Month: May 2019

11 May

A small garden update! After clearing most of the unwanted things from the back bed last weekend, it sat untouched this week while we shuffled sadly between outings and obligations. We lost our dear cat, Cow and have all been shaken a bit by this loss, but we’re carrying on, as people do.

Today we visited a native plant sale and came home with a few new plant friends. I spent some time before dinner marking off the edge of the bed (it will be stones eventually) with a motley assortment of boundary makers, then dumped nine bags of raised bed soil in the space. It was super chunky and I found that the best way to break it up was by hand, which took a while, but was very cathartic. Then I raked it into place, trying to level the bed, which is on a slope, so that most of the fresh soil will be at the front, where I’d like the edible things to go. By then the only seedlings I had time to place were the hollyhocks along the back wall, but having them in does give me a sense of accomplishment.

And now it is predicted to rain for a few days, which is fine because I have sewing to catch up on and without the wet weather dissuading me, I don’t think I could resist being out, working in the garden.

by Valerie

5 May

The garden lately:

  • A kind neighbor (who I believe is also a Master Gardener) gave me these fantastic seed saving kits. They came in very handy today when I discovered I had left two packets out in the rain, and another was soaked by some wet kale in the grocery bags.
  • Alden finally got his hands dirty this weekend, helping me clear out the bed along the back of the garage. I am hoping that next weekend I will be able to finally plant all of our little seedlings. Then I suppose I should work on the front yard, which is honestly a bit of an eyesore. Sorry, neighbors.
  • I hosted the first meeting of our neighborhood Garden Club. I wish I had been more organized, but it was small and sweet, and I was happy anyone showed up at all!
  • I have been thinking about putting a redbud tree out front, as our street is lined with beautiful old sycamores, but our house does not have a street tree. A redbud seems perfect to me, and look, a happy little volunteer seems to be growing under the Japanese Maple out back! I am hopeful that I can transplant it.
  • Between the cat’s illness involving a couple of emergency vet visits (and me being convinced he was not going to make it) and a child needing a tooth pulled, I have been more distracted than usual. Trying to focus on the garden helps me to unwind, as does crafting for a few swaps. More than a few, actually. I just sent off hats for one, and am now working on four more that end this month or early next month. I seem to need to keep busy when I’m stressed. The trick is to not allow the fun things to become stressful. I’m finding the endless rain to be a little bit of a help now, as it’s so much easier to justify staying home and tending projects here when spring isn’t screaming her siren song.
by Valerie