Yard Chores or What a Beautiful Day lets go Outside!!!!!

Well, I was going to tell you that I am no longer a pack mule. The search, gathering and loading of rocks is done. Well at least for the time being.
Yesterday I spent most of the day weeding, digging, planting and raking. The result wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of soon to be compost. Today it's the same schedule except I will be moving into the back yard and there will be sifting and transplanting to do. Yep still feel like a pack mule or maybe a draft horse. LOL
I love bringing order to yard, but it so often seems that it is just a drop in the bucket. My yard seems to just soak up plants and work. Everywhere I look there are so few flowers and so much more work to be done.

I followed exactly this advice - go outside - and I am happy to announce I am FILTHY! I just spent the afternoon planting a ton of plants, cleaned up and got my deck ready - everything is in the ground and I am happy, but tired - I know I am early - but, I am leaving town for a week or so, and no way, no how can I leave the plants at DH's mercy - the plants will be better of fending for themselves if it should get cold :-)

Bec, Hope all goes well with your trip. Did you get all your plants in the ground? It's another very nice day. Although I think I will be spending most of the day in the house sewing. Phooey!!! Well after the last 2 days maybe I could use a little break, my knee will thank me. My Cannas came today and the bed is almost ready just a little more sifting and in they will go. JR is coming for sleepover tonight I remember sifting dirt with my Grandfather. It's one of those great memories of him and I gardening together. Think I will have JR help me finish sifting the bed tonight. Then we or I can get them planted this weekend.

Yup - all plants are in the ground - I was going to plant Cannas as well - however - I have ran out of room - although I have serious "size-envy" about most peoples yards - there is something to be said for a townhouse garden when it comes to the amount of work needed!

I might plant one or two of the Cannas in the front garden - but, will share the rest with the two neighbors that actually spend some time on their yards and keep them nice!

There is something wrong with YOU ALL that post these things while some of us are stuck IN AN OFFICE - yes with great huge windows but NOT able to get our hands IN dirt and play with our plants...*pouting, sulking...hmph*

Bec I call the neighbors yard borrowed landscape. You could put your Canna in a large pot with some OSP in the bottom but I don't know how you do with container plantings they have their own issue like regular watering.

Ah, due to lack of space I have tons of containers - that IS a good idea - I can plant a couple for the deck and still share with the neighbors!

Chantell, LOL just remember I'm playing catch-up for all those missed years when I was to busy to get these things done. Way too many years of 70 hour weeks. Now I get to play in the dirt all day.
Hey I've got a pile of dirt for you.

My nails are much too clean....

Chantell- if its any consolation- I didn't get in the yard at all yesterday, with running around carp to do.
Yes I was very annoyed by the end of the day.

Oh I have to apologize. I did do some bush whacking so it could go in yard waste pickup.

Question- how dense does one man have to be not to notice that the dog waste bucket-hole is about filled to the brim, and a new hole has to be dug, and this is the fifth hole dug by a woman who did not ask for a dog in the first place????????????????

Just wondering.
Guess I'm still annoyed.

Ummm.....suppose if you stuck the remote control on the top of it...THAT would get his attention - said by the one divorced for 10 years now....LOL

chuckle!

Yet another day I'm missing....ever our book keeper called to tell me she was out playin' in the yard..it's a conspiracy, I tell you!!! LOL I DID take all my (prayfully) rooting jasmine cuttings and seed sprouts and put them on my back deck today - Jill's "hardening off" article inspired me! Thank God for a north facing deck...don't have to worry about TOO much sun...they'll only get a couple hours of early AM light...

Knew it!!
I spent the early AM inside, and as soon as I was 'suited up' =big fat rain drops.
Then sun.
Then rain.
Then sun.
Sidetracked by helping organize a kids room.
Reallly mean to get lettuce and chard planted out today.
Did enjoy my new nitrile coated weeding gloves- work well.

Chantell and Sally, so entertaining. LOL
Spent yesterday morning swimming with JR. We had sleepover and then YMCA swimming class and then play time at the water park. Then we spent the afternoon shifting dirt. Sally remember that really stony bed for the Cannas, sure looks different now. JR thinks Grams makes great dirt, he was running his trucks thru the bed and having a great time. Ric's been pretty busy the last couple of days. He finally got around to pressure washing the front of the house and staining it. You can tell we've been pretty busy around here.

This message was edited Apr 12, 2008 2:44 PM

Ahhh Holly - what fun!!! I've got DGD duty today...so managed to only get the 2 Weigelas in the ground before DD had to be at work. Oh well better some then none, eh? Hopefully tomorrow will at least NOT be raining...I'm good even if it's cool. Bought ANOTHER lavender (1 gal) at Wally world today...beautiful blooms PLUS great scent - hard combination to find with them. Only $3 something...of course it was the only one out of 6 that was really alive. Very sad. I may go back and see if they'll mark down the others and buy them...ghetto, I know. Also picked up a mini rose....thinking it'll look good in the ex cacti patch...LOL (yeah, I know...defeats the purpose of removing spiney things eh?) Wally world has some type of Jasmine (white bloom...name wasn't on it and is escaping me at the moment) in 3 gal pots now. Then Chloe and I hit our Meadows Farms...OMG....are they stocked or what?!?! Was in heaven...well would've been had I had $$...LOL. Picke up 2 little pots of "ground cover" vine that was yellow/orange/red...still in van...I'll put names down later....oh I've got the itch to get plants. They also had that Euphorbia 'Bonfire' there...very pretty plant!! Ok...time to put little Miss down for a nap....talk later

It does a body good to listen and know that there are others with the same urges. My daughter keeps telling me I am in too big a hurry to be outside. I can not stay inside when I look out the window this time of year. I have to check on all my returning babies and delight when I see them peeping through. I never got all the leaves off the beds last fall, so I have been gently moving leaves and twigs and sticks to uncover the things that are poking through. I have so many wood poppies I think I am going to compost some of them. They are so pretty, but are trying to take over several of my beds. Today although it was wet outside, I did manage to move some of them out. I have lungworts blooming and ferns and hostas are coming up good now. Marsh marigolds are moving about the yard into the paths to join the violets that are finally so numerous I can weed them out. I brought the regular blue and Confederate violets from my parent's home in NC here to Maryland and it took years before they started spreading. I have been in and out all day, digging, looking, weeding and just dreaming. Thanks for listening. My hubby isn't a gardener. He helps me but doesn't understand.

LOL gets "that look" does he? We should find a term for that look...I think it's the same one women who aren't "into" sports get when they're rattling off statistics with glee. Me? I'd rather rattle off the fragrant plants that are cold hardy...now THERE'S a statistc!!!

Well-- I am satisfied...until the sun comes up again. Reverse vampire, garden subtype.

Got the lettuce, chard, radish seeds planted in nice little beds. Planted onion sets, and potatos in a new bed--another small victory in plants VS lawn. Moved some guys around- You, over there, against the cold frame! Hey you, mullein, not under the buckeye! Black eyed susans, here please, now line up...
All amaryllis have survived winter outside. Sprouts from seeds of candy lily.
And saw new flowers on forget me nots, and yellow tulips must have just opened.
And pulled a ton of henbit and chickweed.
And hubby dug the new dog waste bucket hole, ending with pulling the bucket from the full hole, putting dirt over the full waste hole,squashing it and uttering the oh so true--
Nothing squishes like sh-t

Good nite Sally!! You on caffeine or a multi-vitamin....or both? You go girl!

key word- lettuce etc in nice LITTLE beds

LOL Sally, I'm babysitting my granddaughter Lily tonight. Lets see first JR then Lily. Sigh.....It's just tuff being a Grams. LOL
It was really beautiful here today but I never got out to work in the yard, maybe tomorrow I have lots to do.

Ok so in case any one was dying to know...the lavender at Walmart was 'Anouk'
Ground cover is something called: Chameleon Plant/Houttuynia....love those colors!! Just read plantfiles on this plant...YIKES...note to self: put IN planter NOT in ground...

This message was edited Apr 12, 2008 11:36 PM

Chantell, it's a good thing you read about it. I made that mistake about seven years ago and have regretted it for about six. It has spread out of the area I originally put it into the path and three other beds near it. It has also shown up in a bed on the other side of the yard. I can't figure out how that happened. I know it's a thug. It want to dominate everything.

I know...thank God for plantfiles...course now I'm wondering if I even want to put it into my big pots outside...the nicotiana and stock have reseeded themselves and are coming up....I don't, even for the sake of color, want anything choking the life out of these fragrant plants.