Sunday was a glorious day. After a week of many obligations and what seemed like never ending rain, I finally made it into the garden. The sun was shining, the temperature was perfect, and my yard helper, Melvin, was there to assist with all the heavy lifting. We got way more done than I thought possible and I didn’t destroy my already tenuous lumbar.
First, the ugly dead bush came down. It will make fabulous chimenea fodder. Then Melvin brought round the plants taken from the side of the house and put them in. I have discovered these are called fatsia japonica and they’ll do well in sun or shade and well-drained soil. Instead of crowding them in amongst the shrubs by the fence I decided I liked them better under the large camellia. They don’t cover the air-conditioning unit or ugly electrical boxes, but they do distract the eye from them. I will get to blocking screens eventually, but for now I can live with the beauty these bring to composition.
I expected the plans would be altered as I got well into the digging. They were. That’s the exciting part. How will it end up? The discoveries and adaptations make it all kind of a mystery, the result of which only time will reveal.
And that bumped the whiskey barrels to another spot. I like them here. I’ve got a rosemary planted in one, and coriander and dill seed in another, and a fourth fatsia japonica in the last. It rounds out the composition. In any case putting one in the ground here is not possible. The septic tank has claimed that spot.
We did not get to the tall tree-bush. That’s okay. I’m still wrestling with what to do and I believe a bird is specing out nesting in it. I think careful trimming is my best bet. We’ll take it a limb at a time and stop when it’s right. But if there’s already a nest going up, any pruning will just have to wait.
I discovered these large, flat rocks. What a treasure! They were hidden in the dirt and in the bushes we took up to build the deck. I love the look of them laying on grass. I’m hoping there are more somewhere on the property. I plan to replace all or most of the grass with plantings of some kind, but this will take time. I saw some beautiful images on Pinterest of moss gardens that I really loved. I wonder if that would work around the steppingstones. I’ll have to do some more investigating before making the investment, but I’m thrilled with the idea of it.
We opened the bin, transferred the compost to the tiered garden, and removed the container to the side yard to begin a new batch. That provided space in fertile ground for the eventual bog garden. I’ve already enclosed it and put in a few irises. I will plant more irises in the fore and ferns behind to provide the backdrop.
The undecomposed cardboard has been pulled out of the beds and transferred to new composting. The teepee for the peas is up and pea seeds are planted. I put out some lettuce, carrot, and beet seeds in the lowered tiered garden alongside the strawberries. I’m not sure if I’ve got loose soil deep enough for the root vegetables, but the lettuce will be perfectly happy there.
I don’t know why but spending a day in the dirt does more for my soul than just about anything. I’m happy with the beginning but there’s miles to go. And that is both the bad news and the good.