Just Because You Think You Can...

From Dictionary.com:

set·back:
[set-bak]
- noun
1. a check to progress

=============================================
As long as I can remember, I've been told "girl, you can do anything you put your mind to." Papaw told me that whenever I would get discouraged about math problems, especially those story problems, where I would always want to know why anyone would need to know how fast two different trains from different directions were going when you can only ride on one train at a time. Ahem.

Daddy told me that whenever I dared to utter those forbidden words "I just can't do it" (whatever "it" might be at the moment). Giving up was never an option. If I've heard Winston Churchill's speech once, I've heard it 10,000 times...both the real one and the one that is often misquoted...:)

So, naturally I grew up believing I could, in fact, do whatever I put my mind to. And I'm a believer in the concept that sheer will and determination will gain you ground when everything and everyone around you are saying you are done for. Remember: put one foot in front of the other, and move forward.

But I have run into that immovable object that no amount of irresistible forcing will bend: my body. It seems that I can do what I put my mind to, only IF my body is working properly.

My mind was determined to make significant progress on our Way Back Garden in April. Well, as any gardener will attest, there's a mountain of chores on the To Do List for the first full month of Spring. And we have even more items on our lists because this is the first year of our newly revised WBG Plan, with the four gardens in play: the Orchard, the Berry Patch, the Kitchen Garden, and the Rose garden.

Things have been rolling right along, with lots of progress in all the gardens. Then, last weekend, I eagerly tackled the planting checklist for the Kitchen Garden, following the average last frost date for our area (typically quoted as being April 15). Since we had experienced a later than usual frost, I had held off on getting many of the transplants and seeds in the ground (although I had to make a mad dash one evening to cover some tender plants when I heard the weather forecast).

I'm happy to report that I got eight tomato transplants in, along with seven pepper plants. In the tomato row, I planted a German Johnson, a Marglobe, a Bush Goliath, two Early Girls, a Lemon Boy, a Bonnie Select, and a Rutgers. In the pepper row, I planted four sweet green bell peppers, a yellow bell, an early bell (which matures to red), and a Cubanelle. I still have seedlings of Better Boys, Jet Stars, Romas, and Juliets under grow lamps, along with Fish Peppers. These will all be ready to go into the garden in a couple of weeks, about the same time I plant the next four rows of corn.

I also got seeds planted for pole beans, bush beans, okra, yellow and zucchini squash, cantaloupes, watermelons, and cucumbers. I've interplanted herbs and flowers, such as basil and marigolds in the tomato row and nasturtiums with the squash...attempting to add some natural pest control. (I already have sage and onions planted with the cabbages and the broccoli.)

The blueberries and the blackberries have already flowered and are fruiting up nicely in the Berry Patch.  We knew if we wanted to have any fruit this year, we'd better get the bird nets up, so we did.  We also are seeing lots of strawberries, even though we probably should have removed all the flowers this year to let them take root...as this is a new bed from the runners of the old bed (formerly in the space now occupied by the Rose Garden)...but I ask you, who can remove the pretty flowers?  Not I.

And I'm proud to report Mr. T put the last three trees in the Orchard, and got the last order of the English roses planted in the Rose Garden. We have three more hybrid teas on order, and that should do it for planting for this year...except for the perennials and annuals for accents, of course. There is ALWAYS an "except for...," isn't there?

All was going swimmingly, until Sunday. I was wrangling the soaker hoses, trying to test them for major leaks and then place them for maximum coverage. We have to get them pinned in place before we can put the mulch down, especially in the Rose Garden. Well, after rearranging one length of hose for the third time, my head truly began to swim...and I had to yield the day to vertigo.

A day in bed to get rid of the spinning symptoms brought on my back problems again. I'm beginning to believe they are in cahoots.

Anyway, I'm taking another little break while I deal with these setbacks. These "checks to my progress." And deal with them, I shall.

Because, as anyone knows, you can do anything you put your mind to...right?

Winston would approve heartily of this plaque
from Missy M, don't you think?

We're Back in the Swing of Spring!

The Rhododendron is in the Swing of Spring!

OK, folks. Enough of this sickly, invalid business. I'm ready to get the party started again!

Yes, I feel better. Back issues subsiding. Vertigo lessening. And I'm sorely tired of gabbing about health problems. (Probably not nearly as tired as you are about having to read said gabbing...:)  Let's put the adventures back in The Adsit Adventure, how 'bout it?

Anyway, we have stepped it up a notch around Casa 3917 in the last couple of weeks. To start Mr T's vacation week off right, we took in our first Greensboro Grasshoppers game on the 6th, enjoying a double-header with the Lexington Legends, hot dogs and mustard, our great seats, and excellent fireworks.

We then donned our finery...including a hat for me (see photo, below)...to celebrate Easter Sunday, ending with brunch in style at Graylyn in Winston-Salem.  Question:  doesn't anyone wear a hat for Easter anymore?  I saw only three others the whole day...and two of those were on children, one on a little boy! I do NOT wear hats myself (for good reason, as you can plainly see...:), but I make an exception at Easter.

Desserts...and fab coffee
at Graylyn's excellent
Easter Brunch

In my Easter bonnet...
at brunch in Winston-Salem

Second order of bare root roses from David Austin arrived...
6 hours, soaking in the tub before going in the garden

Where we have been planning and prepping the new Rose Garden in the Way Back, we now have planted 34 new rose bushes [28 so-called English roses (left) from David Austin; 6 hybrid teas from Roses Unlimited]. By "we," of course I mean Mr. T.  He digs the hole, then uses the Mantis(tm) tiller to break up our rock-hard clay soil (photo, below)...incorporating lovely leaf mold (from all those leaves we salvaged from neighbors' curbs last Fall and composted all winter...:) and  Moo-Nure^® . I come along to add what we call the Secret Sauce: a mixture of bone meal and Epson Salts (which aren't really a salt at all, but magnesium sulfate...great for growing strong stems)...and water 'em in. We then add another layer of leaves as mulch around each bush. We have 6 more roses just arrived from DA in a box on the front porch to go in this weekend, weather willing (as well as three more crabapple trees going into the Orchard). Three more hybrid teas are coming from RU in early May. And that should be that for the roses and the fruit trees. (All who believe that, stand on your ear, as Momma would have said...:)

Mr. T with the Mantis in the Rose Garden.
(See the ones from Order #1, planted in the foreground.)

Paver patio at 10'x4' in Rose Garden...we're half way done!
(See the beginnings of the
Bluebird Bistro in the center.)

Finished: 10'x8'!  Now, must cure
for 72 hours.

Let's go to Atlanta!

Momma Bluebird bringing home breakfast
to the babies.

More importantly, we finished the new paver patio in the Rose Garden (photos above) last week when Mr. T was "on vacation." (Right. More about that in a sec.) Anyway, after a day of grueling construction work (done almost entirely by him, with me bringing up the rear of measuring, staking, sweeping and finishing with the polymeric sand), and waiting the required 72 hours to allow the sand to set between the pavers, he hauled the new teak glider out of the garage where he'd assembled and stained/sealed it, and we immediately found our new favorite spot on our property. We relocated one of the birdbaths and a hook with two feeders to a spot in front of the new patio, planted some perennials like delphiniums, yarrow, and thrift, along with some Spanish lavender (hey...I've tried English lavender without success in the Way Back...trying something new)...and we christened the spot The Bluebird Bistro, as it's about 15 feet from the fence with two active bluebird houses (photo, above/left). I cannot begin to describe how happy I feel when I'm there. It's like Mr. Bluebird is on my shoulder. It's the truth...it's actual...everything is satisfactual!  Zip-pa-dee-doo-dah!

"And that one is outta here..."
Go-ahead homer puts the Braves in the lead!
Tomahawk Chop!!!

I'm also happy to report that this vacation hasn't been all work and no play. Missy M also took the week off work, motoring down to NC on Easter Sunday. She took charge of the meals, keeping us yardeners happy. While she was here we got a sitter for ALL FIVE DOGS (God bless Miss Jan!) and headed the car down I-85 to Atlanta for a couple of days. Mr. T and I (and 50,000 of our closest friends...including President and Mrs. Carter, too...:) had tix to Opening Day for the Braves on Friday the 13th (photo, right)...which proved to be a lucky number for them, as they beat the Brewers in a battle to the last inning. Then, before we left town on Saturday, we managed to take in Ikea, Nordstrom Rack (can you say "new shoes?"), and a fav knittery in Duluth called Rare Purls. Well, M and I enjoyed that last one...:)


Yes, better health is contributing to more happiness in my universe. But I would not be telling the whole truth if I left out the tears that fell last week as well.

As I have said, this past week was looming as a mountain for me. So many milestones, so many memories. Daddy's birthday was April 11th...he would have been 89, if he hadn't passed away on April 12, 1990...and he was buried on Easter Sunday. Momma was also an Aries, and she would have celebrated her 92nd on April 14. As this was my first year without her, I imagine you will understand when I admit to having shed more tears on Saturday than on the other days of that week.

Sidney's Memorial Mimosa (in the cage)...
and a yellow iris (flag)

Of course, I can't really think of either of my parents with sadness for too many minutes...and I'm guessing that's progress on my part. In memory of Daddy, we transplanted a volunteer Mimosa sapling to a spot behind the new paver patio...right next to a bright yellow iris. A mimosa, you ask? Who plants a mimosa? It's an inside joke: Daddy...raised in the city and never the green thumb that Momma was...called EVERY tree a mimosa 'cause that was what he used to park under in our back yard in Henning. And the iris? Well, he used the old-fashioned name for it, calling them "flags." And, you guessed it...every tall flowering plant was a "flag."

And what better way to celebrate Momma's birthday than to go to a Braves game...and cheer them on to victory?! She was smiling on us that day...:)

Yes, everything is coming up roses...and mimosas and flags...here again. Swing, batter, batter...swing!


======>>>>======NOTE=======>>>>=======:

I have added a bar on each post that allows readers to SHARE the post on Facebook, etc. See it, right there below this info? (I have no control over the size of the tiny things...at least, none that I can discover...:)

Also, there is now a blue, Facebook LIKE button for the entire blog...see it there on the upper right column?

Hang on, folks...we're moving forward with a bullet!

In Like a Lion...Out Like a Baby Lamb

March, which blew in on a rainy, blustery Thursday, is headed...meek-and-mild...out the door this coming Saturday. We are paused to turn the page over to April, but before that occurs, I thought I'd post a pic or two of Casa 3917.

Iris blooming at the mailbox:
"Rock Star"

Spring arrived way before the calendar told us it should.  The Weather Wonks tell us that's due to La Nina, a weather phenomenon where the Eastern Central Pacific ocean temperatures affect our NC Winter. Most people in general are thankful that this winter was so mild.  Most gardeners, on the other hand, are of mixed emotions.

True, Mr. T was able to check a big item off his list when he finished re-mulching the garden paths and the Rondel (the oval shape in the center of our Way Back garden), thanks to an abundance of mild March weather. Mulch makes it all seem so well-tended.

The dogwood and the azaleas (photo, right) are beginning to bloom, just as the forsythia, the daffodils and the hyacinths are finishing. The iris (photo, left) and the candy tuft in the front are even beginning to flower.

Azalea...after the rain...

I welcome the warmth, as every seed and every transplant I plant switches into hyper-grow the minute the soil is back in place. In the Kitchen Garden in the Way Back, the lettuces and spinach are green and lush.  The cabbages and broccoli are tall and strong.  The asparagus (on its second Spring) is producing lovely spears for the first time. The potatoes and the onions are both growing ahead of schedule. Only the carrots haven't made an appearance...which is more due to the crusty, clay soil than to the weather.

In the Way Back Orchard, all 11 of the newest fruit trees are leafing out, and all except one of the other apple trees (planted last Spring) have shown signs of life.  We will be fertilizing them and adding mulch-rings this weekend, if the weather stays as gloriously beautiful as it is today.  We purchased a swing on our last Tractor Supply run and plan to install it here soon...a perfect spot to rest while working in the Way Back.

In the Berry Patch, the blueberries are all abloom, and the blackberries have leafed out spectacularly.  The grapes along the fence are even breaking bud (which isn't necessarily a great thing, since we had wanted to relocate these guys...that will now have to wait until they go dormant next Winter). The new strawberry bed (created by transplanting runners from the old bed) is not only showing the signs of growth on the new plants...there are also flowers on many!  I'll need to get some straw on them soon.

And, in the newest addition to the Way Back, our Rose Garden, all 12 of the new David Austin English Roses have growth.  Woo hoo!  Mr. T got these guys in the ground as soon as he could after we received our shipment, even finishing by flashlight.  We have 9 hybrid teas coming from Roses Unlimited in South Carolina next month, along with another DA order of 14, for which we will be digging holes this weekend.  We have outlined the path through the Rose Garden, and Mr. T has assembled and stained the new teak glider that will be placed on a stone pad (to be installed...:) soon...a perfect spot to enjoy our morning coffee.  We will be moving a feeder and the concrete bird bath to that location so that the bluebirds who have moved into the newest bluebird house on the fence will have a bistro to call their own.

So, what's not to love about this, you ask? Well, a mild winter...and this has been one of the mildest on record...means (1) we will be battling an abundance of bugs come summer-time...and (2) an earlier appearance of my least favorite gardening cohorts, the snakes. Yes, I saw my first snake the other day...and happily lived to tell the tale.

It was a "good back" day for me, and I finally tackled a chore that has been on my To Do list for months: get the "new" strawberry bed planted.  [Mr. T had already tilled the new row...and tilled it again...and tilled it a third time to create a wide, raised bed over the Winter.]  I  had worked in the "old" strawberry bed (which was slated to be tilled under and become a part of the new Rose Garden) for several hours, digging up and removing runners to go to the new bed.  For this chore,  I used my handy-dandy new (purple!) kneeler that I'd ordered from Gardener's Supply...and which I pronounced "GREAT!"

After we planted the new bed (finishing in the rain, I might add...), we had so many runners left over I decided to keep them and plant them in containers:  a strawberry jar that I used previously for herbs; several hanging baskets; and many, many pots here and there.   The next day, as I was finishing putting the last 2 runners in my last empty basket, I thought it needed one or two more to fill it out...and Mr. T had not tilled the bed under just yet.  So I grabbed my trowel (but not my kneeler) and dropped down on my hands and knees amongst what remained of the old strawberry bed for "just two more."  I stabbed the trowel into the straw around a promising runner...and the straw moved.  Well, slithered actually.

You can probably guess what happened next.  I screamed...got up and outta the strawberry bed faster than I thought I could move (what bad back?)...and made it to the garden gate (like that's home base...:) in record time. Mr. T came a'runnin' to see what was wrong.  Of course, he started asking all those pertinent questions: what color was it?  How long was it? Where did it go?  Like I had loitered long enough to know the answer to any of those queries...

The next thing that happened is news-worthy.  Instead of retreating from the Way Back for a week (like I did the last time I saw a snake in the garden)...or, telling him to "sell the house" (like I did 32 years ago, when I saw a water moccasin in our back yard in Cordova)...I said "I need those strawberry runners to finish my basket."  No, I didn't return to the scene of the sighting myself, but I stood nearby giving encouragement and great directions to Mr. T...who recovered both the runners and the trowel without seeing said snake. He also complimented me on how much I have matured in my snake phobia...and I beamed with pride.

"Old dog...new trick" comes to mind...:)

Winding Down the Month of February

Unbelievable.  Month #2 of 2012 is on its last week. Groundhog's Day, Valentine's Day, President's Day, Mardi Gras, and Ash Wednesday zipped right on by...leaving only Leap Day plus one left to rip off the calendar.

[An aside...I had a Stewart cousin whose birthday was on Leap Day.  Lib, who lived into her late eighties, was fond of saying she was usually the youngest in the room because she had "celebrated" the fewest actual birthday-days. And, when those days finally rolled around every 4 years, she was especially pleased when folks remembered her "special" day.]

Since I last posted, we have received our fruit tree order from Stark Bro's Nursery from Louisiana, Missouri.  We got the 11 bare-root trees planted into their new homes/holes in our Orchard quadrant in the WayBack Garden.  When I write "we," I really mean Mr. T...since I'm still pretty limited in my contributions.  I did mix the special root-boosting hormone concentrate into the water can and hold the trees up straight while Mr. T back-filled the holes.  Then I helped mulch the new babies with oak leaves we composted from last Fall.  Not much, when you consider how back-breaking it can be to work this hard-packed clay soil we have, I agree.  But, at least I can say...like that old Shake 'n Bake commercial..."and I helped."

Mr. T has been preparing the holes for these trees since last year.  He marked off the orchard for tree placement and tilled the holes repeatedly in order to break up the concrete-like clay.  Then, he worked leaves into the holes on a couple of occasions.  And, when we got the notice that the trees had shipped, he cultivated it all once again.  So, he was as ready as ready could be when they arrived via FedEx.

I can't say enough good things about Stark Bro's and our order.  Give'em an A++!  All trees were well-packed into a single box, and the roots of all were still moist. We opened the box and popped the new babies into the big galvanized tub of water to soak, as directed.  Then, it was a matter of time...a LOT of time...for planting.

Here's the list of what we received and planted:

Items Shipped from Stark Bro's Red Fuji Apple Dwarf Supreme 1x Each Stark® GrandGala™ Apple Dwarf Supreme* 1x Each Whitney Crabapple Semi-Dwarf Supreme 1x Each Stella Sweet Cherry Semi-Dwarf Supreme** 2x Each Carolina Belle Peach Dwarf Supreme 1x Each Contender Peach Dwarf Supreme 1x Each Moonglow Pear Dwarf Supreme 1x Each Starking® Delicious™ Pear Dwarf Supreme 2x Each Methley Plum Dwarf Supreme 1x Each

We already had 2 Cortlands and 1 Golden Dorset (all from Tractor Supply, planted in Spring 2010); and 2 Grimes Golden and 2 Blacktwigs (purchased from the Guilford County  4-H and planted Fall 2011).  With the addition of our latest trees, we think we have completed that quadrant.  Since Stark Bro's prunes the Supreme trees for you, we only have to spray all with dormant oil (which we got this past weekend at Tractor Supply)...and wait for them to break bud and bloom.  I'm ready!

African Violets in bloom:
(l to r) Scarlett, Tennessee, Martinique, and Evelyn

Meanwhile, it's again too cold to do much outside anyway, so I've been enjoying my indoor garden.  The African violets that live in the front bedroom window are all in glorious bloom, a riot of color as you can see from the photo (right).

A note about the violets...these are all Optimara violets.  Bro J (who is in Sales with Marshall & Bruce Printing Co., in Nashville) does the printing for the Holtkamp Greenhouses, creator of the Optimara line, and which bills itself as the "world's largest grower of African violets." Who knew you would find something like that in Nashville, Tennessee?! Or, that they would be for sale EVERYWHERE!

Tiny vase with
double Rip Van Winkle daffodils

With every prediction of freezing temps and frost, we try to clip the daffodils that have blossomed outside and bring them in to enjoy for a few more days.  This photo (left) is of double Rip Van Winkle daffies, picked from the Cutting Garden and placed in the darling little NC-made vase, which we got on our last visit to the Biltmore.  The flat vase is a fired pottery piece with a teeny-tiny (spikey) frog, about the size of a nickle...secured in the middle of the vase...and it holds about 1/2 cup of water.  Thought it unique when I saw it demonstrated in the Garden Center on the estate...but didn't really think I'd use it much, other than to display as a piece of art.  I love it!  Makes me smile when I come in for my coffee in the morning.  I've now replaced those early blossoms with King Alfred and Ice Follies daffies.


OK, I'd better sign off for now. Heading to Sam's Club later on to purchase my tax prep software...oh, goody.  I have a goal of getting this chore done before another month gets torn off the calendar.

Hey, it's a goal...and I am a goal-oriented individual, right?

Monday Morning Melody

Raised beds in the Wayback:
Blueberries in front; blackberries beyond

Whew! What a busy...and productive...weekend we had.  Since the weather was mostly sunny and generally warm, we tackled a big project in the Wayback Garden:  building enclosed, raised beds for three new blueberry bushes, along with the ones to come this Fall (photo, left).  We also added raised beds for the blackberry bushes (2 new ones; 3 relocated ones).  The Berry Patch portion of the Wayback Garden is off and growing!


Pots of herbs for Hyacynth:
Parsley, Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme, and Mint


While Mr. T was working his wood-working magic with saw and drill, I rooted several dozen forsythia stem cuttings across the back property line.  Then I concocted my own special potting soil, using the wheelbarrow for mixing the soil from last year's pots with sand, peat, fresh potting soil, and compost to give it "new life" for the coming season. 

I then potted up several herbs, including rosemary, thyme, mint, parsley, and lavender.  These new pots decorated the area around Hyacynth's seat (photo, right)...but only for a while.  Most of these guys are Mediterranean in origin, so they prefer the warmer climes. The weather report was for much colder temps today and tomorrow, so we hauled them all back inside the Greenhouse Porch, along with the ferns and the palms and the potted geraniums that we are over-Wintering...they had been enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon on the deck.  Soon, and very soon indeed, we'll hopefully be able to leave everybody outside.



A Goldfinch visits the feeder...
Spring brings back bolder colors



And, we know that Spring is almost here...just around the corner for sure.  This morning, for instance, Mr. Gold Finch (photo, left)...sporting his brighter suit of feathers...arrived on the feeder outside the Morning Room and sang his own Monday Melody.  Isn't he just beautiful?

Of course, we are rejoicing that the Memphis Tigers made it to the NCAA Tournament...if only just barely.  They had to beat UTEP (on their home court, I might add) to win the Conference USA Tournament...and thereby get an automatic bid...and they did it with one whole point to spare.  On free throws, no less.  They play Arizona in Tulsa on Friday at 2:30ish.  Honestly, I had my doubts that they'd make it to the Big Dance this year...oh, they have a boat-load of talent, but not enough discipline or direction, in my own humble opinion.  Still, now that they are dancing, you know I'm cheering:  Go Tigers, Go!!!



I wish everything in my Monday report was good news.  Mom update:  not so good today.  Back pain is waking her up/keeping her up at night, meaning she's getting less restorative sleep.  So, the next day is harder to manage without more pain medication.  Last night was a difficult one, so today is less than stellar, shall we say?  Wish I had better news to share.  Sigh.  I'm guessing it's almost time for us to get a follow-up Xray to determine if there have been changes since she received the original diagnosis.

Still, I noticed that she perked up a tad when I printed out a blank bracket for her to fill out.  You know she loves her sports, and she likes nothing better than to pick the winners...whether it's in horse-racing or the NCAA Tournament.  I can't wait to see how she calls the games on favorites Memphis, Duke, North Carolina, and Tennessee. 

Personal note:  I'm OK with the Blue...but I don't wanna see no Orange in this house.  No way.  No how.

Has It Really Been A Whole Year? How About 34??

Yes, the Merry Month of May was a time of celebrations.  Just this past week, we marked a whole year back in North Carolina...with smiles on our faces, for sure.  Hard to believe, but we closed on this house on May 27th last year and moved in when the Stella d'Oro daylilies begin their show.  If you'll recall, some of the first plants we added were Shasta Daisies (the frilly kind that look almost like mums), and we are now getting to see them bloom together (photo, right).  Feels like home!

It seems a distant memory, but last Winter and Spring were quite dry...so all the plants had been deprived of enough moisture for several months before we moved in...not to mention a dose of fertilizer now and again.  The house was vacant, and the sprinkler system had been turned off when the previous owners moved out.  Sad.  The result:  a poor display of blooms and color. 

Not so this year!  We've done our part...and Mother Nature is over-doing her part with the rain...and, now, all the plants are doing their best to reward us with glorious growth and blossoms. 

A case in point:  we barely noticed that we had a gardenia bush in front of the front porch.  It is hidden between an azalea and a boxwood, under a dogwood tree. Probably didn't get any watering the previous year.  Well, after receiving weekly watering all Summer and Fall last year, and three feedings of bone meal and Miracle Gro (in between all of the rain this Spring), it bloomed so profusely this year (photo, left) that you would almost be overwhelmed with the scent when you sat in the rockers on the porch.  What a beauty!


This past year has been one of many changes around 3917, for sure.  We've added a few plants to the front yard (some azaleas, several hostas, a few sedum, etc.), but with the exception of adding a small flower bed around the mailbox, we've kept things looking basically the same as the former owners (a small lawn, with a lot of pine-straw covered "natural area" underneath all the big trees). 

Of course we added the fences for the Big Change to the back yard.  And being the rose lovers we are, we've set about adding as many rose bushes as we can find sunny spots to accommodate them.  Then, we took advantage of protection of the natural branching habit of an elm (at least, I think it's an elm...:) to tuck the swing on its stand, for a lovely spot to sit in the shade...or even in a light rain...and enjoy the scene.

The real changes have been taking place in the area we call the Way Back.  There we've created a large veggie garden, along with a "birthing garden" where we can put perennials for later division and planting. We planted 13 ligustrums across the rear property line, so we'll know where our land ends (visually), since we can't put a fence back there due to right-of-way restrictions.  Eventually, we plan to have a small orchard...and even a putting green...to complete the area! 

As I've written about before, this space was a vast waste-land of weeds and rocks, due to being shared with Duke Energy's transmission lines.  Fortunately, we only have the lines "on" (over, actually) our property; we don't have to deal with the transmission towers...other than have to look at them when we are in the garden.  Admittedly, I was a bit leery of these giants when we first moved here, and it took me a while to warm up to the possibilities of the Way Back.  But, warm up I have...and big time!

When it hasn't been raining...and sometimes when it has been...I've spent most of my time for the last 6 weeks working in the Way Back.  Mr. T tilled two large garden areas (each one is approx. 50x25), separated by a 4-foot center path (see the photo, taken last week before more changes had been made, below, right).  I've planted tomatoes (6 varieties), peppers (3 varieties), potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, cantalopes, watermelons, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, peas (2 kinds), beans (2 kinds), sweet potatoes, and corn (2 kinds).  I've lined the fences and the paths with sunflowers, marigolds, nasturtiums, zinnias, basil, and parsley.  Mr. T installed a 6-foot wire fence section at the rear of the Right Garden to support the pole beans, and told me how to constuct a tepee from fallen limbs for more pole beans, and a small trellis to support other climbing crops.  We gathered up buckets and buckets of rocks, which are now lining the side of the center path, where 6 new solar lights are installed.

In the center (which we are now calling the Rondel, a la P. Allen Smith's Garden Home), we've got three in-ground flower boxes made from repurposed wooden moving crates, filled with zinnias and marigolds (all from seed saved from last year's crop...which came from seed saved from the previous year's crop in Missouri...:).  And, last week, Mr. T re-furbed an old wooden chair so I could spray paint it Grape (purple, by any other name!)...and it has taken pride of place, in the Rondel.  Soon, it will be the sitting spot for our Pot Person...to be assembled and called Hyacynth.  She will watch over the new roses planted in the Rondel, as well as be a focal point for the whole garden.

We are tired.  And, we are happy with how it is turning out.  I'll be sure to take my camera out next time I go work in the garden to get some updated snaps to share.

It's hasn't been ALL work (although it's sometimes seemed like it...:).  We cleaned up nicely on Saturday (photo, left) to go to the Brookstown Inn in Winston-Salem to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary.  Missy M was here for the Memorial Day Holiday weekend, so she and N/M/E got some Nana/Grand-daughter bonding time...:)   Then, in between the rain showers, we had our Holiday BBQ on Sunday...which was supposed to have the "best" chance of sun according to the weatherman.

Now, it's time to turn the calendar over to June.  Wonder what the first month of Summer has in store for us?