Arianna helps Daddy plant Impatiens

No turning back now . . .

The 'Welcome' bed begins in earnest . . .

Es is vorbei

Today I spread the last of the mulch. 20 yards . . . I started on June 3 . . . it sure took a long time . . . .

Seeds

Spent about 2.5 hours outside today. 

54 degrees. Mostly cloudy.

The new -- as yet to be named -- bed in the southwest corner of the front yard is now cleared of debris. Helenium, geranium, aster, daisy, spiderwort, beard tongue, daylily, dutch iris, and of course crocus and daffodils are are all coming to life. 

Most of the leaves collected at the berms, so it was not too difficult to gather together four piles of debris, which I carried to the pumpkin patch and the main vegetable plot. My plan is to "mow" the leaves in place and then turn the soil in these two beds. I think it's a viable option for amending the soil.

After I finished with the leaves, I decided to sow more flower seeds in the Cottage Garden. I rarely have luck with flower seeds, so -- based on past performance -- I don't have a lot of confidence that these will take and bloom. But, it's worth the effort.

Wild Purple Foxglove  

Maltese Cross

Tiger Eye Marigold

Get a move on . . .

AHG day . . . so that means if I'm going outside, I've got to get a move on because we need to be out the door by 12:40 pm.

Chilly but sunny and I committed to interring Pepper today. I had thought about a distinct location for Pepper, but both Arianna and Sharon recommended I bury her near Miss Kitty. And so . . . near the Blue Beech, just at the edge of a weeping branch of Forsythia. Like Miss Kitty's grave, Pepper's too is topped with rocks, some of which pulled from her grave site.

Since I was already huffing and puffing, and had th spade in hand . . . .

Removed the yarrow and helenium from the "Triangle Bed". It's here I plan to install Mountain Mint. And, as the plan is to fill out the Cottage Bed . . . and, since the colors of the yarrow and helenium are more suited to the front yard . . . .

I may be pushing it, but am willing to take the risk of beginning the season in earnest. In addition to dropping these eight plants into their new home, I moved the clematis away from the rugosa rose bush to the post that now supports a bird feeder. The vine will look much better trailing up the post than tangled in with the rose. 

I think.

We'll see.

Wild Purple Foxglove seed awaits for tomorrow.

Maybe.

In order . . .

From left to right and in alphabetical order:

Broccoli,

Cabbage,

Cauliflower,

Thai Hot Pepper,

Tomato (yellow, plum).

Let's see what actually gets in the ground next month.

April Fools Day

Blustery. Rain during the night. More crocuses up (as a result of the rain, perhaps).

50 degrees.

When Raintree wrote and confirmed my current bushes would arrive in April, I never expected they would arrive on the first day of the month. Since these were a replacement the order I placed last year, I imagine they wanted to get this out of the way as quickly as possible. 

The bushes were considerably different in appearance than what I received last year. These were larger and already sprouting. Last year they were brown twigs.

So, out I went, spade in hand. The old twigs marked the spot on the berm I built especially for these plants. Light duty. Got the job done well in advance of dinner.

Naturally, I'm concerned about frost . . . but even more concerned about deer. If I find these chomped on or -- even worse -- pulled from the ground, I'll be the fool for thinking I can grow fruit here.

Fingers crossed . . . .

Currents . . . mmm!

Lupine

I may be overly optimistic about Winter's coming to an end, but I actually sowed lupine seed at the roadside this afternoon. I collected the seed last Fall and would be thrilled if it catches hold here.

44 degrees

A cold, gray morning when I left the house this morning for Mass. Regardless of the temperature, I was adamant about getting outside today. Luckily the weather cooperated. It got to 44 degrees today . . . woo hoo!

I spent four hours outside today, pruning rose bushes, the Rose of Sharon, lopping down still more ornamental grasses and perennials, and raked out the "Cottage Bed".

Productive day . . . that even saw a splash of sunshine before I called it quits.  

It begins . . .

Despite finding snow on the lawn this morning, I just had to get outside today. So, after I finished my duties for my employer, I bundled myself up, grabbed the pruning shears, and cut back the ornamental grass hedge at the west border. I was outside for maybe an hour until dinner was ready, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Last to be picked

Who doesn't like Brussels Sprouts?

Overall, this year's crop failed miserably.

But, one plant produced something worth harvesting -- even at this late date.

Mystery Squash

I cleared out a sunny plot of the north border to give pumpkin plenty of room to spread. Two things: (1) there's never enough room for gourds ans (2) none of the seeds I planted were accurately labeled.

Here, the vines encroach on Yarrow in the perennial border at the front of the vegetable plot.

  
But, what kind of squash is this?

I had thought I planted pumpkin, butternut squash, and a variety of acorn squash. This may very well be the latter . . . but not what I expected. And, not a single pumpkin or butternut.

Prepped and Ready for Planting

The bit of rain we recently had made cultivating the vegetable bed easier than normal. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the last couple of years' soil amendments have started to have a positive impact.

Three hours or so of labor and the ground was ready for Bruno's tomatoes.

The weather was so pleasant this evening that Sharon got into the act and removed some spent forget-me-nots from the Cottage Garden at the front of the house.

Mysterious Find

Of late I've been able to spend an hour or so working in the garden after supper. Naturally, today, I spend more time in the yard than I should. In the process of preparing a spot for pumpkins and winter squash, I struck rock. No surprise there. I've unearthed hundreds of rocks over the years. 

The wall behind me is testimony to the number of rocks I've pried out of the ground.

This one however was curious. And with regards to what it actually was, well, it remains a mystery. After an hour of trying to get sufficient leverage to ease it out of the ground, I conceded it was not possible with the tools I own.

Bed # 3

For a number of years, I'd envision ways to diminish the lawn while mowing. Here I'd image a stand of trees and shrubs, there I'd imagine a perennial bed. I'd let the plan settle into my imagination. Then, typically in late October or early November, I'd set the lawn mower blade low and trace where the bed might go. In the late afternoon sun I'd step back and realistically assess whether the idea made sense. Winter comes. Winter goes. Another year of mowing the lawn and envisioning ways to diminish the lawn.

Last Winter's unseasonable weather combined with an early, dry Spring provided me ample time this year to realize my visions. This year I built three new beds and extended another. And, in the new beds, I approached it differently: lifting the sod and using it as the basis for a berm (or in the case of the front yard, two berms).

My goal was simply to build the beds. Today I finished.

Arianna caught me in the act . . . . 

 After cutting the sod, you slide the sod lifter underneath . . .

Then you lift it and walk it over to the pile . . .

The turf side needs be facing down. Often insert newspaper between the layers of sod. And spade the clump to break it apart.

Manual, repetitive labor . . .

Labor that the neighbors think I'm crazy to be so often engaged in (or so Sharon says).

Lifting sod . . .

Arianna steps back to capture the size and scope of the bed . . .

Pooped! But just wait'll Spring . . . the effort will have been worth it.

Obsessed?

"Obsessed" is the word currently bandied about when the topic of gardening comes up. In truth the topic seldom comes up. Except of course when I carry the sod lifter to the yard.

Widening the the north border in the backyard . . . looking east . . .

looking west . . .

100 in the shade

Is this long weekend my Summer vacation?


Last night's sleep was not as restful as I'd expected. Woke later than yesterday, but was out at the north border by 6:30. I worked long today. Too long given the temperature. But, I want to complete this bed by Saturday.


Lots of interesting things in the bed. Two oaks seedlings (6-8"), one hickory seedling (3"), and a "locust" seedling (12"). (Am not certain what kind of tree this actually is, but I'm I believe a trip to the nursery will substantiate my belief that it's a Black Locust.) 


The few Ostrich Ferns I left in the bed two years ago are reproducing nicely. They look terrible -- due to the heat -- but I'm not concerned. The northwest corner of the yard has always been a challenge and has gone through a number of different designs. None proved fruitful. The dry shade made my think again about the ferns, which I moved across the yard. As always happens, you miss a few. So, I decided to let them be. And, notwithstanding the extraordinary weather we're experiencing, they're doing just fine.


The Golden Alexanders, which I started moving in last year, are flourishing in the space. Lots of self sowing.


A few hostas -- planted when I thought a Japanese theme might work -- remain for the time being. The Japanese garden took shape at the opposite end of the yard and I'll move these over at a later date. 


First, you clean the bed up, then you move plants. Unless the heat and drought conditions subside, I can't imagine moving plants until Fall.


Thankfully Arianna and Sharon kept me hydrated. They did spend an hour at the pool, where Arianna stepped off the diving board for the first time today. Now that's a milestone worth noting.


The basement is no longer as cool as it was last week. The heat is not supposed to bear until Sunday. It's going to be a long Summer.

Broccoli

Broccoli isn't everyone's favorite vegetable, but Arianna and I like it. So, rose early -- who can sleep late any more -- and drove to Goebbert's, where I bought a few seedlings. 


I had the run of the nursery. Nice, since I'd never been, despite passing it almost every day to and from work.


It's a nice nursery. I didn't see anything I am looking to add to our yard, but that doesn't mean anything.


Spent time working today too. I've been using the "remains" of the old hickory from the front of the house -- the chips the tree men left me on the driveway -- as mulch. I carted a number of wheel barrows here and there today.

Wheaton Garden Club Plant Sale

Possibility Place nursery is a purveyor a native plants. The nurserymen typically grow native plants for the wholesale trade, with retail sales by appointment only. 


Since they are located in Monee, more than an hour from Sleepy Hollow, my experience of their plants has limited to their online catalog and my purchase of a Burr Oak, which I bought in St.Charles at The Natural Garden.


The 2012 Possibility Place catalog included a variety of Spring plant sales / events in which they were participating. The Wheaton sale was the first on the schedule, so I drove down yesterday morning after Mass.


A cool, grey, morning I'd hoped the weather worked to my advantage. Although I did not know what to   expect. 


In fact, the sale was well attended. 


Many of the items on my wish-list were not available, but a Blue Beech sapling - a tree about which I've frequently read and is supposed to be an outstanding understory tree - caught my eye. 


A rare photo of me in the garden . . . .

  

Eastern Red Bud

Palm Sunday


Arianna and I went to the Barn Nursery to look at Red Bud trees. Chilly, blustery, wet -- after yesterday's rain. 


2" trees were available. Had a nurseryman bothered to inquire after us, I might have bought a tree. But, since staff was scarce . . . . 


In all likelihood I won't buy a tree until after I pay my federal taxes.