I came up through the Delta yesterday. I saw only egrets, no sheep, and large flocks of migratory birds. Possibly our Canadian visitors although not particularly noisy.
I trimmed back the Saint Francis rock rose to give Spots his breakfast. He has become more particular now that fresh grass is plentifully available.
This morning I checked on the gazanias and new mimulus and applied another round of Plant Starter. The lovely euonymus is showing its ongoing new growth with pink-tipped leaves and is becoming a favorite.
I found a white lantana at the East Bay Nursery, my next great idea. I half buried the broken pot in what will be the new bed at the east end of the back yard, filled it with amended topsoil, and and settled in the lantana with Plant Starter. It should have plenty of room to grow out from the covering rim of the pot into the sun. The thought is to have white flowers spilling out from the buried pot, an echo of the grounds of the hotel where I stayed in Corinth. At least that is the plan.
I gave up on the catmint that had a weird growth pattern that deadened the bottom half of the plant. I transplanted the portulaca and shifted the Mexican daisy. I continue my regular watering of the grass seed areas and the ice plant strip.
Another eighteen pack and twelve feet of ice plant is in the ground. The total strip so far is 48 feet, almost to the citrus grove planter box. Most likely another 24 or 30 feet to reach the large crape myrtle planter box. The process was the same – digging up embedded grass, laying in seedlings sixteen inches apart and watering in the entire strip.
The crown of thorns euphorbia is ailing, possibly due to colder weather even though it is in a corner sheltered by the house. I supplemented the water and added new topsoil with plant fertilizer to encourage it to burrow down. Topped off with Mike’s mulch that i then watered in.
A Year at the Snake 