Tom Has Been Busy

 Tom goes out almost every day to prune and trim and do yard clean up. He keeps the yard waste bins full with all of his clippings and yard debris.

When it's raining he spends time in his greenhouse. Here he tends the tender plants that we overwinter, and nurses his cuttings. He has ordered tomato seeds and will soon be starting tomato plants.

This year his geranium cuttings didn't do well, but he has a few survivors to fill our pots. It might give him an excuse to add a few new ones to his collection. 

He has been taking cuttings of some tender plants so he can donate them to my sister's plant sale in the spring. 

I'm still very limited in what I can do in the garden. However when my grabber broke, the one I had had since my first back surgery seven years ago, and I needed to order a new one, I ordered a set with a longer one as well as the shorter one I still use every day to get dressed.

Saturday, while Tom was working outside, I helped. I used my new longer grabber to pick up wind debris off the lawn and driveway. 

It was good to be able to do something useful. I didn't find much to pick up though, since Tom has everything is such good shape. 

Tom isn't doing much today though. We had our second COVID vaccination yesterday, and today he is hurting. He had a similar reaction with the first shot. I'm achy too, but I never know if it's something new or just my normal malaise. 

We did treat ourselves to a Starbucks stop on the way home yesterday though. We sat outside. The sun was shining and it was almost warm.

The sun seems reluctant to make an appearance today. I'll have to make myself get out for a short walk this afternoon. Gotta keep moving. 

Going Places and Seeing People and Things

 Here it is Wednesday afternoon already and I'm just getting around to posting what we did on Sunday. Funny how time flies even when you aren't doing much. 

I'll get to Sunday, because I have photos, but I'll start with the "Not doing much".  

On Monday morning I drove myself to my Physical Therapy appointment. Yes, I have been cleared for driving! And my PT doesn't think he needs to see me until March 29th! He gave me a few new things to work on. I'm not sure how I'm going to get my back rehab to catch up with my hip progress. Maybe a month will bring results.

On Tuesday we had our usual Zoom meet up. 40 minutes goes by quickly with just chatting.

This morning we made made a shopping excursion to Costco, only our second to that destination since the pandemic restrictions. 9:00 to 10:00 are senior hours and there were very few people to get in our space. We may need to go more often, except, as is common for a trip to Costco, I spent too much money. 

We have walked in the neighborhood the last couple of days what with a break in the rain. I struggle, but I keep at it.

Sunday we decided we needed to see our "kids". Is it OK to still call them "kids" when they are 45 and 47? Our purpose was to collect the Christmas wreath materials that are reusable. Since Jake lives in Ballard and it wasn't raining, we went first to the Ballard Locks to walk in the garden there. There are early bloomers there that we like to visit.

We miss going into the city, but with no one allowed in the stadiums we have no reason to go. 

We were happy to see the Edgeworthia in full bloom, and even happier to smell it's wonderful fragrance. 

This little patch of cyclamen was sheltered under the Edgeworthia. 

The crocus are beginning to bloom.

Lots of different kinds of Hellebore are blooming. 

Hazelnut catkins

The locks are roped off, no visitors. 

Wonderful black, double Hellebores that need help showing off their faces.

The park provides an easy paved circuit, just right for us "Old folks" .

An old, early blooming Rosamundi rhodie. 

We had a short visit with Jake outside. We have been keeping up with him via texts but It was good to see him in person.

In the afternoon we drove over to Jill's house and went inside to sit and visit with Jill and Irene. Isaac was at work at his pizza making job. We talked about what's happening and not happening about schools reopening. There is plan for getting the elementary kids back, but nothing yet for the older kids. There will be high school sports but we can't go and watch the track meets. That makes me sad. 

Irene let me look at her new sketch book. Wow! What a talented artist she is becoming. Sometime I'll have to get permission to show you some of her drawings. 

And that's what we have been up to. 

Planting and Growing

 We lucked out with dry weather on Saturday and were able to get our planting done.

The primroses are now in the blue porch pots. 

The Christmas greens and wreath are gone. 

Tom cut back the hardy fuchsia that needed to be moved and planted it along with the new Hellebore in the bed he cleaned out the day before. 

Then we took time to enjoy what's growing. The snowdrops have mostly sprung back after the snow, but they are so shy we have to hold their heads up to see their pretty faces. 

They are right along the front walk, in the winter garden. 

The primroses I plant in the pots get moved out into the garden the spring, where most of them persist and bloom from winter to spring. 

New clumps of daffodils I planted last fall are showing promise of golden beauty before too long. 

The tulips will take much longer, but they are up and growing. 

And I read in the paper that there will probably be a Tulip Festival this year! We will have to pay attention, because there will be limited access and we will need reservations. But YAY!

A Little Field Trip

 We got an email notice last week that Carpinitos Produce Stand and Garden Center was open. I was ready to clear out the Christmas greenery in my porch pots and plant primroses. Besides, we needed to go somewhere. So we did. 

I found very pretty primroses for a good price. 

I picked one of every color except white. I also found a lovely Hellebore for a very good price, so I grabbed that too. 

Then we just walked around to see what we could see.

I like this pretty Mexican pottery.

A dragon fly landed in my cart. 

Since Carpinitos deals mostly in local produce, they did not have any for sale yet. We enjoyed the flowers and the chance to get out of the house. There were very few people to have to avoid. 

Since the rain held off into the afternoon, Tom and I went out to do some work. He finished pruning the maple tree and picked up. Then he cleaned up the bed under the window and transplanted a hardy fuchsia that needed to be moved and found a place for that new Hellebore. 

 

I worked here. I got all of the greens removed and the wreath taken down and taken apart.

I got rained out just as I was getting ready to plant the primroses, so I'll have to show you that in another post. We should be able to get out again tomorrow, perhaps between showers. 

I'm not ready to get down on my knees yet, but as long as I don't bend over too far or too long, I can do a few things. It felt good to be able get out and be productive. And have flowers!