mugwort weed

 

This is a photo of a weed called mugwort.  I used google image search to identify it.  At first I thought maybe it was a chrysanthemum since there was an old photo of the garden with some mums growing in the same general area.

A few weeks ago, I dug up and divided a larger plant that was growing under the bleeding heart plant.  Thinking it was a mum, I planted the two halves in different parts of the garden - dug holes for them (no small feat with the hard, clay ground), watered them almost daily, even trimmed the leaves twice so that they would puff out with flowers later in the year.  Hahahaha.  

One way to tell that it's a mugwort (versus a chrysanthemum) is to look at the underside of the leaves - they are silver/white - in contrast to the the darker green of the chrysanthemums.  The shape of the leaves are also somewhat different than those of mums.  Mugwort leaves are spikier.  Anyhow, I dug up all the mugworts (three clumps today).  Begone.  Time to focus on the nicer plants, like some of the begonias, etc.

summer day

According to my dad, on this day, I (we) should not wear the following colors: red, white, and black.  He added that it's okay to wear one item in that color, but to avoid wearing an entire red outfit.  For today only, because it's the first day of summer (?) or something.  Sometimes it's difficult for me to translate what he's actually saying.  It's a Chinese belief and today has some meaning to it.  Well it's a good thing I called him today; I changed out of my pink shirt into a green-blue one.  I was actually wearing a pink shirt and blank pants - all the bad colors at once haha oh dear.

He also said to eat something that sounded like 'joong' in Cantonese.  An orange?  No, he said - I can't buy it where I am anyway.  Google is awesome - I searched what food joong is in Cantonese and discovered that it's a traditional Chinese sticky rice, covered with bamboo leaves.

With the first day of summer approaching, here's a recent photo of the weed/wildflower garden out back.  The sweet alyssum are the first to bloom.  Not counting the oxalis that's everywhere, some of which I've been trying to pull out but at this point may just give up doing so.  See that yellow peeking out - that's oxalis aka yellow wood sorrel - Google told me that.

Happy Summer Weekend!

summer flowers

Here are some flowers I bought from Home Depot - marigolds and a lantana plant.  They are supposed to be drought-tolerant, which is good because it's getting really hot around here and watering plants every day is a bit much.

There are tons of weeds growing in the backyard garden, particularly where the wildflowers were sown.  I've been pulling out the weeds, and more keep popping right up.  Maybe if I get a better handle on them, there will be a photo of the back garden to share one day.

hot dog

There was the funniest balloon at the supermarket today.

Memorial Day is the Unofficial Start of the Summer.

Hot Dog!

pink spring

My current favorite color is pink.  Here are some pink features from the garden.

Bleeding hearts...

A tree with pink flowers that just bloomed!

And last, but not least - the very first pink rose bush I've ever planted - a Morden Blush Rose.  I planted it yesterday and I hope it survives!

p.s. I found this post as a draft from April 15th and I don't know why it didn't post then.  So these were photos from back in time.  The rose actually has less leaves now - I really hope it survives this year!

happy mother's day

 

shrubs

Planted some new shrubs from Costco today.  The lady working there helped me pick out the best looking boxwood ('Wintergreen') and holly (Bennett's Compacta Holly).  I picked out the azalea myself - the bright pink one with the prettiest flowers (Hardy Azalea - Rhododendron x hybrid Double Crimson).

I made a bouquet arrangement out of the pieces that fell off during the planting into the ground phase.  I also planted some wildflower seeds today.  Here's to Spring!

sunset trail

There's a trail that leads right up to the sunset, but you have to go quick.  Otherwise you'll miss it!  I think I made it just in time today.

sushi toy

 General advice provided by a sushi roll toy

spring flowers

I planted potted tulips from Sam's Club.  Wonder how long the flowers will last, since I had to break apart the roots to separate them.  At least the bulbs are in the ground for next year!