Yard and garden #2

Hi all,

I decided it's time for another update on our yard and flowers. What is YOUR weather like in your neck of the woods???? It's HOT here.

This post is more like a book, so get your tea or coffee, your cookie or muffin, and settle in. Since I don't post that often, I try to squeeze 2 months of life, into one post! Just the way it is.

Can you BELIEVE this Coleus? It is in the HOT sun all day long, and it loves it! I thought Coleus was only a shade plant. I'm learning they love the sun and heat.

Considering the super HOT weather we've had here in central Oregon, most of my flowers and shrubs are surviving the heat... thanks to hubby for watering every day!  I sometimes water again in the evening, if it was over 100.

From two tiny Nasturtium plants, I have quite a large bush now growing up our mailbox! This was my plan and it is working!

We have lots of fires around us, but not too close (praise the Lord).... and I so feel for those more affected by the fires than we are. Other than some very smoky days, we are safe so far.

This was taken yesterday.. it was really bad. Today the smoke has blown away somewhat.

It is especially smoky here the last couple of days. It's a yellow gray look outside, and I don't even want to go out. I did go outside just a little bit ago to take some updated pictures of what is going on in our yard. (the smoke wasn't too bad when I took the pictures).  We live on a small plot in town, but I do love it.. and it's become more and more like a little green oasis for us.

Our back yard lawn is FINALLY, after 6 years, looking pretty good. There are still some bare spots but we will reseed again this Fall.

Here is before and after. The "before" is on the top and taken about 6 weeks ago! The bottom picture I just took today. It is greening up nicely and filling in. I thought the new grass seed would NEVER grow, as it had to survive that heat wave we had. 

A lawn guy I was talking to also recommended a different type of weed spray called Speed Zone. I HATE using pesticides, but this one you can spray all over your lawn and everything (not flowers) and it only kills the weeds and not the grass. It works great and this way I can keep those pesky weeds from taking over.

Here are some "before" and "afters" of my strawberries, peach tree and roses. The strawberries are growing like crazy and there are MANY white flowers on them for some berries in a few weeks. These are everbearing strawberries mostly.

Peach tree now (on right) that we thought would never grow! I swear it looks more like a bush!

Roses... the one on top is from today... the bush on lower left is today, and the roses on the bottom right are a few weeks ago.... they came in the first time really pale. I love the brighter peach color.

Strawberries... top was right after I planted them.... see our scraggly grass??? Today.. on the bottom, they are lush and I think they grow a couple of more inches every day. They are sending out runners everywhere!  I am very happy as I love strawberries.

I used to get up early in the morning when I was young, around 11 and 12, to go to the strawberry fields and pick for pay. You could do it then (back in the 50's- aging myself!), but today, they say it's too young to have "child labor" at that age. I thought it was fun and a great way to earn money for school clothes. I was lucky to maybe make $1.50 for the day.

I was really late planting my Nasturtium seeds, but finally got them in some pots. They are coming up nicely. My mom always had climbing Nasturtiums.... they are hard to find now.

Hubby dug up some dry climate sage (middle) and some sort of succulant when he housesat for my sister. They are doing well in our back raised bed where nothing seems to want to grow.

I love our purple sage. It is finally thriving after struggling for a couple of years. My sister gave me a darling garden "bee girl" for my birthday. She ordered it on Amazon and it came from China and took 3 months to get here!

My blueberry plants have almost doubled in size! They love being watered every day with the sprinkler... I've even been given the joy of eating a few! 

Would you look at those blackberry plants? Look! Green berries!!! I'm so happy. I used to live on the west (wet) side of the Cascade Mountain Range, and blackberries grew wild there, EVERYWHERE!  You could walk down your road and pick them for making jam and pies. Here in Madras, there is only one patch in the entire town, and that is along a large river that is about 15 miles away, and I haven't gotten there yet. Of course, it's "snake city" so hubby doesn't want me to go (rattlers). I may not. Nuff said. So I'm trying to grow my own.

The blackberry I planted in our gravel, is spreading, spreading and spreading. I know I'll have to keep it pruned or it would eventually take over our yard! It has some red berries on it. I want to get a little fence to put around it and keep it tamed.

Since we had to cancel our beach trip for my birthday, due to the "heat dome", I had rescheduled for Aug. 16th, but I had to cancel again due to this heat. I know... I know.. the best place to be during the heat here is on the Oregon coast! But..... when you have 4 cats depending on you, and it's too hot to leave them outside, then you just can't go, unless you have a pet sitter, which we don't (or unless you want to take them with you!).

Maybe we'll get to the coast this Fall. I hope so. I sure miss it.. miss the smells of the wet sand and seaweed, sounds of the seagulls and the waves as they crash and then sizzle with foam to the sand. I miss the mist and fog even!

Even on one hot day a few weeks ago, I talked hubby into driving to Lake Billy Chinook about 10 miles from us. I just wanted to sit by the lake and have lunch. I've wanted to do this all summer, but has just been too hot. I compromised and said we could sit inside with the air conditioning!!!  We did.. and it was so nice.

See those DRY hills??? This lake is surrounded by dry dry dry, but it is beautiful in its own way.

Please try to ignore the 12 lb. "covid weight gain"!!!  Darn it. Hard to stay away from sugar now.

I've been doing a little bit of cleaning out, organizing and destashing.... even of my craft room. I have way too much "stuff"!!!

Ready for donation!  (more is already in the car).

FUTURE PLANS:

1.  I plan a trip up to Washington to see my chiropractor in a week - it's a 5 hour drive one way, but I have to go.... he is the ONLY one who can "fix" my neck, and I have been in alot of pain.

2.   We plan a 2 night camping trip in our Van (finally!!!!) at a lake not too far from here. My sister and husband are going and taking their boat... so we decided to book a site close to them. I know it will be hot probably, but I'm hoping for some cooler weather, maybe in the 80's???  Keeping fingers crossed.

3.   I'm hoping for a beach trip sometime in October! 

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.  Until next time.....

~Marilyn~

ALL CONTENT © PINK PAPER COTTAGE.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY MY PHOTOS AND IMAGES INTO YOUR OWN POSTS WITHOUT FIRST LINKING TO THIS BLOG AND MY NAME.