OK, for the purists out there I am using the term 'lawn' very loosely, as I have no actual grass to speak of. Well, I do have some, but that wasn't what I dealt with today.
Today I raked.
And raked.
Oh, and did I mention I raked?
I filled my compost heap, I covered the 8'x10' tarp, and I have another two huge piles. For the curious, I only raked 2 areas, totaling maybe 200 square feet. Got leaves?
The good news is that rotten leaves are second only to poop (cow or worm, not cat or dog!) when it comes to making good dirt. To be living in the land of Carolina Clay, I have uncovered a gold mine of rich moist loamy black earth. WOOHOO!! I'm thinking I'm going to use this lovely dirt to my advantage and plant a lettuce plot in the back yard, which is all northern exposure. I have some old lettuce seeds, but might get some new ones here, where I can buy a 1oz mix of organic seeds for $7.50. In case your curious, 1 oz of lettuce seeds is about 20,000 (!!!), which means I should be able to have plenty of baby green salads for the spring and winter.
At this point, the lettuce is my only planned contribution to my yard's foliage. As many of you know, the house I bought originally belonged to what I must assume was an avid gardener. I say this because I have counted, thus far, 11 varities of camellias, and have another 4 or 5 that haven't even bloomed yet. I 'inherited' camellias, azaleas, daffy's, periwinkle, roses, mimosa, nadina, rose of sharon, and countless other items.
Here's what's showing off today. Nadina berries, periwinkle, daffodil, 2 of my camellias, bamboo, and what I think is privet. Not sure on that last one, though.
And, while I'm thinking about it, does anyone know what this is? I've got a crapload of it!
January 20th, 2007 at 10:14 pm 1169331286
January 21st, 2007 at 03:50 am 1169351455
I don't have a green thumb though, so I can't comment. Someday, when I'm feeling ambitious enough, I'd like to try gardening....
January 21st, 2007 at 04:02 am 1169352144
I am going to start a garden this year too! Contrary1 is a great advisor!
January 21st, 2007 at 08:42 am 1169368953
January 21st, 2007 at 08:51 am 1169369469
The yellow flowers look like a wild flower I've seen around here (or you could call it a weed).
January 21st, 2007 at 05:14 pm 1169399659
Here's a link to a Mahonia that looks similar to your plant. http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1487
The pictured one is an interspecific cross---that is, a cross between two species of Mahonia. The people on the Unversity of British Columbia forum where these pictures are posted are very knowlegeable and enjoy talking plants. They might help you with a better i.d. if you ask.
January 21st, 2007 at 08:23 pm 1169411021
as for the white flower, it's not honeysuckle (at least not a variety i've seen around here much). the flowers are small, about the size of a thumbnail (1/3 that of a honeysuckle in this area). and it's not on a vine, but a plant that has long slender, single branches coming from the same growth point in the ground.
still researching that one. thanks for the info!
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:45 pm 1169592315