And that's a good photo to begin this post, because yesterday was all about plants. I started out by watering the orchids, and then realized the jade plant was infested (once again) with mealybugs. So I got out the rubbing alcohol and the Q-tips and spent some time knocking them back, followed by a good rinse with the garden hose.
I decided to rinse off the other plants, too. So I hauled the avocado, the yucca, the Thanksgiving/Christmas cacti, the ficus and some others into the garden and gave them all a good watering and washing down. I also trimmed the purple heart, which had become HUGE and as monstrous as Medusa.
Finally, I cleaned the floor where all these plants sit.
And voila! Spring cleaning around the back door, checked off for another year.
I keep telling myself I'm going to someday sand down that wooden step, leading out to the garden, and re-stain and refinish it. And then I tell myself, "Hey, you don't own that step!" It is looking worse and worse, though. At some point, whether I own it or not, it's going to bother me enough that I'm going to want it worked on.
Anyway, I left the avocado outside. I think it's safe to move it outdoors for the summer, even though our temperatures are going to drop down into the mid-30s (F) at night later this week. I don't think the cold will last long and as long as it doesn't freeze it will be fine.
I also moved Totoro back outdoors. The Japanese forest spirit returns to the garden!
I love forget me nots. They are such a happy wee flower.
ReplyDeleteI am grateful that my plants stay put. We don't seem to suffer extremes you do. Or I am just lazy.
My small veg plot is completely covered in forget-me-nots, as is a lot of the rest of the garden ( yard I think ? for US readers!). Luckily they are easy to pull out when the flowers are finished.
ReplyDeleteI cannot see Olga anywhere! With all your manic garden cleaning she must have hidden herself somewhere. Poor old girl! I imagine you can get therapy for your OCD. Just a thought. No wonder Totoro is looking panicked.
ReplyDeleteKeep thinking about re-staining the wooden step. I've found eventually the thought will pass. I read Totoro as Trotro. Apparently young Phoebe enjoys the show. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trotro
ReplyDeleteI like your collection of cat statues. I've never seen mealy bug on jades, only on the mesembryanthemum which I eventually threw out because of them.I've never had them on anything else in this garden. In a previous home I found them each spring on a stand of Raphis (?) Palms I had in front of the big lounge room window. Outsde not inside.
ReplyDeleteThat is one heck of a lot of work. It must be so satisfying.
ReplyDeleteThe view out your back door is amazing! And the forget-me-nots are so pretty. What a great blue.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely view of your garden out those doors.
ReplyDeleteI've never had mealy bugs on my jade plants. Or any other bug in recent memory. Lucky.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for naming Totoro. I've been trying to remember that name for weeks, one of those annoying things just beyond recall, my brain offering all kinds of substitutes, like Toronto, Tonto, Toto etc.
It looks like Totoro is happy to be back outside. That's a lot work but quite an accomplishment too.
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you after your post yesterday, I stopped at place for lunch and when I was leaving there was car parked outside with a HUGE sign on the back that said "Honk if you want a prayer". I immediately thought of your preachy guy on the bridge. I snapped a photo. I'll post it sometime next week.
It amazes me how big some of your plants get in such relatively small pots! I find it amazing.
ReplyDeleteI know it feels good to get all of that out of the way and I'm sure the plants feel happy to be back outside.
Your "garden" is looking lovely! I cleaned out the tub where Pinky & Rita overwinter, so same? (Note: I probably expended about a tenth of the effort you did - ha!).
ReplyDeleteWork well done..but I won't be putting ours our for a while as it's going to be near enough a frost tonight!!
ReplyDeleteI forgot all about forget-me-nots! They usually start blooming here by now, and I haven't seen any. Thank you for the reminder. Today is plant watering day, and you have inspired me to take a closer look at everything. Your garden looks so green and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYou had a very productive day! All I managed to do was get my bird feeders set back up after neglecting them for several months. A squirrel has already discovered them and broken one this morning. Maybe I need a Totoro to guard my feeders.
ReplyDeleteI just read in the Londonist that the Totoro West End musical is returning to the Barbican through January. I might have to put that on my London list for this fall (I hope). I admire your garden but more admire your dedication and skill in making it so beautiful -- and for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteDefiantly Put In The Elbow Grease And Leave It Better Than You Found It - Olga Girl Would Love To Find A Just Because Treat Under Her Pink Blanket
ReplyDeleteCheers
What an inspiration you are! Our weather is supposed to get nice this week so I won't have any excuse not to work in the yard. Weeding is sorely needed! I love Totoro!
ReplyDeleteI thought those doors opened to the patio but there's a low wall there. I think I've just about finished all the outdoor chores. From now on it's just maintenance...watering, occasional weeding, etc. still have fertilizer and mulch to spread around.
ReplyDeleteI was really feeling spring until the last couple days when it got down to 30F at night and had the audacity to give us some snow flurries. Fortunately nothing stuck to the ground. Unfortunately, my cherry trees were in full bloom so I may not get any cherries for the second year in a row. Mother nature is not playing very nice.
ReplyDeleteThe forget me nots are so cheerful. Love those.
ReplyDeletePlants take a lot of looking after. The mealy bug is a nasty one.
ReplyDeleteToday we had light snow. Have you ever counted how many plants you have?
ReplyDeleteCaro: I agree. Forget-me-nots are always so cheerful when they appear every spring.
ReplyDeleteFrances: We had more of them last year, I think, which makes me wonder if I pulled them too early?
YP: OCD is a highly effective motivator!
Andrew: I don't know Trotro at all!
River: I don't know that I've ever had a problem with mealybugs outside. They're usually a houseplant problem for me. Maybe it gets cold enough in the winter to kill them off.
Mitchell: It did feel good and I think the plants appreciated it!
Ellen D: Yes, I love the view from our living room out into the garden. We can easily watch the birds on the feeders.
Boud: I don't know why our jade plant has this problem, but it recurs now and then and I have to give it another treatment.
Sharon: There's one in every crowd! (At LEAST one.)
Ms Moon: We intentionally keep them in smallish pots so they don't get too big. It helps restrict their growth. I'm not sure they can live like that indefinitely, though.
Bug: Hey, that counts! It's the same marking-the-season kind of cleaning!
GZ: After I wrote this I brought the avocado back inside. More on that later.
Robin: I wonder why? I think they wax and wane depending on factors like rainfall and temperature.
Kelly: SQUIRRELS! My current nemeses!
Jeanie: I didn't see that show but I heard it's great. I love the Totoro movie.
Padre: She got one too, with your name on it. :)
Margaret: I need to do some weeding too.
Ellen: Well, there's a walkway that leads to the patio, which is off to the right. And if you go left there are steps leading up into the garden.
Ed: Will the snow kill the blossoms? I'm surprised cherry trees aren't more durable, given that they grow in cooler climes.
Allison: Me too!
Red: Mealybugs and spider mites are my nightmare pests.
Debby: You mean houseplants? I'm counting 38 in my mind, including the orchids. We have a lot more if you count the potted plants on the patio outside, not to mention those in the ground!
Snow won't but the freezing cold will. I think it just causes them to fall off a lot sooner than normal and thus pollination doesn't occur. Our cherry tree just started blooming late last week and the petals have fall all off this morning so I suspect there will be no cherries from me fresh off the tree.
ReplyDelete