OK, So Maybe I'm a Wee Bit Obsessed

It's just a garden.  And, really just the beginnings of a garden.  Only a year removed from being an unkempt patch of weeds, rocks, and rock-hard clay soil at the rear of our property.  But, slowly and surely, we are turning the area we call the Way Back into our garden.

Last year, since we didn't move in until the first week in June, we didn't get much of a start on our garden.  Just a few tomato and pepper plants purchased at the Farmer's Market and plopped into two recently-tilled rows.  Then, came both the unpacking process and Fall:  we covered a large area adjacent to those first tilled rows with the flattened moving boxes and all the leaves collected from our yard (...and we have loads of leaves...:).

Voila!  The boxes and leaves composted right on site (with the exception of that nasty, sticky packing tape), softening the soil, and allowing more rows to be tilled and added to the garden space.  More tomatoes and peppers planted (some purchased at Home Depot during the BOGO event, some started from seed inside) as you can see in the photo above (left)...which will serve as the "before" photo once all of the lovely plants begin to grow.  Added enough rows to accommodate several summer squash and zucchini plants, lotsa lettuces, some melons, and several sweet potato slips.  Oh yes...and onions!   Plenty of onions.  And all of this surrounded by border rows of marigolds, sunflowers, and zinnias...from seeds we saved from last year's flower crop...a whole bag-full!  Grow, babies, grow!

Then, earlier this week, I got out my hand cultivator and re-tilled three short rows for the Early Sunglow sweet corn.  Right over by the strawberry patch (11 plants lived out of the 18 planted earlier this Spring).  Next to the flower "holding bed," where the flowers we moved from MO are in temporary residence until they bloom and let us know which ones they are. [This beautiful iris bloomed recently, and we discovered that it was the Yosemite Star (violet and wisteria)...one of those we purchased at the Iris Sale at the STL Botanical Garden in 2008.]

And, just before I completely ran out of energy, I hauled 6-7 wheelbarrows-ful of leaf-mold (remember, we have LOADS of leaves in the Fall...:) to the newly-planted tomatoes for mulch.  I can't wait to see how it all turns out. 

I love it!  So what if I need two days for my back to recover for every day spent working in the garden...I still love it!  Frustrations?  Who can have that many frustrations when you are pouring all that energy into getting things to grow...and returning the land to good use?

When I need a little rest and a refreshing beverage?  I plop down into my camp chair next to my log-table, in front of my potting bench just inside of the garden fence...and take photos of the blue birds who have moved into the Blue Bird House that BFF AW gave N/M/E for her recent birthday...as you can see in that photo over there on the left...all the while slugging down an ice-cold orange Gatorade.  Yum!  Ready to go again in 15-20 minutes.

BTW, did I tell you that one of the weeds that's growing well in the Way Back is poison ivy?  Yeah.  Leaves of Three...beware of Thee.  It's everywhere, it's everywhere!  And, both of us have the rashes to prove it.  Oh well...that's what they invented cortisone cream for, right?  And, Benedryl.  Don't forget the Benedryl.

Obsessed?  Possibly.  Passionate?  Most definitely.  Now, I have to quit blogging so I can go see what's changed in the garden today.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Walmart

So, it's early on Saturday morning. I've had my coffee, Mr. T is having a well-deserved sleeping in, and I'm wondering what I can do that doesn't involve unpacking a box (sick of it...sick of it...sick of it). I know! I'll go get some ferns for the front porch. I imagine that doesn't sound exciting to you, but I've not been able to have ferns in such a long time...either because I didn't have a covered front porch, or because it was way too sunny/hot to keep ferns. Now, I have a wonderful "rocking chair" front porch (yes, I've put 2 rocking chairs on it...:) that will accommodate ferns...and palms...and almost anything. Off to Walmart I go!

However...

At Johnson Street, when Lillie Pearl should have turned left, she swerved right...and headed straight to the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market on Sandy Ridge Road. Oh. My. Goodness. Imagine if you will: acres of covered retail sales stalls, filled with plants, produce, meats, poultry, cheeses, etc., all fresh-from-the-farm. There were so many plants that I felt overwhelmed. And, I only visited one of the retail stalls! But, as you can see from the photo of Lillie Pearl (left), it didn't stop me from loading 'er up with Shasta Daisies (two varieties), Rudbeckia ("black-eyed Susans"), patio tomato and cucumber plants, and...oh yeah...ferns. Remarkably, there didn't seem to be any palms available, but that was OK as I couldn't fit anything else in my car, even though I folded all the seats down and made my PTC into my best imitation of a cargo van. As you see from the photo to the right, I did leave some things for the other shoppers...who were quite numerous, even early on Saturday morning.

Arriving back at the house, I grinned sheepishly as Mr. T rolled his eyes at my loaded Lillie P. "You need to stop adding work for us to do, dear." I know, I know. But, they were so pretty...and they are all perennials, so any work we do in planting them now will reward us for years to come. In theory...

The previous owners obviously liked daylilies, for there are several plantings on our property. I've identified Stella d'Oros (lots of them) and possibly some Double Eagles (?), along with a pretty peachy-pink one. Wonder what that is? They also liked azaleas and rhododendrons, along with dogwoods, which do well in a tree-shaded yard...which we haven't had in several years (since our house in Dacula, GA). However, there doesn't seem to be a single iris. Not one. How can a Tennessee girl live without her iris? Well, we'll fix that, as soon as we get our plants we harvested before we left our MO house (which are currently lounging in Missy M's back yard). We have several varieties of iris, some of which were shared with us by friends and family. We'll proudly add them to our NC soil.


BTW, never fear. We still had to make a Walmart run later on that day for some shelf support brackets (so I could unpack a box of books onto one of the bookshelves) and some picture hangers...and Mr. T got those Cat Palms for the door (left). Ahhh, yes. It's starting to feel like home around here.

Wonderful Wednesday

Rolled outta bed at 6:13 this morning...feeling great! Ever had one of those mornings, when you've had a good night's sleep, and you can't wait to get going? Well, this was one of those!

First things first: coffee and cereal on the deck, where I enjoyed the birds and the squirrels. I'm on a mission to get a photo of this huge Blue Jay that partakes of our Bird Buffet several times each day. So I have my camera ready...but he's too quick/smart for me...and I take a lot of random pics. Can you tell what this photo is? We have one of those "face feeders" on the oak tree in the back yard, and I snapped this squirrel just after he (she?) had snatched a mouthful of seeds from the mouth of the Tree Feeder. Doesn't he look like he's saying "HEY?!"

After such a good start to my day, I really revved it up. I watered the front and back yards, and all the new plants that went into pots on-and-around the front porch over the weekend. The transplanted daylilies and irises around the new pond seem to be doing OK, but I can't say the same for the rose bush...it's looking "poorly." I made sure the rest of the roses got a good drenching with the soaker hose...and I just couldn't resist cutting a few (two Midas Touch buds, which are opening to the most beautiful golden yellow; several of the deep red buds; and, a couple of the First Prize pink buds), to join the first Shasta Daisies in a bud vase on the breakfast table. Is there anything more beautiful than roses and daisies together?

The garden got a good, long drink, too, which made it easy to plant a couple of eggplant (plants?)...by special request from Mom...and the remainder of the beans and lettuce...the first planting of both became bunny food, I guess. Pulled some weeds and then picked another round of yellow squash (does that make 15 so far?) and one more zucchini (still one shy of enough for zucchini bread). After that it was time to pot some more plants for the deck: Patio, cherry, and grape tomatoes...jalapeno, chili, and ornamental peppers...basil, oregano, and two varieties of parsley...all have new homes now. I'm using Bonnie Plants in the peat pots almost exclusively this year. I like the fact that you don't have a plastic pot to throw away, but the wrapper on the peat pot has a design flaw: it won't let go!

All of this before noon! Fortunately I had made up a big pitcher of iced tea 'cause I downed a quart after working outside all morning...ahhhh! A shower, some lunch, and I was ready to do some work in my office...inside...in the air conditioning, with a ceiling fan on "high." A trip to the P.O. and then the grocery this afternoon...a nice chicken salad for supper...the "indoor/outdoor" version of the game of "gimme that toy" with Gus and Elmo (of course, Duchess acts like she doesn't want to play...), and now I can relax with Baby Kimono #1, started last night.

What a wonderful Wednesday it has been!