Back to houseplants, and a few container gardens

Good day friends! Maddie here, and I thought since I was at the library online, I'd write a short one and report in with my over the fence friends out there. Having relocated to Greeneville which is a slightly different climate as it's closer to the Cherokee National Forest and mountains, sits between the mountains and is in a kinda bowl, I'm also in town with a considerably smaller yard to deal with.

Good directional abilities of sunlight, not much in the way of trees for shade. A rental, but we're gonna be here for at least a year. Landlady said plant what I wanted......so I've already planted the three gallon pot of "Cherokee Red" crape myrtle in the front yard four feet from the neighbor's recently dug up and replanted holly bush. It was about 10 years old and due to early spring weather, it's not suffering yet. Miz Nancy had planted it too close to her front porch. Still waiting to hear word from my landscaping friend about the many containers she's got of all my stuff at her place. Due to things out of our emotional control and the rising price of gasoline (she's now no longer ten minutes away, but an hour give or take) I'm helplessly waiting for her to calm down and listen to loving reason. That and I've got other plans that will assist a few things to come home to me. I miss my plants and am champing at the bit to start plugging in beds around the house!

The front porch faces north with stong southern and western indirect sunlight. There's a 40 year old red dogwood blooming at the moment and James has already pruned off the dead branches and limbs of anthrachnose it had. Hopefully it will be fine now. I intend to plant a small raised bed around it and prevent people from cutting through the small area to the driveway. There is a proper straight as a ruler sidewalk that I'll make two foot wide beds as well, but I will encourage people who visit to come up the drive instead of cutting across.

There's an old glacial stone wall that isn't more than a few inches off the ground at the start of the front yard, rising to three feet of so and it's perfect for my sedums and semps to tuck in. Full western exposure, I know little slips and pieces will tuck in nicely. A narrow bed along the top of this wall will give me plantable area as well, and things can cascade down the rocks. A true capability of rock gardening.

There is too much lawn and grass and I'm already trying to figure out a way to lift the sod and transplant it to where it's been dug up by previous dog. The eastern side is nice and perfect for my hellebore and other semi shady things as I reclaim them. And since there's just city birds so far (aka robins, mockingbirds, starlings, cardinals and a few jays and such) I hope to put the bird feeders and such on the eastern side to enjoy from our bedroom window. The ground is close to the windows and provides me options that I like.

The back yard is southern and western exposed, with two trees on the rise in each corner. I've already pruned a mostly dead snowball viburnum down to slips of remainders, and the crape myrtle that I'll know what color when she blooms. mostly boulders and huge rocks, the back yard will be a challange as it's fenced and Sugar and Smeagol are captives. First time for me to scoop poop, though.

I've already set up one compost bin, and the second one will come soon as I locate the screws to fasten it. Bought it reduced from Sams last year. good to be back to routines though. I didn't compost for six months............

I'll write more as I know I'll have the thoughts and werds there to share. Spring is in full blown here in Greeneville, and before I left Faerie Holler, (now referred by me as Vinca Ridge as there are those of you who know why LOL) the peepers were rejoicing early. Dogwoods, Redbuds, Bridal bouquet spirea, button spirea, tulips, and other wonderful signs of spring abound. Mom's Nature hasn't had her last laugh though, haven't had the blackberry winter yet, but we've had the Dogwood winter. My tree peonies are bud tight and the pink fragrant one is opening up 9 blossoms. Never knew she was lifted and repotted. There's that to comfort me. Next will be the huge purple one and then the striped. I'll position their pots later in a better spot. Right now they reside underneath the locust tree with the pots of hellebore.

I'll holler at you all later.

Madgardener, up in the Greeneville bowl, with the Cherokee National Forest and mountains close enough by to touch them gardening in zone

6b- 7a now............
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Jacqueline Davidson

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