(For those of you NOT into gardening or wanting only lactationally-related
posts, feel free to skip)

To bring those of you who asked up-to-date:

My yard is IN! The grass sod was laid during the two (so far) warmest days
of the year (high 70s and low 80s) while I was out of town.  A neighbor
helped with watering, which I have taken up in a big way since coming back.
So far, only a few brown patches.  This means "Mudhill Ranch" no longer
applies to my happy homestead.  Suggestions for a new name will be
welcomed. "MountainView" is overused around here, so I would prefer
something a bit more creative, but my brain is not yet on creative-mode
this AM, so who knows what I will come up with!

Anyway, the rose experts out there need to know the following:
a) all 16 of the first rose hedge bare root plants croaked.  :-(
b) I called the rose expert at the company where I got them and she assured
me they would replace them at no cost to me.
c) So... I called them about 1 week before the yard was scheduled for
completion and asked them to send the replacements, which they did.  Then
it rained and delayed the completion!  Argghhh!
d) When the replacements came, I was able to plant 11 of them fairly
quickly (4 one day, 6 another day, etc.) I got all but the last two in the
ground before having to go out of town.  THey had to wait until the fence
portion taken down to deliver the sod was replaced.  I planted those last
two the day I got home from my most recent trip.
e) As of yesterday, I counted 4 on one fence and 3 on the other that look
like they will survive and start sending out leaves.  The rest look like
dead sticks, but am going to give them a good month of watering and sun
before giving up on them.
f) ONe of my neighbors says I should replace them with plants where she got
hers; they came in pots (not bare rooted) and hers are already huge!!

The six peony roots that I planted (white, pink and burgundy) ALL survived
and have sent up early branches and leaves.  Am imagining already the
wonderful color next year (peonies rarely bloom their first year).

The Abraham Lincoln (true red) tea rose that my parents gave me is thriving
near the deck; I just ordered a Peace (cream with hint of pink) to go near
it, and am thinking a climbing Jacob's Coat (three-color hybrid) would be
nice near the guest bedroom window that overlooks the back yard. (next
year's project)

The back deck has 11 pots filled with pansies that nod in the sun and look
wonderfully cheery; the front porch pots have impatiens (soon to bloom, I
started them all from seed) and some other plants that hang over the side;
very homey looking).

The hot pink azaleas bloomed while not yet in the ground (in pots), but
gave me a good indication of what they will be like next year again.  All
are doing fine.  The white dogwood has not bloomed in my sight.  The dark
purple rhododendrons are starting to bloom and are GORGEOUS!!! The Norway
Weeping Spruce is in place at the bottom of the driveway and has sent out
new growth for the year--a good sign.  All the ground cover is in and
surrounded by cedar bark (very wonderful to smell with a light breeze).

The tree arbor area is in and looks great!  They include
1) native Alder (I kept it because it was on the property when I bought it
and wanted something from before when it was part of a large pastureland.
2) Japanese maple (the large, 15' variety when full grown)
3) Birch (tall and lovely with its white bark; a really neat contrast with
the Japanese maple and...
4) Blue spruce (which is also sending out new growth for this year, a good
sign it has taken good root and is doing well).

The decorative grass that I planted near the bottom of the driveway seems
to have taken root and is now sending up long shoots, a clear portent of
things to come!  Yeah!

I still have to prepare the bed for the dahlias, and I have already
arranged to get a slip of a white lilac for planting later this  year
behind the dahlia bed near the fence on the south side of the house.

My veggie garden is (mostly) in; have lost only a few plants to the dreaded
giant slugs.

Thank you all for your kind encouragement re: my yard and garden.  Doug
will be up this weekend to help finish with the last of the painting (under
the eaves, etc) that didn't get done when the house was going up.  WHen
that is done, I will feel we really ARE done.

You all have a standing invite to come visit the next time you are in my
neck of the woods....  :-)

PS I have a suggestion that snakes make short work of slugs.  A great idea
and since garter snakes and I are fast friends (tho I am not sure what the
dog will do!), am going to ask some of the kids in the neighborhood if they
have seen any.  Any other suggestions?

Bye, am off to water the grass and check the rose hedge sticks for more
signs of (impending) life!

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"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly
disguised as impossible situations."
Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC (Ferndale, WA USA) [log in to unmask]
WEB PAGE: http://www.telcomplus.com/~kga/lactation.html
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