Daylilies making an appearance. These are the common orange ones you find in ditches whose blossoms truly only last one day each. They proliferate rapidly and make great pass-along plants from divisions of the clumps. In fact, these right here came from a neighbor who had to clear the space in his yard and needed to get rid of them. And HE got them from ME about 20 years ago when I needed space to plant a bush (still ringed with daylilies).
Signs of life from one of the spent mums I hauled back from the green waste dumpster this past fall. Plopped them into one of the raised beds and covered with straw for the winter. If they made it, great, I'd transplant them elsewhere once they leafed out. If not then they could enrich the soil. Win-win. I think this one was bright yellow iirc.
Attacked this old rusty metal garden structure with a wire brush yesterday and hit it with rust converter this morning. It had originally been kind of a surgeon's green color and oh no...I really like it in black (the color the converter turned it). Unfortunately if I leave it black I'm going to have to change its location as it would get really hot in all day summer sun here and burn the vines. I have one peony left in my shady side yard...maybe I could use this as a support for that? Hmmm...
I picked this folding support up in the fall when it had been left in the alley for the metal scrap collectors. It was rusty and the paint had mostly peeled off and I intended to address that, but never got around to it. Since I was taking care of the bird structure already, now was the time. I don't know exactly what it supported before (bird bath?) But it's going to hold a big pot for me.
Ice cube tray half-filled with frozen water ready.
Add the poppy seeds on top. I'm using a big pinch because these are seeds I saved myself and I don't know how good the germination will be.
Fill the rest of the way with water and stick in the freezer for 2-4 weeks to cold stratify. I'll probably slip an open plastic bag over it once frozen to keep my food from knocking any seeds off accidentally. In a month or so I'll plant the ice cubes out in the garden (set on top of prepared soil, press in slightly, let melt).
Other than those tasks it's mostly a laundry day today. I do have the native plants program to attend tonight at the public library. I was told there will be free seeds, which is fantastic. Just hope that some of them are part-shade/shade so they can join the other natives I'm encouraging in the side yard.
