather than concentrating it.

Planting

I planted the Dwarf Buckeye near the Magnolia Butterflies along with the Japanese Maple that I had potted up for the conservatory. Also I planted a Cassia near the Corkscrew Willow and the Lone Star Hibiscus near the Swamp Hibiscus. Finally I planted 13 Homestead Red Verbena around the island bed.

Pruning

Took some stray branches from the Acanthopanax and the brown leaves off the Cavendish Banana.

Pruning and deadheading

Pruned the Loropetalums under the front windows to keep them away from the grass, also took the dead wood off the Spirit Viburnum and the Bamboo. Pruned out new upright canes from the Old Blush Rose and the Poncirus. Deadheaded the Purple Iris.

Potting up

Potted up the 3 species of Hibiscus I grew from seed.

Mulch

Spread pine straw in front on the left side to cover the ditches from the irrigation guys.

Mowing

Mowed all lawns.

Mulch

Pine strawed behind the garage from the mess made by the irrigation guys.

Planting, transplanting, propagating

I planted a Variegated Society Garlic in the perennial bed, Salvia greggii 'Purple Pastel' and 'White' in the front near the mailbox, A variegated Sedum near the screen porch steps, and Margarita Abelia where Hopley's had been near the golf course. I transplanted Hopleys to the front garden by the roses, and transplanted the Rhubarb Elephant Ears to the other side of the window, Pink Cloud Gaura from the flume to in front of the screen porch, Phoenix Fire Daylily from the cutting garden to the edge of the flume and a piece of the daylily in the tiers to the flume edge also. We divided the Adagion Miscanthus and dug up the rooted babys of Kumson Forsythia.

Mowing

Mowed the left and right property lines.

Mulch

Spread the remaining pine straw - 5 bales.

herbicide

Sprayed 1.5 gallons RoundUp in the front and the left side of the back.

Mowing

Mowed the croquet, bermuda and left property line.

Planting

Planted 20 Potato Vines, some green, some purple, 17 in the inbetween bed and 3 in the behind the garage bed. They are hopefully going to spread out and break up the soil, then die over winter next year.

Mowing

Mowed the front, pool area and right side rough stuff.

Weeding

Hand-pulled the weeds remaining in the croquet lawn

Planting

Planted 2 more Red Wings Phlox in the front mail box bed. Also the Crinum that Betsy gave me near the corner of the croquet lawn and a Ritz Blue Pincushion Flower in front near the bird bath.

Planting and mulch

Put the Verbena back where they had to be dug up because of the irrigation guys and mulched the right front property line. Planted a Sensation White Salvia in place of a Lantana by the mail box and a Firewitch Dianthus in the perennial bed. Planted 3 Liatris spicata around on the left side of the perennial bed near Veronica Goodness Grows and 1 between the Gaura and Catnip, 5 in the cutting garden, 2 in the courtyard, 1 by the Salvia Mesa Scarlet in the front, 3 in front of the Lusterleaf Holly and 3 in front of the Sunny Burford Holly.

Planting

Planted a new banana from Betty where the old one by the pool was, also Dr Moy Ginger and Spider Lily from Betty behind the garage. Potted up 6 Marigolds ready for planting out when the Pansies die off.

Planting

Planted the Roxburgh Fig and Sugar Cane that Betty gave me and dug up the Vitex near the pool. Some green in the lower stems but no sign of foliage.

Transplanting

Transplanted the remaining Cannas, green leaves yellow and orange flowers, from next to the Bright Edge Yucca to the corner of the pool fence.

Mulch

Replenished the pine straw around the pool inside the fence, the area to the soft touch hedge. Also put 5 bags of shredded hardwood in the perennial bed.

Herbicide

1 gallon of Roundup around the inside of the pool fence and the right outside pool fence and 2/3 of the back pool fence outside. Sprinkled Miracle Gro Weed Preventer and Fertilizer in the perennial bed.

Planting

Replanted the Mandeveilla Red Riding Hood from one side of the croquet lawn to the other and used the spirals as a frame for it.
Planted the Golden Chains Arundo on the side of the conservatory, the Rosebud Salvia in the front near the bird bath, the Pineapple Sage behind the garage, Evil Ways Butterfly Bush near the golf course, moved some Ogon Acorus from the flume to the fountain bed and moved the Musa Basjoo from the end of the pool to the top side of the pool fence.

Irrigation

Getting the irrigation sorted out - some drip and some sprinklers. Flags were put out on the 18th of March, then reviewed on the 21st. The last of the utilities marked their stuff on the 25th. We started on the front and the back, hand digging because it was so wet, on the 29th. It rained all day on the 30th. and part of the 31st (despite which they decided to come and work some on the 31st when I had said not to!). Lots of work on April Fool's day - including using the trenching machine. On the first pass they hot our main water line, on the last pass they hit irrigation pipes! Work to be finished, hopefully, on Monday April 4th.

Planting

2 Red Wings Phlox in the very front left with 1 Setcreasea Blue Sue. Wilma Monterey Cypress along the side of the garage. Panicum Dallas Blues and Ruby Ribbons along the pool fence - I dug up 2 Adagio Miscanthus and replaced them. In the front near the garage I planted the Bloody Dock. Also I put out the Salvia Mesa Scarlet and a Pink Cloud Gaura from the back.