Luffa buds

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Holly Bush update

So my dad did me a huge favor and chopped back the holly bushes as much as he could. Which ended up being about 2/3rds of the ones on the side and 1/3rd of the ones in the back.

The ones in the back are the main wind block in the winter. The back side ones are apart of that wind block but needed to be heavily chopped back.

My dad thinks that who ever originally planted them had no idea how big they would get. There was part of an old stone border and they were right on top of it.

This is going to take a few years of creative trimming to get them under control. I wouldn't mind them to get a bit taller. I think the back bushes could be nice 1-2 feet taller and the side bushes 2-3 feet taller.

My dad doesn't agree and thinks they should be kept small.

For now I'm just feeding them and waiting to re-evaluate them next year.

And yes, I am saving so many of the branches. They are too dry to easily strip the bark but other then that I will have a nice supply for a while.

Super thin & long holly branches

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My dad has no idea how the branches managed to do this. By all accounts holly isn't supposed to grow this fast and to me the branches look like first year growth.

I haven't cut them yet because I might make them into a wreath or small wreaths.

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Purple poppy

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A rich purple for this poppy. Very happy with the color.


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A bright red nasturtium

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These were dollar store seeds. They are not eating my yard like i had hoped but they are thriving with neglect. Nasturtium flower best when neglected. Which is the opposite of almost everything else in the world.

My dad is a touch envious but that mostly because he is very good at babying his garden and that isn't what these like.

We found out that they smell like roses.

I have found a bunch of seeds on sale so when ever I get my flower beds made these will be going the the back near the dead/dry areas that don't get the rain.


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insta- what now

Trying to get things going again. I have a few posts that just need editing.

And then there is the bit about the person that stole seed pods from my front garden. We think it might be the same person that stole flowers from my neighbors garden. He did it right in front of her!

I need to go back at some point to fix all the instagram photos. Add more text for what is happening in them.

It would be nice if google supported the Blogger app. That would have made my life a lot easier.

So many things to do.

Another White Poppy

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This white poppy look like it has it's arms crossed and head tucked down. Not a bad picture from my phone.


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White Poppy

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One of the white poppies in the early morning. Or this could have been the evening after I watered everything.


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Red currents, chamomile & a few alpine strawberries.

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Red currents, chamomile & a few alpine strawberries from my garden.

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What my purple poppies should have looked like

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This is what my purple poppies should have looked like. I'm trying to make the flowers so I can try to keep the seed & types organised.

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Stealing seed pods is wrong. I’m heartbroken because I have been waiting & watching these three.

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I am still angry and hurt about this.

I even heard the person or people that took them. They didn't sound like pokemon go players so I turned on my porch light and they suddenly went quiet. I should have gone out side and checked.

I wish them endless tiny painful paper cuts rubbed with lemon juice.





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This is a weed that I thought I pulled.

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I hate this weed. I have so many. At least all the poppies are bigger then these now. No more accidentally saving these.




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This is also a poppy seedling.

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This is also a poppy seedling. For the purple poppies.


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This is a poppy seedling.

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This is a poppy seedling. I think purple.

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I think this is a pansy seedling.

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I think this is a pansy seedling.


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The prolific patch that this little plant came from turned out to be alpine strawberries. Time to harvest & freeze because it takes a lot of them to make anything.

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These are alpine strawberries. They have a wonderful sent and are very dry unless muddled with sugar. They are also extremely seedy.

They grow like weeds and I need to find a better spot for them so the ants can't get to them.


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This might be okra. Which would be good because it’s on my list to try growing. I found another one in a less ideal spot but this could be nice.

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This might be okra. Which would be good because it’s on my list to try growing. I found another one in a less ideal spot but this could be nice.


Clicking the link will show you the photo on my instagram. I'm not sure why it stops showing in the blog.

White poppy

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I really like these. They are so tiny and the blooms are gone in a day or two.

another white poppy

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Another white poppy from my garden. 

red poppy

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This poppy looks more red then purple. I didn't mark the stem so I don't know which seed pod this pic belongs to. I think there was a second bloom of this same striking color. With lick I'll be able to remember and set them in their own section of the garden to get more seeds next year.

First grouping of poppies

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These were the biggest and the best looking for both the flowers and the seed pods.

And then someone stole them a week or two before the seed pods would have been ready to collect.

I am still angry that people go around a steel flowers.

My neighbor saw a old guy walk up to her poppies and just take a flower. She was right there and he didn't even ask. I wish I had been there because I would have yelled at him.

Yup, definitely still angry about this.

Another mystery plant. Possibly a belladonna.

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A holly bush getting eaten by red trumpet vines with a possible dash of poison ivy. This will be my weekend.

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red trumpet vines

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I just thought that this pic was interesting. The zoom made it look like a lush jungle. At the time it was the closest I could get. 

orange nasturtium

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An orange nasturtium from the backyard.

No idea what happened to cause these dents in my siding. I have a hunch it’s from last weekend or the weekend before when a ramp was moved. But I’m not sure. Because I missed that part.

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