Is There A Doctor in the House?

No, I don't need another doctor...it's just that we've seen our share of them lately.

First up was Abbie, who saw Dr. K on Monday for her next-to-last puppy appointment. She weighs 20.8 pounds, which sounds like a lot, but means that she didn't double her weight from Month 3 (12.4) to Month 4. Still, Dr. K feels that Abbs will top out between 40-44 pounds (supposedly, you can arrive at a good guesstimate if you double the dog's weight at 4 months). So, a few puppy shots and one rabies vaccine later...and a mani-pedi for some severely sharp little nails...and we were back in the car, headed home. Here's a pic I snapped as we buckled up for the ride.

While we were there, I tried to talk to Dr. K about ideas on dealing with the chew, chew, chewing. Abbs is such a sweetie-pie...most of the time. But when she is over-tired or over-excited, she puts those needle-like teeth into action, with painful results. Both Mr. T and I have the scabs, scars, and scratches to prove it. However, from the moment she entered the building, Abbie was a quivering jelly-belly...and Dr. K just laughed at me. "What? This sweet little puppy...biting?!" Right.

Next up: me! Saw my GP (do they even call Family Practice doctors "GPs" anymore?) today for my six-month checkup. Bloodwork taken on Monday was excellent, blood pressure and cholesterol great, and my weight continues that slow but steady drop (more on that in a sec). Biggest complaint? Ah-choo! Seasonal allergies...just like many of his other patients, I'm sure. I have been trying to manage things with a prescription nasal spray and Benadryl, although I did try (yet again) to use the Allegra-D he's prescribed before. I simply can't handle the "D" part...the decongestant that I need which comes in the form of pseudo-ephedrine, which causes me to want to curl up in a ball...so depressing. So he's changing it to just Allegra, and adding another nasal spray. We shall see...

I chatted with him about living with Bell's Palsy. That's how I've started thinking about it, you know...as opposed to "recovering from" BP. I still have some muscle weakness in my left jaw, my taste buds have never returned to normal (leading to a decreased ability to enjoy food...and a downright aversion to some things I used to love, like pizza...hence that weight loss I mentioned), and I deal daily with the synkenesis or involuntary muscle movements, like a twitching and winking left eye. In all my reading about BP, I'd come to the conclusion that whatever level you reached at the end of six months was what you were likely to have to consider your "new normal." Today marks 10 months for me, if you are still keeping count with me. So I assumed this is it...live with it.

Dr. K (no, not Abbie's vet...my GP...:-) said to give it some more time. His view is that it takes 12-24 months to recover completely from other neurological "events" like a stroke, so why should we cut off hope at 6 months. OK. I'm game if he is! He wants me to continue with my therapy exercises and start back with daily doses of Gabapentin (to help with the nerve recovery). And to "hang in there."

So, that leaves Mr. T. And this is a case of saving the worst news for last. Many will remember he endured a couple of surgeries on his right knee, including a total knee replacement, 8 years ago. Now it's the left knee. He's scheduled for an MRI on Friday to see what is going on in there. And then we wait until next week to hear the results from the orthopedic surgeon. And we all know how much Mr. T likes to wait.

What? You thought I was going to say "we all know how much I like to wait?" This one isn't about me...and, trust me, he makes me look like a most patient patient.

What is going on with all these knee replacements lately? Everywhere I turn, I hear about one. Friends, friends' husbands, cousins...well, technically one is a cousin-in-law. But MA has been in the family as long as I can remember, so I always forget to attach that "in-law" part.

Anyway, we have seen/will see our share of medicos this week. Mostly good news. Maybe our luck will hold through Friday. Fingers crossed...toes, too.

It's All Coming Together

Time has such a funny way of slipping up on you, doesn't it? It seems like only a year or so ago that we were moving back to NC from MO...when in reality, it's been almost four years ago next month. Wow...time flies...!

What brought this to the forefront was the blossoming of our pink dogwood tree and our azaleas this past week. We just missed this annual rite of Spring that first year we moved into Casa 3917...had to wait 11 whole months to see what pretty colors we had purchased...:-) And, to learn that the previous owners had NOT planted a single, solitary daffodil or iris on the property, and only a piddling few daylilies. No worries...we fixed that little oversight.

Pink dogwood blooms in front-2013

Azalea in bloom in backyard

And then in July of '09, we embarked on our four-year plan to turn the back quarter-acre of our property from an unused, overgrown eyesore into an oasis. As I paused today between weeding and watering, I realized how close we are to turning that plan into a reality. Well, not exactly that 'first' plan, but a later much-revised version, don't you know?

Yes, we have done a ton (or ten) of work on our property. And, that is not only an investment of time and money, but also of faith...that we will actually be here to enjoy it. Remember, we have been married 36 years (soon to be 37, end of May) and have moved a total of 13 times (not counting a few temporary housing situations while waiting for our house to close, etc.). That means that making it to the 4-year mark is rare...based on the law of Adsit averages. Making it to harvesting fruit from an orchard we planted is unheard of.

So, you will understand how thrilled we are that almost all of our 20 fruit trees we've planted in the Orchard (or NW quadrant of the Way Back) are flowering this year. And, how nervous I've been with our recent cold spell, fearing a nip in the buds. Just one apple, please...and maybe a plum, peach, or pear. Is that too much to ask?

The Orchard was the one part of the original four-year plan that didn't change very much from design to completion. We found, after we began planting, that we could expand the number of trees from 14 to 20, especially since we discovered dwarf fruit trees. And, these 8-to-12-foot-at-maturity babies work perfectly, because we have a 15-foot height limitation (due to the easement that Duke Energy holds for the transmission lines). All we have left to do in this quadrant is a Pollinators Bed, designed to attract the bees and butterflies. Remember: no flowers, no bees; no bees, no fruit.

The strawberries, which were moved last year to their permanent bed in the Berry Patch (NE quadrant of the Way Back)...and because of this move, carried very low expectations for production this year...are flowering and showing signs of putting on fruit already! Yea!! We may only get enough for a few bowls of cereal...or an ice cream sundae or two...but that's OK. It's their "growth year." We are also seeing blueberries forming on all 9 bushes...and if I get the bird netting on them this year, we might harvest enough for a pie...or some muffins...and some homemade jam. The blackberries are healthy and growing, with tiny green buds foretelling flowers to come. Of course, if they were already in flower, Nana/Momma/Edith would have called this cold snap "Blackberry Winter." They are a little more tricky to cover with netting due to thorns on a couple of the varieties, but we are ready to make it happen when the fruit starts setting. Am I counting my blackberry cobblers before they hatch?

While technically not a berry, we have the two Concord grapes and the six new Flame Seedless grapes in the Berry Patch, too. I pruned the Concords severely this Winter, as they have had no pruning since we planted them three years ago, and I don't mind telling you I was worried that I might have been a little too enthusiastic with the shears. All's OK, though, as I noticed new growth swelling at several nodes on Saturday. Whew! (Still no sign of growth on the newbies, but I'll give it a couple more weeks before I begin to fret.)

I'm proud to say that every single rose bush in the Rose Garden (SE quadrant of the Way Back) is leafing out and budding up! This was last year's big project (before 2012 went off the rails at the end of May), so seeing visible signs of success does this gardener's heart good. We have filled in some of the gaps this Spring with three Queen Elizabeths (pink, Grandifloras), two First Prizes (pink, hybrid teas), one Kordes Perfecta (yellow to white with pink edges, hybrid tea), three Always and Forever (red, hybrid teas), and one Pope John Paul II (white, hybrid tea...I kid you not...:). That brings the grand total to 68 roses (15 in the back yard, 53 in the Rose Garden/Way Back). Yeah, we are nuts...about roses...:-)

And that brings me back around to the SW quadrant of the Way Back, where we have our Kitchen Garden. Here is where we began the transformation by planting two rows of tomatoes and peppers that very first year...and that let us know we had mountains of work to do with our less-than-perfect soil. The genesis of the four-year plan. In that original plan, we had stretched the Kitchen Garden over the center path, covering both the SW and the SE quadrants. Ah, such enthusiasm! Of course, coming to our senses and reducing the amount of square footage dedicated to producing food for two people allowed us to create a garden dedicated to scent and beauty.

So, this quadrant has undergone the most change. The biggest change this year has been the addition of raised beds to what I've previously called the Cool Season garden...and the creation of wide, raised rows in the Warm Season (or Row) Garden area.

Purple iris reblooms in front - 2013

So, that's a verbal tour of where I spend most of my waking hours. I'll try to post pictures to keep you updated, but you'll understand if my posts are sporatic during the hectic Spring months, won't you?

And, what's next, you might ask? Well, we have all but ignored the front yard. I did plant those daffodils and iris (like this purple one that's in bloom right now), so I could have my favorite flowers welcoming us home. And we cleared out a few cedar trees that were blocking our view of the street.  But because we weren't concerned about a move in the near future (read that: in the first three years we were here), we were least concerned about "curb appeal." I have ideas about some changes, but for now, I'll let the lawn service take care of things. Status quo, don't you know?

Meanwhile, I think I'll take my coffee on a walk to see what has changed in the Way Back overnight. Always such a pleasure...especially when I can see how the plan has come together. Ahhhhhh....

A Trainer By Any Other Name

Whoosh! There went Spring...here comes Summer!

Seven short days ago, we were concerned about a Frost Warning posted on the News 2 Weather ap. Today? It's going to top out at just under 90 (85 already). Talk about running hot and cold...or rather, cold then hot!

I even had to turn on the air conditioner yesterday...because of the heat, as well as the pollen, which is covering everything (like our neighbor's normally shiny red truck) in a powdery yellow. Can't sleep with the windows open when you shouldn't be breathing the air! I may need to refill my nasal spray prescription by the gallon. Want proof? Here's a shot I snapped while taking a rest break on the garden swing. Reminds me of a saying one of my Lunn cousins used to say: "You may write in the dust, as long as you don't date it."

But neither heat nor pollen will deter me from my Spring gardening activities! And, what a long list that would be...

I was thrilled to see asparagus spears shooting up through the asparagus bed a couple of days ago. Such a taste treat...and presented in such an odd manner. Everything else sends up the leaves then flowers in preparation of the bounty to come. Not asparagus. You get the bounty first, for a few short weeks in the Spring, then it spends the rest of the year sporting the fronds and the berries

The eagle-eyed among you might notice those odd holes around the spears. Abbie loves running through the asparagus bed, on her way to jumping into the potato bags. Sigh. She's so cute...but she's going to significantly affect our yield this year, don't you think?

Learning from last year's problems, we are trying to nip the ever-present weed issue in the bud...and attempting to combat one of the issues with clay soil at the same time. Clay soil...which has high mineral content and high water-retention properties...has at least one awful characteristic: in high temps and baking sun, it clods up and crusts over like a brick.

I think I've mentioned that we have been amending our (awful, terrible, horrible) native soil with copious additions of leaf mold and compost. But, we could stay here for 20 years without making a dent in this much soil, working on the whole 1,000 square feet. So, we set up 4 wide rows and three equally wide aisles last Fall, in the Warm Season garden, tilling in more leaves, etc., and making progress, but alas the brick-crusting continues. Until I noticed that the soil under some bags of top soil was moist and workable. Hmmmm. What if we kept the rows covered at all times? And not just with straw, as in the past.

Enter a giant roll of Preen's landscape fabric! We've used it in the Rose Garden with some success, and this year we will be trialing it on the long rows and the aisles. Here's a shot of the rows I covered this morning. In the heat and pollen-choked air. Please be impressed, since I had to move 44 40# bags of top soil to make it possible. Ahem.

And now to the fun part...and how the title relates to this post...

Mr. T finished the tuteur that fits perfectly inside the Center Square of the new raised bed garden. A Tuteur, used as a tower to support vining vegetables and flowers, is a French word meaning "trainer," which is apt since I spent most of my adult life as a corporate trainer. He made one for Missy M's Secret Garden, and I have wanted one ever since. Ours has copper rails (I <3 copper!) and a purple topper, painted to match the shed doors. We even found a pot that fits perfectly...and I planted it with petunias, vinca vine, black-eyed Susan vine, and morning glory vine, that will soon be trailing down. I also seeded the Center Square with Scarlet runner beans, sunflowers, and nasturtiums, that soon will be filling out and up. Grow babies, grow!

Whatcha think?

Tote That Barge, Lift That Bag

Why does everything in the garden have to weigh 40 pounds? Or, better yet, 50?

I was taking a break this afternoon when it dawned on me that we have moved 2 tons of top soil from the driveway to the back yard and the Way Back Garden in the past few days. TWO TONS! Do the math: 100 bags of top soil at 40 pounds per bag = 4,000 pounds, or TWO TONS.

And that's not all, either. 50 bags of cedar mulch @ 40 pounds per (so far...still have 100 to go). One ton done, two to go. 25 bags of mushroom compost @ 40 pounds per (so far...we'll need another 25 before all's said and done). One ton in all. And 20 bags of Black Kow composted manure @ 50 pounds per bag...those are outta my league, I'm afraid. All I can do at that weight is cheer Mr. T on. He has a large wagon; I have a smaller one...and together we have put several miles on both in our efforts to move 4.5 tons of soil and amendments. Makes my back ache just writing it all down.

Not really. I have been very careful with all this lifting...warming up cold muscles before working, being realistic about my limits, and taking adequate breaks. I have been diligent about stretching and flexibly exercises over the Winter, to help meet the challenge of Spring. I know I'm playing with fire, so to speak, and a "bad back attack" is the last thing I need or want. No time for that...

Today I started getting the roses ready for their growing season. While I had already pruned them about a month ago, I had held off on the Spring Feeding just in case we had more cold weather...which we did. But all the rose bushes are leafing out now, so it is time to take action and get them ready to put on a show this Summer.

First I rake back last year's mulch. Then each bush gets a big helping of Patricia's Special Rose Potion: 1/4 cup Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate); 1/2 cup bone meal; and 3/4 cup 10-10-10 granular fertilizer. I scratch this mixture into the soil from the main cane out to the drip line. Then I add 1/3 bag of mushroom compost as a thick mulch in a circle around the base of each bush. Water in...and voilá! Happy, healthy bushes. I finished the 15 bushes in the back yard today, with "only" 45 more to go in the Rose Garden.

Then, I'll turn my attention to the Orchard, where I'll need to mulch all 20 trees with more mushroom compost (no fertilizer yet, as none of these babies have borne fruit). Then ditto with the blueberries, blackberries, and grapes...all of which get both fertilizer and compost.

Are we done yet?!

I am under a deadline of sorts, in that April 15 is looming large...that's like the starter's pistol for the Warm Season Garden. After the Average Last Day of Frost for the Piedmont, we can begin planting all those summer goodies: tomatoes, peppers, melons, corn, beans, okra, etc. So, I want to be done with the other gardening chores by then.

A lot of work? Heck yeah. But oh so good for body, mind, and spirit. That's why I do it...for the joy it brings!

Just remind me of all that joy in the morning, when I won't be able to get out of bed! I wonder if I have any Epsom salt left? Supposed to be a good soak for aching muscles, right?!


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It's not all work-in-the-garden here at Casa 3917. I've also been writing about working in the garden...😃! Latest article published online, I Say Tomato! is located here: http://guilford.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/03/i-say-tomato/. Enjoy!

Madness...March and Otherwise

OK. It's late March, right? Even if I had no current calendar, I'd know this because NCAA Basketball March Madness has dominated the airwaves. My Memphis Tigers made the field of 68 but were knocked out in Round 3 by Michigan State. Bummer. And I hadn't even had time to share this great poster pic with you...

With some key upsets, my bracket that was surviving on life-support was almost toast after yesterday's games. Ah well...there's always next year...and with just a passing interest in the rest of the tournament (I still have Louisville winning it all, so there is a faint glimmer if they hold on til The Final Four), I find I'm freed up to attend to other things. Such as:

1. Weeding the Rose Garden path on Saturday, while Mr. T worked at cutting the lumber for the 5 raised beds he's constructing in the redesigned Cool Season Garden. He braved the sleet (!) in the A. M., got all the pieces cut, and even constructed the Center Square (pictured). Abbie helped.

2. Speaking at the Greensboro Arboretum yesterday to 17 or so hardy souls who ignored the raw weather conditions to come to our Master Gardener Speakers Bureau Growing the Green Way presentation called "Totally Tomatoes." This is the PowerPoint presentation I've been working on for the past month, and I think I've mentioned in earlier posts. Think it went well...got some positive comments. Of course, it went longer than the planned hour, but we were concerned about that anyway...who can possibly cover everything you need to know about growing tomatoes in 60 minutes or less? Obviously, not I. What to tweak, was the question JA asked me in our debrief? Lordy, Lordy...I couldn't even force myself to think about Tomatoes for another second. I had reached my absolute limit! Especially since it was near freezing...the only tomatoes I wanted to think about were the ones in a lovely, steaming bowl of soup.

3. Taking Abbie for her monthly checkup and second round of puppy vaccines this morning. She's gained four pounds, now up to 12.4 pounds. She did really well, and it all went a little easier with Mr. T driving while I kept a rambunctious ball of energy under control. Here's a photo I took of our little growl upon our return home, lounging on the bean-bag stool...which she has commandeered. She's growing, for sure.

Mr. T was able to play pet parent today, as he is taking vacation days this week. The plan was to get several items checked off our To Do List (which seems to get longer as the year progresses). And to finish our chores soon enough to head to Louisville for Easter Weekend. But plans should always have flexibility built in, right?

When we returned home from the vet this morning, Mr. T went outside to refill the bird feeders and check to see how damp the work area in the garden still was (we'd had over a half-inch of rain Sunday). I was finishing my second cup of coffee before changing into gardening duds. Next thing I know, he's whistling to get my attention. As I looked out the window, it registered that flakes were falling about the same time his words "It's snowing!" hit my ears. Good grief. No gardening today.

Just call us Gumby. Flexibility is our name. And March Madness is our game.

Goodbye, Dear Friend

I had a goal for today: finish up a PowerPoint Presentation and get it to my friend JA for editing. It happens to be a beautiful day here, but I was going to ignore the call of the garden in order to meet my goal. Focus...that was all I needed to get the job done. Not that difficult, really, since it's too wet to work the soil anyway. And then...

My BFF from Henning days, ATT, messaged me on Facebook as I was finishing my second cup of coffee and the online USAToday. She'd heard that Miss Caroline Hanson had died and wondered if I knew. Sad news, indeed...but not entirely unexpected.  Miss C and I usually spoke by phone every week or so, but the last time I'd called her (about 3-4 weeks ago), she'd been too ill to talk long.

You may recall that I've posted about Miss C being Momma's contemporary, who had taken on the role of my second Mom over the past 18 months. She and Momma graduated from Ripley High in 1938 and remained friends for the rest of Momma's life. They were neighbors in Henning until 1976 when Daddy and Momma moved to Covington.

Miss C was so very fond of my Uncle Edward, who was younger than she and Momma by five years.  When he married in Holly Springs, MS, in the late 40's, he asked her to sing at his wedding at the Holly Springs Methodist Church...which she did, with great joy.  For years, she would recount the details of that weekend (of singing in the historic church, of staying at one of the antebellum "pilgrimage" homes, and of the whirlwind of parties the bride's friends and families invited her to) with great enthusiasm and clarity.  The fact that her stories outlasted that marriage never deterred her from the memories.

She tried her best to teach me how to sing and to play the piano (I took lessons from age 5 to about age 10 or 11)...but my talents were more in the organizational area than in the musical arena. While she was very gracious in not reminding me that I'm tone-deaf, she always praised me for making her yearly recitals go "like clock-work." Heheh.

She did succeed in instilling a love for classical music, though.  Bless her! I may not be able to sing it or play it...but I can certainly appreciate it and enjoy it! (I've been playing Ode to Joy in the background while composing this post...:). My life has been immensely enriched for having known Miss Caroline.

You also may remember I made a trip to Tennessee last November to see Miss C in her nursing home in Ridgely and to visit with AD, my 104-year-old cousin in Dickson. Put a lot of miles on my car...and my body...that week. But, now I am so glad I got to see Miss C that one last time.

So instead of working on that PPT that is due today, I ditched that effort for searching old photos to scan and share with you. I may be the only one that still has these particular photos, taken 50 years apart. With Miss C's passing yesterday, I suppose the whole group is now catching up in Heaven.

The older ones are when the Henning Friends (Momma, Miss Caroline, Sidney Anthony and his cousins, Rose Anthony and Margaret Anthony, among others) were seniors at Ripley High School (1938).

Mary D, Rose Anthony, Sidney Anthony, and Caroline Hanson (RHS, Class of '38)

L to R: Mary D and Margaret Anthony (seated); Caroline Hanson, Rose Anthony, and Edith Keaton (Momma) - 1938

L to R: Margaret Anthony, Edith Keaton (Momma), Caroline Hanson, and Ducks (?); seated: Mary D

These "newer" ones were taken at their class' fiftieth Class Reunion.

L to R: Margaret Anthony (Jordan), Sidney Anthony, Edith Keaton (Lunn), Frances Drake, Rose Anthony, and Caroline Hanson - RHS Class of 1938's 50th Reunion in 1988

L to R: Rose Anthony, Margaret Anthony (Jordan), Caroline Hanson, Edith Keaton (Lunn), Sidney Anthony, and Frances Drake - RHS Class of 1938's 50th Reunion in 1988

Miss Caroline and my Daddy, Sidney T. Lunn (1988)

Seeing that last one reminds me I have some other photos I wish I could put my hands on...pictures of parties at our house in Henning, when Miss Caroline would play our Turkey Red piano (that Momma and Mrs. Mary Lois "antiqued" one fine, Fall day) and Daddy would sing the Tennessee Waltz. Among other things...ahem. We may have lived in a dry county, but that did not put a damper on the fun. After all, "wet" Tipton County was just over the Hatchie River Bridge, don't you know? The pictures will resurface at another time, and I'll share...

But, for today, I enjoyed a trip down memory lane through old photos...and I made up some ham salad for sandwiches...and pimento cheese for stuffed celery sticks.  Thinking about all those parties we had...and the tasty buffets Momma prepared with what was considered "party food" in the 60's...made me hungry for some situational "comfort food," shall we say? Only wish I could have tasted some sausage 'n cheese balls and tiny country ham biscuits. Mmmmm...makes my mouth water...:-)

So, I'll say goodbye Miss Caroline...and thank you for all you meant to me over the years. I can't cry too much for your death, as I know you were in a lot of pain in the last few weeks, and you have left me with too many happy memories to stay sad. Any tears I am shedding are solely for me, knowing that my second Mom has gone to join my Momma, and I've lost a friend.

I sure hope the Turkey Red piano in Heaven is tuned up and ready! They've been waiting to get the party started!!

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Link to Miss Caroline's obit on Garner Funeral Home's site: 
Obituary For: Caroline Hanson | Garner Funeral Home

Sunshine, Tan Lines, and Mosquitos

What a bea-U-ti-ful weekend we had! Finally the perfect combination: good weather, no rain...and reasonably warm enough to be able to be outside. Yardening, here we come! Oh, how we've missed this...

While I gathered some essentials (gloves, pruners, etc.) Saturday morning, Mr. T began the day by refilling the bird feeders. Only...on this day, he had a new helper: Abbie! Look closely at the picture (below) to see Abbs with her paws up on the stump that is used as the filling station; you can barely see Mr. T's hand, as he had slipped back in the shed just as I snapped the shot. Oh yes, dear friends, she has taken to both master and routine like she's lived here for a year instead of just a week. She's discovered the doggie doors...and knows how to use them. Surely it won't be too long before she's chasing those d4mn squirrels away from the rich bounty in the Kingdom of our Back Yard.

The To Do List was lengthy and dynamic as we began the day. Mr. T was especially keen to get the 6 newly-arrived Flame Seedless grape vines in the ground in the Berry Patch, which meant he had to start with the Big Tiller to turn over the bed we had previously drawn up and marked off.

We have two Concord grape vines that are starting their third season (you may recall they produced some grapes last year), and we wanted to try another variety to complete our "vineyard." Research shows that Flames are heat-tolerant, which was the main consideration; whether we liked the grapes was the next most important item. While I like the Concords...and look forward to the day when I can harvest enough to make a jar of jam...Mr. T isn't a fan of their flavor...says they are too sour for "straight eating." Enter Flames: sweet and seedless...who could ask for more?

The area chosen for the vineyard is in the correct pH range (5.8 per our Soil Test in 2011), and appears to have a sandy streak running through the red clay. As we haven't improved the soil in this spot, we made a tasty mix of the soil removed from the planting holes, top soil, mushroom compost, Moo-nure, leaves (saved last Fall, remember?), and peat moss. While the last ingredient isn't recommended in this area due to a tendency to contribute to the soil's acidity, we made an executive decision to go for better tilth over pH. The support posts also got pounded in (no easy task), and the only thing remaining is to string the support wires and secure the vines. Those new grape-babies sure look happy in their new home!

Meanwhile, I continued with the pruning of the roses (doesn't sound nearly as much fun as The Running for the Roses, aka The Kentucky Derby, now does it?). Remember, I had finished this chore in the Rose Garden, but there were still the 17 bushes in the back yard? All look healthy, with the possible exception of the Sterling Silver hybrid tea. The first "blue" rose introduced in 1955, and the parent or grandparent of almost every lavender-blooming rose out there, this bush has always seemed less hardy than the others. Now it looks like it is on the Intensive Care roster. Sigh. It's one of my favorite blooms, too. You know how much I love purple, right? (I mean, who else paints their shed doors PURPLE, I ask you?) Well, this rose blooms a lovely, delicate lavender. Of course, "delicate" is probably the operative word here.

While I was pruning the roses in the Rose Garden, I had a thought: why not try to root some of the hardiest trimmings? With yesterday's snips, I had quite the collection. Sooo, out came the rooting hormone...and the nursery pots...and a new "rooting mix" (potting soil, peat moss, and sand). I got 12 pots of trimmings...and if just a few root, well...that's OK. It will be my first time to root my own roses...and probably the last time I ever buy another rose bush. As I am doing this for my own garden, with no plans to sell any successes, I'm ok on the patent laws...teehee.

As I dipped the last stem into the rooting hormone and pushed it into the last space in the last prepared pot (see photo above of the cuttings), Mr. T was tilling up a new rose bed in the Way Back. You see, we need to move some of our back yard buddies to a sunnier area. We made the mistake of planting them that first Spring we were in this house, thinking the sun factor where we put them would be constant throughout the growing season. Wrong. They just don't get enough hours of Summer sunshine (hybrid teas do best in full sun...8-10 hours a day). A reminder that one should live in a house...and garden...for a full year before making any changes.

Next up: potatoes in bags! Yes, we are planting our potato crop in bags again this year (instead of dedicating a row to them). Worked well last year, thriving on the benign neglect that was Garden 2012. I had prepared 10 sprouting chunks (3-4 eyes each) a couple of days before, giving them time to scab over on the cut edges. Mr. T helped me set up the Potato Farm, by laying out cardboard next to the asparagus bed, where we put 3 blue grow-bags, pouring top soil in to the depth of about 3 inches. As the sprouts grow, we'll add soil to cover the new growth until it reaches the top of the bags. At the end of their growth cycle (after the flowers, and when the green stems on top begin to wilt and die back), all we have to do is dump the bags out and-- voilá--potatoes! No digging!! And we have the added benefit of being able to recycle the "used" soil. Winner, winner...baked potato dinner!!👍

While taking a break, I could tell my face was getting more than a goodly amount of sunshine. As I'd had my visor on (I cannot wear a hat...just can't...too hot...) mainly for eye protection from the light and the glare (yeah, still an issue), I knew I was starting on one of my most bizarre tan lines: the one across my forehead, between my hairline and where the visor droops down over my eyes. Like a bald-heated man who forgoes his baseball cap at the beach.

And, just as we were enjoying a refreshing snack of Braeburn apple slices and cheddar cheese with crackers (agreeing that we'd truly missed these little impromptu picnics), what should buzz Mr. T's ear and alight on my exposed hand (since I was wearing long sleeves and long pants to protect me from all those thorns, I was fairly well covered elsewhere)? Why, a big, black mosquito! Already?! Guess so...

Before we collapsed on Sunday evening (remember...an extra hour of daylight!), Mr. T finished installing the last two Country Garden fence corners in the Cool Season Garden. Beautiful! We plan to redo this space with raised beds, and the corners provide just the structure needed.

And, then as everyone and everything left the Way Back, I mixed up the Dormant Spray and doused the fruit trees, grape vines, and roses. Sunday was the perfect day for this chore: a partly cloudy day in late winter (of which there are only 10 more days!), with no rain in the forecast for 24 hours; temps above 40 and below 85; with the area well-watered (the ground is still well-saturated from all the rain we have been having); and no chance of frost. While this stuff (basically, horticultural oil) is safe, there are warnings to remove people and pets from the 'active' spray area. And, although I am a "be nice to your Mother Earth" kind of a gardener, I recognize that an ounce of prevention in the dormant stage is worth the need to spray a pound of cure later on...and risk harm to any pollinators that come during the blossom stage.

And so, if Mr. T and I eventually recover from all of our strenuous activities, we shall pronounce this a successful weekend, and time well-spent. Huzzah!