Michigan Gardening: holy cow its October!, 1 by WigglyPaw

WigglyPaw wrote:
Hi All!
This has been the worst summer ever for the vegie garden.
DH was gone for too long to Washington DC to do stuff for
he Dept.of Defense, and I did manage to get the garden
laid out and divided, but then the weeds too over. We never
transplanted till too late the vegs, and weeds took over my
garlics also. ugh ugh ugh. Then, it was too hot. Everything
dried up and frizzled.

Now its freezing. I can't keep up with this weather that Michigan
endures! How does anyone do it? You poor guys don't have
a moment of peace it seems. Hot, cold , wet, dry, windy, hail,
floods, one day 68 perfect, the next 2 weeks 99 with 99% humidity
and no rain. Nirvana for bugs I think, not for plants. And the soil!!!!!!
What gives with this soil? Who can call it that? The hardpan under
the 4" of topsoil is enough to burst your blood vessels when you
are digging. I have to gear up for about a week and get myself
psyched to go out to dig a hole for one plant. The other day it
was 50 degrees and I was bathed in sweat from digging out my
Metasequoia glyptostroboides to transplant to front lawn perimeter.
Thought I would die. ugh. Had to go in and take another shower.

Its rough here. I have to hand it to you all for your perserverence
and fortitude and up beat attitudes and caring for the environment.
I am impressed.

I could use an automatic hole digger. something hand held. Perhaps
an auger, but a smaller one? Maybe my hand mixer could do the job?

We are having 10 yards of sand delivered tomorrow morning, for the
back of the barn where the water doesn't drain at all through the soil.
Hopefully, this will cure the standing mud and ick from the horses and
raise the level at that end.
I transplanted a thornless Honeylocust to side of horse paddock off
from the back of the barn. It might make it, it might not. the poor dear
horses are desperate for some shade during the day. I have some
red maples that are ready to transplant also, maybe DH will dig some
holes for me tomorrow.

Plans for next year? Win the Lotto so I can put in 6' high pines along
the front of our farm to block the view from the road and now new
people building across the road from us. sigh. the farm across the
street, (well what was a farm) the gal sold off 4 or so acres and them
folks are building right across and now there is no more field and
trees to look at.

I heeled in pines and thujas, spruces this year, will transplant
next spring. some of the spruces i put in this year are doin ok.
my azaleas, rhodos, mugos, are just barely hanging in there.
Transplanted birches all died. What a load of work for nuttin!

Just got a replacement Climbing New Dawn rose in the mail
from Wayside, so that will get planted this w/e just in time for
the wet snow the weatherman said to plan on next week. : (((

I need the winter to recuperate from this insanity!!!!
I figured out the only real time to garden and grow here is
about May to June, then it all starts going downhill from there.
If you dont have it done by then, fuh gedda bout it.

Here's to a longgggg winter everyone! I can't wait to light
the woodstove also, and have a cuppa hot cocoa. If anyone
feels like visiting, we are home all the time.
Hugs to all
sheri