Sometimes when I disappear from the blog for more than a few days it’s because I have nothing to write about and I never want to bore you. But other times it’s because I’m so darn busy there is just no time to write.
That’s been the story for the past week. I promise you posts on almost all of these things, but I just haven’t had a moment to take more than an iPhone photo or write any words.
But just so I don’t completely leave you out of the loop, here’s what’s been happening.
On a total whim this weekend I decided to try to create a “hedge” of chives along one section of the circle garden. I started pulling up all the little chive volunteers and plunking them in along the edge and then I ended up pulling up one plant and dividing it for the rest. I think chives are so pretty in and out of bloom so I thought why not. I already had the plants and there’s no harm in trying it. If I don’t like it, I can just move them.
It was a weekend of go-go-go trying to get some gardening tasks finished up. I didn’t even come close, in case you were wondering. It is amazing how much time it takes to move six yards of compost. I’m not sure what takes more time, the weeding of the beds before I put it down, or the moving and spreading of the compost once I do. In any case, I’m looking at at least one more weekend of it before I’m finishing.
I did want to do one little construction project this weekend. Apparently I failed direction-following in kindergarten because the directions on how to make the cuts for this tuteur (or obelisk, whatever you want to call it) couldn’t have been more clear but oh no, I had to do my own thing, which is how I ended up with this.
I have a friend who likes the phrase “all chicken-winged up.” That, dear readers, is all chicken-winged up. Since I was throwing this thing together in record time though … I just torqued it enough to screw it on somewhat straight and went with it. It’s not exactly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever made but once I slap some paint on there, it will work out just fine.
The Serviceberry is about a day away from full bloom. Of course rain is predicted all week. I shot a quick photo of it this morning on my way out the door just in case that’s as good as it gets before the flowers collapse.
And in the most exciting thing that happened all weekend … the backsplash was installed in the kitchen. I love it more than I even thought I would! We are so close to finished on that project (thank goodness). I just have to paint the walls and we have to get someone to finish that
damn crown molding (speaking of that, I’ll be on the radio on Wednesday talking about it, believe it or not). Lots of photos to come of that! I can’t wait to show you.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the first week of The Garden Appreciation Society. We’ll do it again tomorrow so get your bouquets ready!
3 Responses
Dumb question: Do you move the mulch out of the way, put down the compost, and then spread the mulch back over the top? I'd like to be a better compost user (my bunnies make tons of it), but it seems like such a huge task to always be moving the mulch out of the way to do it.
Not a dumb question at all! I don't actually mulch every year, mostly because it's just such a production to do it. I don't do the layer of compost every year either. So, since it's been a couple (few?) years since I've put down mulch it has all pretty much disappeared and I'm putting a layer of compost done on what it pretty much just dirt. It's something I first read about in Tracey DiSabato-Aust's book, and I try to do it every few years, although I'm sure in this case it's been at least four. It doesn't do as much good as it would to actually blend it in, but there's no way I'm doing that, so I just sort of use it as a mulch and figure that good stuff will leech down into the soil in the short term and it will improve the overall condition of the soil in the long-term.
Sounds like you had the same weekend I did. I have nothing, nothing to blog about. But tons of things were happening. How does that happen.
Yesterday was the only day available for gardening as my son and grandsons were here the rest of the week. So it was off to the nursery bright and early to get some annuals for baskets, some vegetable starters and mulch. I'm like you and don't mulch every year. But the beds look like they haven't been done in a donkey's age and definitely not since we bought the house two years ago. What a difference top dressing the front gardens made to the curb appeal of the house. (I'm only doing the front as I use compost on the perennial beds in the back). I'll only do the mulching every few years too.
Also I'm a big fan of Tracey's books – love her "Well Tended Perennial Garden" – use it as a reference all the time.