Primping, packing and a little gardening

We leave tomorrow for Dallas for my nieces wedding, so I took the day off to get my hair done, do laundry, pack, pick up last-minute things and get ready to leave town. In addition, I had to meet the plumber, since we found a leak last night in the hose for the ice maker, and the floor has been getting wet now for we think days and we didn’t know because we don’t often get behind the refrigerator. So I put things up and out-of-the-way so it can air out while we are gone–but everything is working. I got things ready for the housesitter so the dogs won’t be lonely. I didn’t stop all day, but I did finally walk the garden. I have not had much rain, even though many around us have. I looked at the forecast and it didn’t look like we had much of a chance while I am gone, so I decided to fertilize and water the garden well, so it would be fine until we return. Then tonight we got rain! Oh well, better safe than sorry.

The garden is looking good, but I have neglected it lately. I have a LOT of deadheading to do when I get home, and I found spider mites on the green beans and getting started on the eggplant.

I did not spray today, but I will when I get home. I did pick my first raspberries today and they were quite tasty–really some of the best I have tasted in an Arkansas garden. They are the Raspberry Shortcake™ Dwarf Thornless Raspberry from BrazleBerry. I have quite a few more that will be ripening soon.

The weather has definitely been kind to our gardens, and although I do think we will have more insects and diseases this year, we have also had way more flowers! My hydrangeas are all pink to purple this year,

but covered in blooms and the gardenia has never had as many buds. The single flower variety is always the first to bloom, but my doubles are loaded too. The Serissa is blooming and so are the hardy geraniums.

I got the first blooms on my coreopsis ‘Salsa’ and the echinacea and yellow butterfly weed are quite showy.

I also have a mystery bulb that came in with my first load of super soil. It is about to bloom, so I can’t wait to see what it is.
I continue to be impressed with the confederate jasmine–it has been blooming non-stop for weeks and it is still covered in flowers with more buds coming on.

The fragrance is intoxicating! Between that and the gardenias it is a fragrant garden.
Then tonight I met up with a lot of my friends at a wine tasting at Clark and Henrik’s. The food was amazing, and while they had the entire yard set up and decorated, everyone pretty much stayed inside because of a pop-up rain shower.

Now a good nights sleep!