Been away awhile

It is a beautifully cool late spring morning and I am gazing down upon my garden, which, at last, is progressing (hope to get pictures up later today).  Amazingly, with all of the clearing and planting that I've been able to do, the raised bed for the vegetables is still empty!  Unfortunately, my house is the only one on the street that is not entirely enclosed and I found a few deer running out of my backyard one day.  I had just come out onto the front porch with my coffee when 2 juvenile deer came clattering up the walkway on the side of the house, from the backyard, and out into the street!  I think I stood there for about 30 seconds, stock still and staring at them dashing away (down the middle of the road, for crying out loud), before I thought about checking to see what damage they had wrought.  Fortunately, there was nothing for them to eat yet, but I realized that I was going to have to get on the landlord to place a gate at the back, so that my veg and fruit would have a fighting chance (for US to eat them, at least).   I contacted him and he agreed (especially considering that he is expecting a few tomatoes from the deal!).

Otherwise, all is moving along well.  Rhododendrons are in, along with some First Frost Hostas and Woodland Phlox on the shady side of the yard, with my new Double Knock Out and Cottage Farm roses, moonflowers, and morning glories on the sunny side.  This week I will be attempting the ridiculous.....(for a newbie gardener, anyway)...I will be starting delphiniums from seeds!  I've been told they are difficult and fussy; no problem...my kids are the same way and they seem to be doing well.   LOL.  Anyway, hopefully with the hollyhocks going in with them,  I will have wonderful color next year.

I am learning that so much of gardening is the process and that patience is the key.  I am, by nature, a finisher...that is to say, my joy comes at the completion of a thing.  Working in my garden has been an opportunity to discover and nurture other parts of myself, and I love that the possibilities in gardening, as well as in me, seem to be endless.

Well, I am off to get my second cup and head into my garden-in-progress.  I will have pix today if I can. Until later...

Lisa : )

Magic Garden Project - Day 1

Well, this has been an interesting first garden morning!  Knowing that there are storms due, I went out this morning to survey the land, and set up the first of my raised beds for the vegetable patch.  I have found out two very important things:  First of all, my yard is NOT level.  At all.  Apparently the dead monster tree (oak, I think) that was in the backyard when the house was being renovated, is still trying to dominate the yard despite the fact that it was cut down a year ago.  When I first moved in, cutting what grass there is was a serious chore.  For every foot of grass I was able to cut, there was something sticking out of the ground that I would fall over or get the mower stuck on.   I am pretty sure that there is enough root system from that tree to start a new forest!  I have so many random mounds in the yard, it looks like someone was burying bodies, or a groundhog NATION is living in my back yard.  Sigh.

Secondly, I must make my ex-husband's drill my best friend.  I had no idea that I was going to be drilling holes it what was supposed to be predrilled lumber.  Okay, so this is not actually a problem.  I like working with tools and such, and the smell of fresh cut wood is absolutely wonderful.  Minor issue with getting permission to USE it, though.  (He is very sensitive about his power tools.)  Until then, the raised bed construction is at a standstill.

Okay, so I figured that I would rake up the leaves that had fallen since the last time I raked the yard (last week).  This, too, was almost an exercise in futility as, of course, I choose one of the windiest days to rake (not to mention having a backyard to backs onto the highway -- Wheeeeeeeeeee!  There goes all my hard work!).  However, I was able to get some of the yard done and the leaves in the new composter, along with some fruit peels.  This, at least for me as a new gardener, is progress!  Just as I finish this, and take some pix for  this blog, here comes the rain....or so I thought.  I collected my tools and my camera and headed indoors.  I figure, no problem.  I will watch the rain from my window seat in the dining room while I'm jotting some notes.  Hahahahahaha!  Five drops.  That was it.  Five drops of rain and here comes the sun again.  REALLY?  Okay, back out to continue.  Nope.  More rain.  Don't get me wrong.  I have no problems working in the rain.  I LOVE the outdoors.  I just had a time frame and some other things to accomplish before I went back to work.  No dice.  The peek-a-boo weather won today.  So I am off to Lowes to check out some bedding plants while the sky makes up its mind what it wants to do.  If it storms like mad as it's supposed to, I will sit at the window, dream, plan, and sketch, and wait for tomorrow.