![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OdULnZetRvL5hXvDOPiWWqI2I3LRnwssyqaBIpz8EtCeG9rgQm7tP6t4-lk5TMi3GAlJSprPmLtrsEOUoW2_ksjjQszMNVeasZCmS9UxHK6cnDg6kW29AKBPRA-OmsR7cuWVjFMq4paY/s400/campfire.jpg)
Cheery fire.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHz4U479rdVeniStwKmOkf0D7Af8nJZOuZfi-RclYUsPeEHnf7aYzLCoIFUPryVptqpoOAg09ZqZPc0zW92Wp_ls0-vdiAr0mipGUIHmIvJ4XWYyjnXAC6XkQ6KFBH6i8hQ6ZIumuCOhs/s400/dinner.jpg)
The cat brought dinner.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2aQtUvE1UeODvweHmvBVb4Z_X8TMR2e-dSZiB0YP9FAP7OVCAWbpi_iG_JX4BMqHI51g6ifmpb5m9D-wq0lrKlzJ8Tk_2ja1NbxPS4xv3-c1DP0DRYEDKsNtn5mP1SZQmOSFGTHdKfBz/s400/weeds.jpg)
I pulled the weeds last winter, and spread well-aged manure...
A little too well-aged... It came with weed seeds which grew with the cool season rains...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOaa2yIxebZRSGCL0TsemLX7vjhVbRgXxLPrz7X4BfHdrrAHj7I4eIcLvNRYt6HztHof7iVW5ahA60D7-My-Dsk2TQT2dwGc2X_BL_dgC8SyV0o3bqjiSc4_MIOjMii5EMPYLb4QP4pScP/s400/manure.jpg)
Got some manure that isn't as well-aged... Hoping for a few less weeds....
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoO7CKEkZMBPqRLUcxfvS2JVn4Da1R5k_gVw8pGlKYnI9A8ZFflCz3sbrxhFe_wyiN98HrT7vakSj6bVdsDiqt7lcH0dY_BCtO8sm0ae7guwXP68yEFcBoz_VTdVGhyphenhyphenx5lOcHSNVeilQcM/s400/top-dress.jpg)
Top dressing the flowers after pulling out the weeds... Let's see how they do...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIf5xRZh-jrAB_Fkd7kd9zitxoB2KMWxHUdRwj0sqZje1SAYj2WHBK7a8MiX2lZa2grW95OCAXL5iFZdlvWHCZtD5zUptQPvlcAAetCCroMIPTsguQF2wQIwXjBv4dwLW_jOwYVP16NR0w/s400/toadflax.jpg)
Toadflax.
I consider this winter annual to be a wildflower...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdWGqwC4jJ8JueF2F4SOc2Cu2SBR6XyIpyoa0z9QbJk-rDEJoFx3q6u4oBpTPBitJanu0pau-iqlRWqK4JyU2VQ-XQloU9nu_r-o6siZaUY8lvyjNxZu40_KFSNJgGDY0oaoo6Nx1S5wy/s400/coral-honeysuckle2.jpg)
Coral honeysuckle.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jhBBWT2HAn-TI6gMhEWzALydNFd2cvJLFqx8hBX6WuIO0GelX2vcgA5P4ALSBMVl_spJZrOKMfMYTry5TDa2qaGU1B9zryoFgB3pQpqoIAIj_poOug-9IvJwYviybK0SLWYixB5k6rQn/s400/columbine.jpg)
Eastern columbine
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2u5MXCD06o2GwZb7peJGzD4bbnhmRDjuzSf5hr0rLRQcEpXlfq6cLbDuh_XvQfmWwrBI5s160KHRBpY5QD3vimIOVu8eiplvXYzmlB8XrAIaNJ3NlgkSzX_sn_PAs7fDXagWOEMSmO9F/s400/salvia.jpg)
Salvia
So far things are looking up...
We deserve a decent gardening year after the one we had last year...