Hope Springs Eternal . . . . .

The Lantana gets a few more leaves each week . . .



and look just past my cute little assistant . .  you will be able to see a little green tuft at ground level.   That is all that is left of the honeysuckle . . . . . . But it is green mind you, it is green!







The bottle brush is really pathetic looking . . but then you look closer and . . . . . see these little bitty soft green leaves on the end of the branches that still don't snap off. . . .









Lincoln is showing you just how bright our sun is every morning . . . .  before we get the day's down pour . . . really strange considering how cool our days are . . . . no, I am NOT complaining!  He is in front of the pyrachantha that is still yellowing . . in fact, the bush on the right is now yellowing more.  I have treated it with iron, like every thing out there. . .  and the poison for the grubs.    Oh how I hope they make it OK.  There are berries that I am hoping to use for decorating this holiday season, just like when I was a kid.

Now that is just the front yard . . . then there is the back yard.  I have my teeny, weeny little  starts doing so nicely.  Lincoln is now getting little chores every day when he comes over.  He waters the plants in pots in the front yard and then these little cups..  . . hey!  We all have to start somewhere.  These have broccoli, brussel sprouts and 4 kinds of lettuce.

I pulled all of the tomatoes but one out today, and discovered peppers all over the place!  The first of the season for us.   These are the plants that got eaten down to little stumps twice by the ever present "killer rabbit" . .  which is still hanging out beneath the shop we suspect.  At least the dogs are convinced it is there.  No matter what, they beeline it over there, even in the rain now.  Crazy things will be babied and pampered this winter.  I plan to move some peppers back over there, yes, I said back.  It got too crowded with the tomatoes, so I moved them once this year and now they are growing chiles like crazy.   The tomato cages are all ready to support them and will give me an easy way to cover them this winter if needed.

I also need to get the peas (sugar pods . . yumm!!!), beets, carrots,  cabbage, and green beans. Can you believe the green beans.  The guy at  my favorite nursery lives up the street from me and said he has the best luck with them in the winter.  I might try one zucchini if I can think of a good way to protect in the coldest weather.  I am also going to try a couple of tomatoes, just to either keep myself humble or to prove I can pull it off. . . .;-]

Wish me luck!!!