The weather has been sunny and in the highs have been in the 50s during the last two days. Today, Ken and I were able to get a lot of work done in the garden. We pruned the Weeping Cherry tree. I noticed last year that its branches were growing at odd angles and some of the limbs were overlapping. In the e-newsletter (JMaxGarden) that I received yesterday morning, Janet Macunovich had an article about pruning these trees so we followed the her directions. The before picture (left) shows the branches that were growing straight up and not weeping. These were cut off. Also, we trimmed any branches that were too long or overlappin (right). If there are no adverse side effects, we'll prune it again next year.

Also, we worked in the back yard. Ken dug up five day lilies at the end of the large bed. Then I filled three regular pots and two hanging pots with violas. I placed the hanging pots on the shepherd's hook at that end of the bed and triangulated the three pots around the shepherd's hook. It added interest and substance to that end of the bed.

Left End of Large Back Bed

Right End of Large Back Yard Bed

Yesterday, Ken and I went to Lowe's to buy a few things including potting soil. Also, I purchased the violas there. They had a large selection of healthy pansies and violas at $1.99 per six pack so I couldn't resist buying a flat (36 plants total for $12). I usually don't buy flowers at the big box stores especially after finding out that they don't pay the growers unless they sell the plants. However, when I was at English Gardens last week they were charging $5.99 (on sale from $7.99) for one six pack of pansies/violas. It would have cost me $36 for the equivalent amount of flowers. Tomorrow, Ken and I plan on going back and I would like to purchase some more flowers.

I decided to plant the pansies that I had raised inside under the grow lights. I have been keeping them in the back sunroom to harden them off. At first, I wasn't sure where I would put them but I decided that they would look nice in the decorative wheelbarrow. I don't think that I will grow pansies from seed next year unless I sow them directly. The plants started out doing well but then they began to look scraggly. Even though buying the seeds were cheap, I don't think that they look as good as the ones that I saw in the stores. Maybe, this fall I might try sowing Johnnie-Jump-Ups directly into the ground.