I came up yesterday through the Jackson Valley. The higher elevations on Highway 88 give a stunning panorama of the entire valley, reaching to the Sierras.
I finished setting the bricks and pavers around the septic system access cover. The cover is several inches below ground level and cannot disappear. I expect ground level will go up when I infill with topsoil and install the new retaining wall at the far edge of the back lawn.
I applied a light dusting of paver sand on the new lane of river rock beside the summer house, and the rest of the bucket on the bricks and pavers protecting the sewer cover.
I pruned the dark red oleander on the front border garden to encourage it to grow up and not out, and pruned the white oleander in the far corner of the back yard to remove dead growth and mange or mildew. Applied Sevin dust to both.
The lemon tree and the lime tree each received a citrus fertilizer spike. Fertilization is recommended in the spring and fall.
The slope down from the summer house will be given over to the aptenia that seems to thrive there. I moved the large Mexican daisy from there to the row with the yarrow at the far corner of the back yard, and and the smaller one to fill the corner of the large planter box next to the portulaca. As recommended, applied Plant Starter at the bottom of the planting hole, tamped in the plant and applied again on top. Drainage in the far corner of the back yard is slow because the rock shelf is only eight inches under the topsoil.
I rolled out the camellia from under the front porch and into the sunlight for a few days. Pleased to see buds even this first year. All the camellias will need to be fed next week.
A Year at the Snake 