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While looking for a relatively inexpensive Japanese maple this past weekend, I found a relatively inexpensive beautiful dogwood instead. She's planted in the shade beneath the Cypress and the huge red Japanese maple. I also brought home a couple new hostas and two heuchera 'Citronelle' to surround the dogwood. This week, the dark pink azaleas started to push out some blossoms which looks awesome under the dark red Japanese maple and next to the bright green hostas and chartreuse heucheras.

Trilliums with some St. Patty's Day weekend clovers...

Clockwise from left:  Lady Fern, Cast Iron Plant, Lace Fern, Variegated Flax Lily

Sunday was nothing but a gardening day for me. Starting in the back yard, I swept the dead leaves from the back porch, trimmed the nandinas, pulled more overgrown lirope to let the hydrangeas breathe again, moved a silly frog, trimmed the tree ferns, and dug daffodil, iris, and grape hyacinth bulbs from their wooden deck pots. We've had such a mild Spring so far that the grape hyacinths are already pushing up leaves! I need to bury them in sand and hide them in a cool area of the garage when I get a chance. Then I can haul all the old wooden pots to the curb as they're finally starting to fall apart. After a trip to the Home Depot Landscape Center and Calloways, I moved to the front yard. I planted about 30 'Bada Bing' begonias and a couple white caladiums around the sidewalk by the front door, divided a Cast Iron Plant that was blocking one of the sprinkler heads, added an Autumn Fern and a second Lace Fern under the cypress tree, mirrored an Evergreen Giant Lirope to hide part of the brand new gutter downspout, and weeded the hell out of my azaleas.

I need more days in my weekends. The whole point of me going outside this morning was to mow the grass...which I didn't get done. I put it off once it started to get hot but by the time I was finished with the gardens by the front door, it was 9:00. Oh well, it can wait another couple of days. On come the sprinklers which hits me in the back of the legs with cold water, prompting me to quickly clean up my tools and head in for the evening.

My weekends seem to be nothing but yard work any more, which I enjoy, but I need about 3 full days to get everything done that I need to.

The first hydrangea I had was at my moms house... and I don't think it lasted the first summer. It bloomed, but it wasn't too memorable. I don't remember if it was blue, pink, or white. Something tells me it was pink, but who knows.

The previous homeowners left two growing in the back yard that were near death by the time our utilities were turned on after our move last July. I nursed them back to life over the fall, hoping that the winter wouldn't kill them, and now they're full of life and blooming!!! White so far...a little hint of pink in one bunch of flowers. I think hydrangeas are beautiful. I've always loved the heavy bouquet of blossoms and was really looking forward to seeing these babys flower.

So, I've managed to keep 3 out of 3 orchids alive...though, I slacked on watering the first two a bit and they've lost a bit of their glory (look like they're making a come back though, hopefully).

Orchid #1: Phalaenopsis Sogo Moto: White with a red lip. I picked up this little beauty at Target last Winter. I was walking by the houseplant aisle and they caught my eye. Most were looking very miserable with yellowing or already-dead leaves and dead flowers, but this baby looked great. None of her buds were open, the leaves were all a beautiful deep green, and what I could see of the roots looked healthy. Unfortunately, I guess I didn't put her in the right light, so all her buds wilted and fell off except two. I guess that's what happens when you make a blind jump in to the world of orchids. Buy first, read later is not always the way to go.

Orchid #2: Cattleya Chia Lin 'Super Gold': She's growing, but she was super small when I bought her. She has 2 new leaves that have almost doubled her original size, and it looks like she's sending out a new growth. I'm really looking forward to seeing her flower.

Orchid #3: Phalaenopsis Brother New Canary 'DeLeon': "Yellow with red bars" according to the marker. I'll have to look up what the hell bars are later. Bought her at Lowes about a month ago and met an older man from the Fort Worth Orchid Society while I was perusing the collection. "Do you grow orchids?" "[laugh] I try." He told me a little about the US/worldwide orchid market and about some of this year's popular breeds. He invited me to check out their monthly meetings at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, which I may just do so this January.

I actually managed to get a plant to my cube, so officially, I have a cube buddy: an echevaria hybrid Perle Von Neurnberg.

While oh-so innocently browsing at Lowes on Labor Day, I picked up a Bromeliad and a new, baby orchid: Cattleya Chia Lin 'Super Gold'.

I've managed to keep my Phalaenopsis alive, though, it hasn't bloomed since I brought it home. It just put out two new leaves, so I assume it is getting happy in its new home.

Well, technically it's not my cube buddy yet... Can't seem to get it out to the car, because I want to take pictures of it while it blooms.

Phalaenopsis Sogo Moto: White with a red lip.