Gone Feral In Idaho

Today was our first day of real hard work in the back yard. We have several overgrown shrubs and trees that need to be removed to keep them out of power lines and from overgrowing our fence. The second thing to go (the first was a tree that blew over the same week we moved in, so it removed itself mostly) was a huge overgrown super prickly evergreen that had a lot of dead parts and an awful vine that was choking parts of it and overtaking our fence.   Of course it was raining, but we have  the two next garbage pick-ups that will take large amounts of yard cleanup waste. Otherwise, we would have several trips to the dump that would cost us money.  So we put on rain coats got loppers hand pruners and a saw and set to work. This photo is after two large wheeled bins had been filled and taken away. This bush is horrible stuff. It is very prickly and will embed right into your skin. I had to wear welders gloves because the little dead prickly's would fall into my...

 Most of the seedlings have been put into 2 inch pots, which the petunias seem to be overcoming. I know I will up pot the tomatoes and a few others into 4 inch pots, hopefully not too many. We have about 160 plants started so far. There will  be around 50 more that get started just a few weeks before last frost. Luckily we have s south facing bay window I can move a table into behind the couch if we get caught in a bind.  Most of the seeds started this winter are flowers. Some annuals and perennials.  I think we have 8 or 9 tomato varieties, mostly small ones like cherries and grapes. Kyle has his jalapenos and I started a couple big Italian peppers for grilling.  Now all we need to do is build beds and fill them with soil and amendments...

 I made a great Craig's list score with this older cruiser bike that I am retiring as a bike and making into a planter at the entryway. The rear basket will be lined with plastic and filled with potting soil and then planted on the top and side and rear with an abundance of flowers and trailing greenery. I have a woven basket for the handlebars that I'm waiting for spar urethane to dry before lining and planting with a wave petuinia. You can also see our bulbs that are coming up happily. The indoor grow op is growing well. The petunias that take forever to grow are looking really good right now. 

 We have so many tiny crocus flowers now in violet, butter, bright yellow, and white.   This is one of the two types of tulips we put in last fall. There were about 300 bulbs total. There are also daffodils and gladiator alliums.  The was from the Big Triumphator lily that we planted at the old house. I divided it into 9 plants and they are all coming up. Not related, but this is the jungle of long neglected lilacs in the back yard. There are a lot of dead trunks. I plan to thin a third of the worst out over the next three years.

We don't really do valentines day. We do Oscar night. Oscar night happens when spring really starts to hit Boise and we love to celebrate spring in this house. I watch the red carpet junk while Kyle does his own thing. Then the lavish dinner starts. This year is a traditional surf and turf with crab legs and filet mignon. This is our desert- chocolate dipped strawberries.  Happy spring ya'all!