Hello, everyone! I thought I would walk around and show you a little of what’s happening around here. I did go to two of the Amish greenhouses today to see what they have available. I was good, didn’t get to excited and I didn’t buy a single thing. That seems like a miracle! I was going to take photos but there were several customers always standing around so I decided not to this time.

The Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chips’ are flowering now. They have spread nicely everywhere I planted them. Umm… Don’t know if you realize it or not, or have ever tried Ajuga (Bugleweed), but they spread. They spread, that is, if you plant them where they are happy. Mine are happy here but they seemed to be happier where I had them in Mississippi. I have a photo somewhere to prove that. Of all the Ajuga I have seen, I like the variety “Chocolate Chips’ better. They have really nice small leaves that are dark green with kind of a burgundy tint, hue, or whatever you call it. Did I mention they spread?

Obviously this is a cactus. But guess what the name of it is? Well, actually, I am hoping someone tells me. I need to put it on a Facebook group to get the name. This is the one that Mrs. Wagler of Wagler’s Greenhouse told me it would survive the winter outside. Umm… The one I forgot about until late one night when it was snowing. Well, it survived just like she said. Now it has a fall off on it and buds. Some cactus grow shoots that fall off and root… I call them fall offs because that is what they do. I won’t have any problems identifying this cactus because it has some pretty distinctive characteristics.

The Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale) has been galloping very nicely lately. I say nicely now, but later I will probably want to corral it (them). Many of the taller stems have fallen over so I guess I need to cut them off. Despite the Equisetum’s wandering nature, they are one of my favorite plants. I like weird accent plants and I have been thinking about sticking a few here and there. It took me several years to take them out of their pot so I probably won’t be moving them around anytime soon. Not because I am a procrastinator but because I know what WILL ultimately happen.

Yeah, I know. I am supposed to cut the flowers of of the Rhubarb. But aren’t they AWSOME!!! Only one plant does well and the others are so small and weird. I always like growing Rhubarb because they are neat, tropical looking plants. Kind of like Elephant Ears. Dad had a HUGE Rhubarb patch in our garden when I was a kid and I have no idea why he didn’t move some here to the farm in 1996. The new owners of their old house mowed them all down. I remember as a kid I would break off a stem and suck on it for hours. Of course, mom would often cook it for us.

All the Hosta are looking very well. Above is Hosta ‘Guacamole’ with its beautiful bi-color green leaves.

Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’ is always majestic with it’s nice powdery, light blue-green leaves. This cultivar has a nice vase-shape, as they call it. I could never figure out why they call it a vase-shape. Seems more like a funnel. LOL.

On the right side of the bed is the HUGE Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’. Awesome large, dark green,  puckered, heavily veined leaves.

This photo of Hosta ‘Red October’ looks a little off. It is darker green than this. Anyway, it is doing very well, too.

Last, alphabetically, is my beautiful Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’. Now folks, seriously, this is an AWESOME Hosta. If you don’t have one, you need to find one. Large, thick, puckered blue-green leaves that are quite slug resistant.

After taking a few photos I went to the chicken house… I went inside and picked up the water bucket to get fresh water and came out…

And “you know who” was on the roof! I think he gets sillier every day!

When I came back to the chicken house I went into the bantams pen. Clara was screaming at Elizabeth and Elizabeth was complaining because Clara didn’t want to share the top nest.

Rooster #1 was laughing at them saying, “Women.”

I went back into the main area of the chicken house to get the bigger chickens eggs and “This One” was in a nest. “This One” always gives me the evil eye and bristles up ready to strike. I think she sharpens her beak just for me. Seriously, I have never had a more ferocious hen! Lately I just leave her alone. Not worth upsetting her, getting pecked only to find she doesn’t have any eggs under her yet.

The two unnamed Sedum are doing very well, too. I just call them Unknown #1…

And Unknown #2. I can figure out their names in time. I just have to sit down and go through several hundred photos and descriptions. The thing is, they may have been placed in the Phedimus genus. Or maybe they were put in the Phedimus genus then put back in Sedum. I DON”T KNOW!!! I do know that they were Sedum, then Phedimus at one point but the last time I looked some of them were put back in the Sedum genus. Some experts who write books with one name or the other argue with each other about what belongs where and why. I think they need to sit down to an AWESOME dinner and forget all about it for a while. Find something they can agree on to talk about.

Well, I better go for now. Hope you enjoyed this post! Take care and GET DIRTY!!!