This has been such a rollercoaster of a winter season, here in Northeast Ohio!! A few days of seasonable weather followed by a few days of unseasonably warm weather! It's been simply crazy!!
Yesterday night, we had sustained winds at 20mph, with wind gusts at 41mph, and around 11:30pm, a huge branch fell from our NW tree! It didn't hit the garage or house, thank heavens! It did detach the dog run from the house, which made a loud noise that made me jump! The branch also brought down the AT&T phone line. Oddly enough, it's still attached to the house and the line on the telephone poles! No problem for us bc we have VoIP Vonage. Not sure if it affects the neighbors, right now..
WEATHER TODAY:
Monday February 13, 2017
Chance Snow Showers then Partly Sunny
High 34
A chance of snow showers before 7am. Partly sunny, with a high near 34. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. Southwest wind 3 to 7 mph.
TODO LIST:
NEW PLANTS, ON ORDER FOR SPRING SHIPPING, SINCE LAST POST:
* White Feather Hosta (Real cheap & BOGO free from Michigan Bulb!)
* Ostrich Fern (Real cheap & BOGO free from Michigan Bulb!)
DAYLILIES:
* 'Venetian Royalty'
* 'Feminine Fingers'
* 'Honky Tonk Barbie'
* 'Asheville Social Butterfly'
* 'Bam'
I'M SO EXCITED!!!
GARDEN:
SPROUTING / BUDDING SINCE LAST POST:
* Some daylilies are actually peaking out of the ground. They're quite confused!
* 'Quail' Daffodils
BLOOMING SINCE LAST POST:
N/A
DONE BLOOMING SINCE LAST POST:
* Stellas
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WEATHER TODAY: Hot and humid with a high of 85. Windy with gusts um
Sun and clouds until 5:00 pm downpours. Thunderstorms just finished up.
NEW PLANTS SINCE LAST POST:
* J&J Daylily
GARDEN:
SPROUTING / BUDDING SINCE LAST POST:
* None
BLOOMING SINCE LAST POST:
* Stella De Oro
DONE BLOOMING SINCE LAST POST:
* All but Stella!
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Yesterday, the DH and I began the installation of our new hosebib...finally!! The outside finish plumbing is complete, so the inside rough plumbing is left to do. Love the Pex system! Can't wait til it's finished!! We've had drought conditions for at least one month. Only just a couple of rains measuring a whopping 1/4" each! Very challenging to keep things irrigated, when limited to only 28 gallons of water at a time (from the spring) and only one car in use by my DH who is working two jobs, now! We just got our second car last week, after an accident totaled our second car in 2014.
The backstory on the hosebib pipe is that it burst two weeks before Christmas in 2013. And then, that very same evening, our inside main valve began leaking around three hours after the emergency, temporary plumbing was complete for the hosebib!! We were struggling financially (almost lost our home three times since 2011), and couldn't afford to have both issues fixed, so the inside main was the priority! (Folks, I couldn't make this up if you paid me!) 
Now that things are underway, our trips to the local spring, for my garden water, will soon be a thing of the past after putting up with it for three years!! My last trip will be this week!!!
I'm beyond crazy ecstatic!!! 
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WEATHER TODAY:
Today was overcast and upper 70's and humid with not a whisper of a breeze.
We are hurting bad for rain! Supposed to get thunderstorms tonight and rain all day tomorrow. Gosh I hope so!!
Our clay soil is looking like something from the desert!! Got alot of wilting plants in the gardens that aren't ready for mulch yet! Even some of my hostas and daylilies are showing a little stress! Our hose bibb is busted and I'm frustrated! 
I do get water at a local spring, but only about 28 gallons at a time. Pretty difficult to combat extended drought this way.
Oh, wait!!! It's just started to rain!!
Thank heavens!!
NEW PLANTS SINCE LAST POST:
* None
GARDENING SINCE LAST POST:
* Moved 'Phyllis Cantini' to northeast garden. Planted 'Clockwork' and 'Asheville Pink Lady' in west foundation garden, by the driveway. Planted the Lily of the Valley from the DG trade with Candi. Then dressed the critical areas of the northeast garden with mulch. Supplement watered the wilting perennials in the northwest and the northeast gardens as much as possible without using up too much spring water.
SPROUTING / BUDDING SINCE LAST POST:
* Daylily 'Laughing Skies'
BLOOMING SINCE LAST POST:
* Clematis 'Niobe'
DONE BLOOMING SINCE LAST POST:
* None
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WEATHER TO DATE:
* This Spring has been quite a ride with several, unseasonable, freeze/thaw cycles into early May.
* Currently, we are in hot, humid and extended drought conditions!! Very challenging without a working hose bibb! Construction by the spring, for the new Pro Football HOF city, has lead to turning off the faucets for who knows how long!! Note to self: GET OFF THE TOUKAS AND INSTALL THE HOSEBIB!!
NEW PLANTS TO DATE:
* DAYLILIES: Blueberry Lemonade (2), Bloodfire (1), Clockwork (1 huge triple fan!), Coral Majority (3), Electric Lizard (1triple fan - round 2!), Helix (3), Mystic Pizza (1 triple fan), Two Sues (1)
* PERENNIALS: Clematis - red (3), Hosta (1 divided into two), Iris - 'Strawberry Love' (3), Elfin Thyme, Liatris (4), Lily of the Valley (6), Phlox (creeping) 'Emerald Blue' (front (south) landscape and the east garage gardens), Phlox (creeping) 'Emerald Pink' (front (south) landscape only), Phlox (creeping) pink (east garage garden)
* EVERGREENS: Sky Pencil Japanese Holly (1 front (south) landscape).
GARDENING TO DATE:
* Groundcover Project: Last Fall, I pulled out the Lamium in the following gardens: East Porch; East North and West Kennel; abnd East Garage. As beautiful as Lamium is, it's too tall as a groundcover, and it flowers constantly throughout the entire growing season. Therefore, *numerous* bees constantly around the occupied areas *all season long*!! I'm allergic (although, not life threatening) and it makes for undesireable spaces for us to chill! To date, I replaced the Lamium with Creeping Phlox and Elfin Thyme in all but the kennel gardens, which will be done soon. I also removed the invasive stuff in the front porch stair landing border and replaced it with Elfin Thyme that's not so invasive!
*Daylilies: Completely gave/traded away the following: 'Flight of the Raven', 'Meant to Be', 'Whistler's Sister'. Planted three new 'Helix' around the birdbath in the East garage garden. Planted three 'Coral Majority' around the Weeping Cherry tree. Planted one 'Two Sues' in Northeast garden.
* The front (south) material is in and this area is *mostly* done and mulched for the season. I may add Stella divisions in the Fall. Hardscape needs completeded, but I'm in no rush at this juncture!
* The East Garage garden plant material is in and this area is complete and mulched!!
*Three new 'Niobe' clematis were added to three of the four corners of the Kennel gardens.
SPROUTING / BUDDING:
* Most everything is sprouted and filled or filling out.
* Daylily 'Helix': The one year old clump, in the West driveway garden, is filled out nicely and sprouting scapes, and I'm beside myself with excitement and anticipation!! This daylily is my #1 favorite!! I got one bloom after planting the fan, last year, but before the leaves filled out, and I'm looking forward to the "show" this year and for years to come!
* Daylily 'Raspberry Pixie' sprouting scapes. The late freeze/thaw cycles took their toll on RP! After noticing that the foliage was growing in a wierd manner and that they weren't filling out, I cut the foliage back to 8 inches above the ground in hopes to revive them. The clumps are nice size, not decreasing, and usually it fills out to 30 inch wide plants, but to date, they are scrawny! Revival tactics are proving to be futile!! We'll see how it plays out..
* Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel' just began sprouting its branches around May 25th.
* Coneflower 'Cheyenne Spirit' budding.
* Clematis 'Niobe' budding.
BLOOMING:
* Daylily 'Stella de Oro'
* Fernleaf Bleeding Heart
* Yarrow
BLOOMING FINISHED:
* Mini lilac.
* 'Quail' daffodils.
* All Spring bulbs.
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