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Saturday, January 12, 2013

Winter Garden


Quince


Camilla


January is a big gardening month for me. 
It is 74 degrees and gorgeous outside.
This is what I did this morning:

Cut back 13 roses

Cut back all the perennials

Raked mulch from half the flower garden

Replaced  mulch with pine straw from our yard (free)


~~~~~
I still have to rake the other half of the flower garden 
and place pine straw around the plants.
 In February I run over the monkey grass with the mower 
and cut back the butterfly bushes.


This is a before image with long scraggly roses 
and dogwood leaves all over the place.


The pine straw will settle down in a few days. The blank spots are where ground covers are. The plan here is eventually to have ground cover between plants and little need for mulch.


Clovis helped of course. 
I find peace in my little garden. 
All the hard space here needs updating.
I really do not mind. 
There is no money for it any way. 
The plants, sun, and joy of being outside are enough for me.

Linking@Wow Us Wednesdays

happy gardening
Olive




38 comments:

  1. Oooh Olive, I am soo envious of your gardens and your warm weather!... we got hit with another blizzard and now have over 3 feet of snow covering everything!... poor Tessy can hardly get out to do business... I know my garden is out there... somewhere... is that sweet tea sitting there too?... sigh... your photos are beautiful!... xoxo Julie Marie

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  2. It is in the 70's here today, but no sun! So wish the sun would come out! Beautiful blooms there...come SPRING!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  3. We are having temps in the 70's but no SUNSHINE:( I should be working outside today too.

    Blessings,
    Linda

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  4. Hi Olive. Oh, how i envy you your January weather. Ours is so wet that i despair of even getting out there in the spring! Happy gardening my friend. Don't go overdoing it!

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  5. 74 degrees and Olive, I'm so jealous. It's minus 4 here. Your pink flowers are gorgeous. Can't wait to be able to get to work in the poly tunnel again. I've been in the warm, inside for most of the day.

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  6. wow, looks warm there. beautiful colors. nice blooms. ( :

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  7. Girl, you have been a busy bee....I love your patio area and the pine straw makes it look so pretty and so southern...isn't this weather wonderful for this time of year? I know it won't last but right now I am loving it...
    Love,
    Mona

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  8. What a nice day to be outdoors! Warm here too, and of all things, I've been out photographing Camellias. You have a great outdoor space, and I'm exhausted listening to what you've done.

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  9. You are a busy girl. Not gardening time in my neck of the woods but I envy you. I was just gathering things to start my veggie garden inside starting in February.

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  10. This lovely post has me itching for springtime even more than I already am! Your gardens are wonderful, and I'm glad you were able to get out and do some tidying up!

    Kat

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  11. I love your wooded back yard. I should take your advice and cut my roses back now too. You know more about gardening than I do. Do you cut your knock-out rose bushes back as well? I have both kinds. You're lucky to have a source for pinestraw like that. We always have to buy it! I hate spending money on straw. Seems like it should be gatherable nearby (like yours). Today was such a nice day, wasn't it? Makes us long for Spring already.

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  12. I wonder if I would ever get sick of gardening if I could garden for more than 3 1/2 months? Beautiful pics.

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  13. We worked in the yard all afternoon, too. Put out 73 bags of dark brown mulch. I am aching so badly now. Time to go take a nice hot shower.

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  14. Olive, you've gotten so much done! Hubby cut our lawn one day this week. Even though it's brown with a few "green onions", he did it because the weather was so nice. I wonder if those of us in GA are going to have any winter weather. We are far enough north that we usually have some ice in January, but so far, very little cold.

    Happy weekend!

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  15. I think Clovis would be the best help Olive. I love how cats like to be out with us when we slave away in the garden : ) You have accomplished so much and I sure wish I was there helping you, especially with that 70 degree weather! It is about 6 degrees here this afternoon so I am worrying about the new roses I planted this past spring hoping they are going to get through it.
    Thank you Olive for your sweetest comment!!! That was so kind of you to say and you made my day.
    sending many hugs from here...

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  16. Clovis is giving the garden his approval. The quince blossom is lovely. Does that mean that the winter is now all done and dusted for you? and the growing season is underway.

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  17. I'm envious of you 74 degrees. Wait, it is 74... in my house. :) It's about 10 above outside.
    You flowers are beautiful. It will be forever before we see flowers here again. :(

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  18. Busy busy girl. That first flower looks as if it is made of paper.

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  19. The quince and camilla are stunning, Olive. There will be no gardening here for a few months, but I'm content with that. One less thing for the "to do" list for now! (I imagine I'll get impatient for spring weather further down the line.)
    -Karen

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  20. Olive, I love your garden area. You have many nice things to enjoy even when the flowers aren't blooming. The cat seems to be having a good time outside.xoxo,Susie

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  21. Your garden looks fabulous Olive! I can't wait to work outside in the spring!

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  22. Always love seeing your beautiful garden.

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  23. 74 in January sounds amazing! Have fun:@)

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  24. Let's see, you are about 80 degrees warmer in your neck-of-the woods than I am. I'm snuggled under my afghan with my laptop and you're puttering around in your yard. Lucky you!!

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  25. I look forward to your garden pix, especially if Clovis is in them. It's been in the 50's here ~ what's up with that?

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  26. Good Evening Olive, How marvellous to be able to work in your garden to ready it for the Spring. Here in England it is cold, grey and snow is threatening for the next few days. I am really looking forward to getting out in the garden again.....it will probably be about April for me. I love your Quince blossom and your Camillia is beautiful.
    I hope you are now putting your feet up and resting.
    Have a lovely evening.
    Best Wishes Daphne

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  27. Wow! You have been busy! Your garden looks really good, and I need to get started on mine. I wanted to prune the crepe myrtles and some of the other shrubs, but it's so warm we're getting new growth on a lot of plants. Some of my roses have started blooming again. Sooo guess I'll just lounge around for a little longer. Hugs and have a good week,
    Babs

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  28. The quince is so beautiful. Our gardens should be resting this month and next,but the weather has been just crazy warm!

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  29. I wish I could garden but that's not gonna happen until April or May. For now, I have to settle with planning this year's garden. The quince is beautiful.

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  30. The quince is gorgeous...so very pretty - Clovis makes me smile...

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  31. Such rewarding work. I can't wait until Spring, it's going to be AMAZING!
    Hugs,
    Patti

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  32. We were at 62 degrees on Saturday, but I was busy cooking for a dinner party and didn't have time to be outside. :-( We expect more rain and temps back in the 30's later this week. Spring can't come soon enough for me! How wonderful that you were able to get some garden work done.

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  33. A chinook has rolled into my part of Canada and we can walk around in spring jackets for a few days, but gardening in January will never happen! Lucky you!

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  34. The plants, sun, and joy of being outside are enough for me......that sums it all up!

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  35. Since Christmas I have been dreaming of my summer garden. Thanks for taking me out into yours and see and hear your plans. Mary

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  36. Your winter flowers are lovely Olive. Love the photo of Clovis. My kitties follow me around when I'm outside gardening, as well.

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  37. Oh, my! You already have quince flowers! You are so lucky. Clovis stole my heart!

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I adore your comments. They are like finding unexpected chocolates. olive