Just wanted to do a quick update on the garden.  Here's how my favorite bed is looking these days:

I planted some new plants!

Oakleaf Hydrangea, hooray!  Also added a Bottlebrush Shrub, although it and the Virginia Sweetspire are not looking great - a bad drought while I was on vacation may have REALLY hurt these plants.  It is not looking good.

I haven't planted it yet, but I got the Crepe Myrtle (Hopi) for the side yard, FINALLY. Its looking great, and is a

Also planted some Sunflower seeds today and 4 o'clocks. We'll see if they come up....

We had a harsh winter and I lost quite a few plants - my other David Austen 'Graham Thomas' looks like it may have croaked, and I lost one of my potted hydrangeas.  The pineapple sage did not overwinter this year although i have no idea how it ever overwintered before. Also, the plumeria's are just starting to bloom and are looking nice this year, except I'm a little worried about some white stuff I'm seeing. Hope its not fungus. Oh and both hibiscus were absolutely skeletonized this year - I'm guessing caterpillars but I never saw the culprit.

Newish Year Resolutions

Its supposed to get down to 9 degrees here tonight, and it is just frigid outside.  Perfect time to stay inside and dream about springtime.

Here are my gardening goals for 2014:

• Buy an Oakleaf Hydrangea.  I've been wanting one for years, and have dropped the ball over and over. No more! 
• Move my Irises to their new bed
• And plant the daylillies
• plant a Crepe Myrtle by the window.  This one I have been paralyzed by for so long, which is ridiculous, but I really want a myrtle that ticks all the boxes - great fall color, colorful blooms, good winter interest on the bark, and under 6 feet wide.  I get stymied looking at all the gazillions of cultivars and then don't buy anything.  
• Pink Perfection Camelia, I'm also tired of wanting one for myself and not having one...
• The biggest one ... start gardening in my front yard.  I am not sure that I will be be brave enough to try that next year.  My backyard looks ok, not amazing, and the front yard is even more intimidating to work in.  I've wanted to created big sweeping beds in the front yard for a long while now, and its not happened yet.. Will 2014 be different? Probably not.... but I really do want to start working there, so we will see.