Another ambitious project started and one finished! I am enlarging a flower bed on my north-facing wall. I want to increase the space for MORE FLOWERS! This will give me four extra feet in planting length. Soon, installation on the long-needed sidewalk will begin.
We finished the west-facing garage door insulation, and adding it has made a significant difference to the temperatures inside the garage. Now, it's about 115 instead of 140! Should have done it18 years ago but thought it would be a lot more expensive and labor intensive, so we never even investigated the project seriously until we saw one someone had installed a few weeks ago. We could feel the difference it made to their garage temperature, so the decision was made and now it's one project down and two to go.
The only plant in bloom in my garden-the newly identified mystery plant is a Hollyhock. It only has one stem with buds and blooms. The flowers are small and the plant is only about 12 inches high. Normally they get about six feet tall in this part of the country, but that's if they are planted for early spring flowering. Since this was a volunteer plant, I guess it got confused on schedules or something.
Compass barrel cactus is in bloom, with a few dried fruit still left from last year's flowers. This barrel is in my front yard, and so I don't count it as part of my backyard garden oasis.
Most of my plants, including some of the vincas, are dead! Never before have I lost vincas because of the heat...with no cloud cover, 110+ temperatures and a lack of summer rain--I count myself lucky to have any at all left! I started buying seeds for fall planting-I always buy many packets of Sweet peas. Can't wait!!
5 comments:
Don't forget that come fall, I'm going to send you a Rock Rose - Pavonia hastata. Or you mentioned that you'd like to try one a few months back... if you still want it come october, I'll send it out. Love the compass barrel. I'm gonna have to get some pics taken around here soon.
Oh, how wonderful about your garage insulation! That will make a great difference! It is such fun to get new projects completed and get to enjoy them! Looking forward to seeing all your new flowers in the extra garden space!
Your Barrel Cactus is looking so pretty right now! Neat pics!!!
How about pics of the garage insulation? Did you have to frame out a wall? Is is attached to the house and therefore helps prevent heat to the main house too?
Anonymous-We only insulated the garage door. The garage faces west and has a row of windows on top. We screened those with 90% sun reduction screens. We used 1 1/2 inch thick panels of styrofoam in the sections on the door.It comes in a pre-cut kit or large sheets.
Claude- I cant' wait for the rock rose!! Thanks!!
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