A new yard rug and spring in the Ozarks....

Here I shared my new “yard rug”….after 3 years, I am happy to announce that the fescue sod is thriving!!!

It is still a little early to plant annuals, but the mulch is down and everything is ready! The “freeze date” in our area is April 11, but I usually wait until the end of April or first of May to plant just to be on the safe side. One year we actually had snow in May….a rarity, but it happened!

Truthfully, even if we don’t get a freeze, the cooler temps and tons of rain we have in April make it hard for tender annuals to thrive…I have found that waiting just a few weeks really helps!

I mentioned HERE that I pretty much stick to container plantings these days…I might stick a handful in the ground here and there, but most go in a container or a pot!

In the meantime, I have lots of perennials to carry me through the spring…hostas, vinca, daffodils, tulips, and of course the flower trees and bushes…azaleas, Bradfords and purple plums! They all make for a beautiful sympathy in spring!

During this time of “home quarantine” I am so grateful I put in the time and effort over the years to make my yard a park-like haven…it has been a God sent this year!

Enjoy these pictures from years past…

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A new life for the unwanted...

Nasty old furniture is not the only thing I find and bring home from my apartments.

A few months ago I found an all-but-dead rose bush...still in the original pot...in a vacant apartment. She was pretty much a goner....dry as a bone, leaves all yellow, basically on her last leg.

But I can't throw away a plant if there is a teeny smidge of hope it can be saved.

So I brought her home, pruned away all of the dead stuff and planted her....and water...and fertilized...and waited....

I wish I had a "before" picture of this pathetic little thing...because today she is a beautiful little rose bush!

Last year I added another flower bed to my yard and filled it with rose bushes.

But this bed was pretty much full so I put her where I thought I might want another rose bush IF she survived!!! Next to the deck....

And honestly, that bed is my "nursery" for sick and ailing flowers. The yellow flowers are some I picked up for a $1 on the "all but dead" table at Lowes...they were on their last leg when I bought them. The pink vinca had been bit by the frost so I got them for something like .25 a piece at Lowes. All are doing quite well...and as you can see, the rose bush bounced right back and is green and lush and flowering!

Knock out roses are not "climbers" but they will get big enough to stake or tie up...so it is good to plant them where they can be "trellised."

Eventually this pretty lady will be big enough to trellis to my deck and will adorn the entire corner of this bed!

This is a great time of the year to check out the "all but dead" clearance area at Lowes. This weekend I scored $38 worth of plants for $5...geraniums and blue daze...perfect for a flower box I haven't planted yet. They are all in good condition, they just aren't blooming...a little fertilizer and TLC and they will be in full bloom in a few weeks! (I'll try to remember to post pics!)

Perennials can be rather pricey early in the year when they are all lush and bloomy and pretty. But what I've learned (hostas being a PRIME example) is that they tend to struggle the first year they are planted...so why not pick up a few that are looking a bit sketch anyway while they are discounted pennies on the dollar!

Discounted perinnials may not hit their full glory this year...but oh my, wait til next year!

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