Fertilizer

10-10-10 on shrubs and perennials - 1 T per 12" height.

Herbicide

Sprayed 2 gallons of roundup on the front left, island and turret beds, behind the garage, inside the pool fence and on the back left from the pool fence to the property line.

Planting

Planted the Mary Nell that was in a pot by the electrical box.

Mulch

Spread pinestraw behind the garage, along the golf course by the croquet lawn, between the croquet lawn and the perennial bed and between the perennial bed and the pool fence.

Herbicide

Sprayed 2 gallons of roundup on the front left, island and turret beds, behind the garage, inside the pool fence and on the back left from the pool fence to the property line.

Hardscape

Spread cypress mulch on the path behind the garage. Set up stones along the curb on both sides of the drive.

Mulch

Spread pinestraw behind the garage, along the golf course by the croquet lawn, between the croquet lawn and the perennial bed and between the perennial bed and the pool fence.

Weeding

Hand weeded the area by the golf course and the pool fence.

Planting

I planted 5 Lantanas I grew from cuttings, the Geranium I overwintered in the conservatory and 6 Marigolds, replacing the Pansies. I also planted the Lantana I got from Home Depot and the Impatiens.

Planting

I planted the new Shiji Beautyberry behind the garage, the Vernonia Iron Butterflys in the berm, the Golden Promise Cryptomeria by the helipad, the Red False Agave by the pool, the Black Dragon Cryptomeria by the pool fence corner and the Kalimeris in the front and the Polemonium Touch of Class under the screen porch steps. I also replanted the Giant White Calla in the courtyard.

Planting

I planted a Marcia Fuchsia in the courtyard plus I potted up the Hibiscus seedlings and the Oleander cuttings.

Mowing and edging

Mowed all lawns and edged the croquet lawn.

Fertilizer

Fertilized all grass.

Herbicide

I sprayed 2 gallons of Roundup around the left side of the front and the back and inside the pool fence.

Planting

We planted the Mary Nell Holly in the front by the electrical box.

Hardscaping

Edged the curb at the bottom of the driveway with rocks on both sides. Put wood chips on the garage path. Reset the edging along the golf course where the sprinkler head went in.

Mulch

Spread pinestraw behind the garage, in the Abelia bed, in the ditches on either side of the perennial bed.

Planting

Planted the Soft Caress Mahonia behind the garage.

Planting

I planted the Podocarpus alpinus in its own little raised bed by the heliport, 2 Candy Stripe Phlox - 1 at the corner of the garage in front and one in back. Also the Yellow Flag Iris by the Slender Silhouette.

Planting

I planted an Emerald Snow Loropetalum in place of one of the Carolina Moonlights near the pool fence, Dwarf Garters Ribbon Grass near the retaining wall, Asclepias incarnata near the conservatory with a Castor Bean, Golden Gem Holly and Little Lemon Honeysuckle Shrub near the helipad, Baptisia Carolina Moonlight in the berm, perennial basil in the courtyard and 6 Adagio Miscanthus on the left side driveway slope. I potted up Grace Hendricks Boxwood for moving to the front and moved the Variegated Boxwood nearer the Dwarf Bald Cypress.

Bulbs

Unpotted the winter bulbs.

Herbicide

Sprayed 1 gallon of Roundup around the berm, imbetween and golf course edge.

Mowing and edging

Mowed and edged all the grass including the property lines.

Planting

I planted a Stewart Shuck Canna, Purple Emperor Sedum, Starfire Phlox and transplanted the Neon Sedum inside the pool fence. Also planted the Cordyline. I planted the Lindheimer's Muly and the White Cloud Muhly at the back left corner along with the Dwarf Garters. I dug up a Pink Muhly from there that was suffering badly. I moved the Salvia lyrata which was spreading like wildfire from the perennial bed to the side of the conservatory. I moved the Penn Stripe Pennisetum to inside the pool fence. I planted 2 Verbena Homestead Red by the screen porch and a Whirling Butterflies Gaura by the croquet lawn. I planted the Penstemon Red Rocks and Fanfare Gaillardia in the perennial bed, the Butterfly Weed by the conservatory, Echinacea, Little Lemon Solidago, Dixieland Miscanthus and Gold Bar Miscanthus in the One of Everything bed in front, and the Spider Lily in the Berm.

Planting

Planted Prunus japonica behind the garage, Coronation Gold Yarrow and Corries Gold Gaura on the berm, Graham Blandy Boxwood by the front door, Gallo Orange and Gallo Red Gaillardia, Pink Grapefruit Yarrow and Glacier Blue Euphorbia in the perennial bed. Moved 2 Liatris to the ends of the perennial bed. Potted up Neon Sedum which is rotting - probably direct hit from the sprinklers. Also planted 5 Candy Stripe Flox by the Knockout Roses, Sensation Pink Sage, Blue Ice Amsonia and Garnet Brocade Sedum in the front, and Goldsturm Coneflower at the curb.

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.

Planting

I planted an Amazing Grace Phlox that I got at a discount at Lowes, in the raised perennial bed.

Planting

2 tomatoes and a Sea Pink (in the perennial bed) from Lowes.

Herbicide

2.5 gallons of RoundUp - everywhere except inside the pool fence.

Dividing

Divided the Cavendish Banana and repotted it with the Mexican Shrimp Plant, Sedum and Corydalis. Also dug up the Umbrella Sedge from next to the fountain and divided it. Planted a cutting of Umbrella Sedge near the berm.

Planting

Planted Metallicum Japanese Painted Fern and Maidenhair Fern in the courtyard.

Potted plants

Redid the plants that overwinter in the conservatory. Planted the Tibouchina grandiflora with the Russellia eqiusetformis, the Bougainvillea with the Acalypha and the Abutilon with the Cape Honeysuckle. Took the Monterrey Cypress out of the pot and put it in a larger pot in the conservatory because it is suffering. Planted Variegated Ginger and Maidenhair Fern in the pot.

Conservatory

Cleaned out the conservatory and put back only those shade plants for sale.

Garage

Cleaned out the garage and rearranged the chemicals.

Pruning

Pruned the Ligustrum Recurvifolium hedge. Also deadheaded the daffodils.

Insecticide

Used over and out around the pool and the beds inside the pool fence. Treated other mounds outside the fence with mound killer.

Transplanting, planting and potting

Transplanted 1 Pink Cloud Gaura to the corner of the bed between the croquet lawn and perennial bed. Potted up the remaining Blue Fescue. Planted a cutting from the Cyperus involucratus on the side of the daylily berm.

Fertilizer

Used 10-10-10 on all shrubs. 1 T per foot of height.

Mowing

Mowed the strips on the empty lots on each side.

Potted up cuttings

Potted up rooted cuttings of Firespike and Lantana (yellow in square pot, gold in round pot.)

Seeds

Sowed seeds of Hibiscus militaris, H. lasiocarpus, H. aculeatus.

Moving from the conservatory

Russellia to the wall. Staghorn and Birds nest fern to the courtyard. Hibiscus to the the outside. Orange and Calamondin trees by the pool equipment. Sago Palm by the Curly Ligustrum. Shrimp plant, Ligustrum Excelsum, Buddleia cuttings, Pineapple Sage, Elephant Ears to the potting bench.

Hardscape - bird feeder post

Moved the bird feeder to the other side of the path.

Planting

Iochroma in the courtyard. Planted Mahonia fortunei, Mahonia gracilis, Mandevilla Alice du Pont, Mandevilla Red Riding Hood in the back behind the garage and between the perennial bed and the croquet lawn.

Mulch

Mulched the courtyard with cypress mulch, and the raised beds with pinestraw.

Deadheading

Deadheaded the Daffodils.

Transplanting Gingko

I moved the Gingko to near the tiered retaining walls.

Planting

Planted 6 Commander in Chief Lilies by the conservatory, next to the Alstroemeria.

Potted up Nandina

Potted up 2 Firepower Nandinas from the back.

Herbicide

Atrazine on croquet, front and top end of pool lawns.

Mulch

Pinestraw on the area from the Bald Cypress to the Oleander and to the path.

Hardscaping

Put landscape timbers along the edge from the Bald Cypress to the Oleander and dug them in. Levelled the bird bath and the bird feeder post.

Herbicide

2 gallons of Roundup in front and behind the garage.

Planting - new Buddleja, Pycnanthemum, Knaptonensis

I planted the Buddleja cordata subsp. tomentella and Pycnanthemum tenuifolium that I got from Woodlanders in the back and the Knaptonensis Cryptomeria that I got from NurCar planted behind the garage.

Herbicide

2.5 gallons of herbicide on the bermuda lawn - at the direction of the golf course superintendent.

Planting - Baccharis and Sasaba

I planted the Baccharis angustifolia and the Sasaba Osamnthus from Woodlanders in the front garden.

Cutting back grass

Finished the Lirope in the perennial bed.

Planting

Planted the Liquidambar Slender Silhouette in the front and the Gold Splash Eleagnus in the back. Also dug up the ailing Firepower Nandina in the front and replaced it with one from the back.

Lime

Finshed off the garden with lime by doing the pool area and the remaining side garden parts.

Herbicide

One more gallon of roundup and I have completed the whole garden - pool area.

Planting

I planted a Harland Boxwood near the mailbox where I had previously substituted a soft touch holly and next to it a Drops of Gold Holly.

Planting

I planted the Unryu Camellia at the side of the garage.

Transplanting

I moved the Blue Dune Leymus to the other side of the driveway to make room for the Gold Mop Chamaecyparis. Then I moved the Cryptomeria Gyokuro from the front to the back corner of the pool fence, potting up the Sizzling Pink Loropetalum that had been there. I moved the Duet Beautyberry near to the Jade Snowflake Chinaberry and the Ogon Osmanthus back nearer to the garage and the Craibiodendron. I moved the Variegated Chinese Privet closer to the Buergeri Holly to make room for the Slender Silhouette Sweetgum.

Herbicide

1 gallon of RoundUp in the back, from the grasses near the golf course along the side line to the Buergeri Holly.

Lime

Limed the rest of the front and the back to the first holly on the pool fence across to the Butterflies Magnolia. Not the perennial bed. Used 2 bags. Normally would need 2 bags for the front and 2+ for the back.

Herbicide and deadheading

2 gallons of RoundUp in the back to the grasses near the golf course corner. Also continued weeding and deadheading the perennial bed and cutting back the Liriope.

Fertilizer

Limed the One of Everything garden and the Front Left to Gatepost beds except the Osmanthus, Chindo and Cleyera.

Pruning - Buddleia, perennials, Liriope

Pruned the Adonis Blue Buddleia in the back and took the dead dried flower heads off the Bicolor one in front. Deadheaded, weeded and cut back the Liriope for half the perennial bed.

Herbicide

3 gallons of Roundup plus some hand pulling in the front and the left side of the back path to the berm.

Hardscape - bird house

Put up the post for the second blue bird house.

Pruning - grasses

Cut back the grasses in the back as well as the Willow.

Hardscaping

Put up the post for the Wisteria to grow up along the golf course edge.

Pruning - grasses, Maple, Chionanthus and Willow

Cut back the Cabaret Miscanthus and Blue Dune Grass in the front. Pruned the front willow as an experiment. I took out all the old stems (those which had branched) and cut the rest back to about 36". I also took out one of the two central shoots on the Seiryu Japanese Maple and a side shoot on the Chionanthus.

Pruning - grasses and roses

Cut back the Lirope in the front bed. Also pruned the 2 larger Knockout Roses in the front.