The pond dig has begun!

[CountryEscape]

Yep, my sister gave me a dozen different colors/types of iris from a plant sale when she lived in AZ. Still have most of them, and they sure do spread. I've been giving them away left and right last couple of years, and moved the ones I liked the most, too. Will see what colors I have left when they bloom. I have a dwarf solid yellow that is really cute and only gets about 12-14" tall. My all-time favorite is a tall HUGE flower yellow and white, and the other one is deep purple. I moved some of those in front of my house, hoping they bloom this year. Then bought some new ones, several other dwarfs. Put them in different beds. Trying to have color year round. Getting better each year.
Oh, and maybe one day we can share baby yuccas. LOL

 

[sissy]

I did not even realize mine had spread out by the shed until today .Thing is when they get bigger you have to be careful because the end of the leaves get pointy and hard and you can get stabbed by them

 

[addy1]

I think someone on the gardeners site said to put them in a cool place for a month or so before you want it to bloom. Mine has been in my basement for about 3 months. LOL I just was bringing some of the plants upstairs when I noticed the buds.

Mine get cool sitting by the windows, the air there is cool in the winter. So 3-4 months of cool must bring on the blooms this time of year.

 

[CountryEscape]

Oh, and Sissy, if you want to share one of your baby yuccas, I have two plants on my new one, could divide it and give you one. Not sure if mine is the same as yours, maybe it is and will get pink in the winter, too. If so, then no need to share. LOL
Here are some springtime photos of flowers and a panoramic of my ponds this morning.

 

[sissy]

.I really need to buy more spring bulbs .I realized this year how much i miss my spring garden in NJ .The soil in my gardens there was so rich and really made spring flowers look great

 

[tbendl]

CE it looks great!!

 

[John O]

I wish I had that much room...

 

[CountryEscape]

John, it's a lot of work, but I love every minute of it. It's my therapy and workout all rolled into one happy yard. I could spend hours in my yard, just walking around and seeing what is coming up, pulling weeds, mulching, planting, trimming and pruning, and digging up in the fall. Maybe some day it will be too much for me to take care of, but for now, it's my passion. I feel bad, because the front of my house does not get the attention the back yard gets. I spend 95% of my outside hours in the back yard.
BTW, bullfrogs were talking again tonight, and the temps are going to go down to 40's again. Warmer tomorrow, sunny and upper 60's. Loving this spring weather.

 

[CountryEscape]

Sissy, I really love your yucca. I have the one large green old fashioned one, and it had a really tall flower spike last year, first year since I planted it about 4 years ago. This year I noticed that maybe 1/3 of the spikes look like they are getting brown and maybe dying. I know some of the yuccas bloom, and then send out babies and the parent plant dies. I see no babies, but I know what you mean about the spikes. It's a VERY tricky situation to pull any weeds around that plant. Ouch!!! My new one is not so stiff, or at least not yet, maybe because it's young. It's bright yellow and green, no pink on it at all.

 

[CountryEscape]

Had a bullfrog try to eat one of my goldfish this morning, but I got there to feed the fish and noticed it just in time, saved both.
Then, while I was walking my pregnant mare to the pasture to have her couple of hours of grass this morning, I heard a series of yelps, turned and saw that my male Boston terrier pup had evidently been kicked in the chest by the mare. She didn't even break stride! I'd been hollering at him to stay away from her, but he is a curious dude. He not the nipping type, but probably got close enough she thought he was going to bite, and she smacked him. She could have done damage, but instead, she gave him quite a lesson! Tonight, when I moved her again, he stayed wayyyyyy back! Lesson learned. I love lessons like that where it turns out good.

 

[addy1]

She is pregnant and moody................. he better stay away!

 

[CountryEscape]

Sooo true. Actually, she killed one of my Bostons a few years ago. It was a fluke thing, as she has never attacked a dog EVER! She does not allow them to mess with her, but the dogs have always been smart enough to stay away. I was right there, watched the whole thing go down. It was this time of year, horses still locked in the paddock, waiting for a dry day to let them out into the grass, guy was finishing up my new roofing. She came out of the barn, Olive was in the paddock, Sydney (the mare) charged her, but not super fast, dog could have easily have gotten out of her way. But, somehow, and I still do not know how this happened, the dog got flipped UP into the air! Must have been on the upswing of her foot, not a down step like she was going to stomp the dog. Anyhow, when I got to Olive, she had a broken neck. Poof, just that fast! I could not believe she was dead. I couldn't punish the mare, she was just playing around, the dog was just not quick enough this time. It was yet another dog for me to bury. I think I have buried something like 5 dogs here and 2 cats. Amazing, because in my whole life, I have never had that many animals die TOTAL! But, because of that issue with the same mare before, I am much more cautious, or at least I thought I was. This morning again, Quincy (Boston) stayed wayyyy away from her. LOL
The mule runs the fence when I take Sydney away, and Smokey, the beagle loves to run it with him, barking the whole time, like the dog is making the mule run. The mule just puts his head down challenging the dog to "make his day". LOL Smokey also knows better than to cross that electric line fence! Mule is very territorial at times.

 

[addy1]

Yep can't blame the horse they are just being a horse

 

[CountryEscape]

Got Sydney's stall finished this evening and put her in there. She was NOT happy, which I anticipated. She cannot see her buddies, they are on the other side of the barn. I knew in time she would settle down, but didn't want to stress her, so I let the others out in the front pasture, part of which is side by side with her little area. She is happy again. Now we wait ... should foal in the next 2 weeks, I hope. Her official due date is May 10, which is average 11 months 10 days. Farrier is coming on Sat. (3 weeks later than originally scheduled, but due to a death in his family, had to reschedule), so then she will be ready to have her baby. LOL May daughter is due with my first grandchild on May 24. I just hope the mare goes on time or early, and my daughter doesn't go too early, or I will be in quite a predicament! Of course, my grandchild will take front seat, but will hate to leave my mare, too, since it's her first foal, and she is 16 years old! The pregnant mare is the paint on the left. The other paint is just as fat or fatter. LOL Addy, see all the dandelions in the pasture? I leave those for the bees.

 

[addy1]

Good girl! Our dandelions in the back field now get mowed around so the bees get food.

Good luck with your mare! and new grandkid to be