Back Flowerbed Renovations

Our long fall has helped me get some gardening chores done that ordinarily would have been put off until spring. Case in point: the renovation of this back flowerbed.

 

Clear back in August, I bemoaned the lack of attention this bed had gotten.

It was in dire need of help.

So, I first tackled the obvious stuff:

cut back or cleared out the dead plants

and

weeded it all thoroughly--twice

 

Then I turned my attention to the aesthetics of the bed.

 

It was seriously lacking in fall color, so I purchased these 2 mums to fill in on either side of the mockorange. In order for the mums to fit, I had to move some other plants:

namely, the 'Bubbles' dwarf iris and the hardy geraniums on the left and geum 'Prairie Smoke' on the right. Oh yes, there was another plant on the right, at the base of the mockorange, but I can't for the life of me remember what it's called right now. Anyway, that one got moved as well.

'Bubbles' was transplanted amongst the irises out front.

The hardy geranium was likewise moved to the front beds.

 

The 'Prairie Smoke' geum got transplanted down further, next to the A/C unit: the feathery green in front here. I dug up the iris that had landed in front of the rose somehow, and after dividing, had enough rhizomes to put some on each side of this bed and the new flowerbed by the shed, as well.

 

The yellow rose got cut way back. With half of its stems completely dead, I didn't really have a choice. I'm not sure it's going to survive. Only time will tell on that one. 

 

So this is on the other end of the bed, now.

This little spot was getting very overcrowded.

The flowering almond had put on some growth this year, and the rest were doing very well also. So I chopped the geum in half, and moved it further down from the poppy and flowering almond. I also divided the daylily. I wanted more symmetry in this bed, anyway, so I was able to put the other half of the daylily down at the other end of the bed, which put my mind at ease.

The poppy did so well this year that I didn't want to touch it.

From what I've read they can be quite finicky about being moved.

As mentioned, I added a couple of irises along the back wall as well, for height and a pop of purple in the spring. 

 

This corner needed some serious weeding, which I did.

 

I also moved the penstemon with more purple flowers--on the right-- (shown here in June of this year) up to the front flowerbed, leaving the one that was more peachy pink.

 

What else did I do?

Oh yeah.

I spread out the 'Autumn Joy' sedums that were the only thing giving color to this bed this late in the season. There was a big clump right behind the flowering almond. As I mentioned, that shrub has started to fill in, so it was time for those sedums to move.

I planted several in the bare space behind the mockorange.

They'll have to compete with the tulips in the spring, but about July on, they'll have it all to themselves back there.

 

Several bulbs were excavated in the process of all this shuffling around, so I ended up dividing several daffodils and a few tulips and replanting them, as well.

 

I'm happy with how it turned out.

I think I'll be even more happy next year.

 

There's always something to work on in gardening.

I think that's one thing that keeps me coming back to it: playing with the arrangement, the colors and forms, then standing back and watching what happens. Then tinkering with it some more.

Back Flowerbed, Mid-August

 

This, friends, is the face of neglect.

This poor flowerbed needs some attention and has not gotten it for several weeks.

 

I've watered it...occasionally.

It has been hot and smoky and can I whine a little more?

 

This post can serve as my checklist for what needs to happen out there.

 

Still haven't cut off the dead rose branches.

Also some serious weeding needs doing.

More weeding.

Cutting back those dead poppies would also help.

Despite everything, look at this!

My Abraham Darby rose is in bloom again, as are the penstemon and yarrow.

 

In another week or two the sedums will be blooming, which will help spark this area more, as well.

 

Perhaps this week I'll make it out there for a fall tidying-up session.

Then I can post some "after" photos. :)

Perpetual Chore List: Spring is here!

UPDATED APRIL 30--GETTING CLOSER!

This is simply to get the list out of my head and somewhere where I can refer back to if need be! What's a garden blog for, after all?

1. Operation Berry Bliss, phase...4?
    A. Cut back all dead foliage on strawberry plants. DONE!
    B. Move blueberry bushes into pots. Yup, I've decided this is going to happen. The two that spent time on the back slope are still struggling, and the strawberries down on that end aren't thriving in the more acidic soil. So after the blueberry bushes are out, I need to re-amend the soil with regular garden soil and compost.
Or, I may do something drastic and just compost the 2 struggling blueberry bushes. It would be painful, though, so I haven't decided on that one yet. However, that would leave space for a new start.
   C. Prune the raspberries! DONE!
With as warm a winter as we've had, this could have been done a month ago, probably. It's definitely time now.

2. Perennial maintenance
    A. Finish dividing and moving daisies. DONE!
I got one patch done today that was all dead in the center, and even the side shoots transplanted already. Go me! There's another big patch in front that needs dividing as well, but the new leaves on it are still very tiny. I will probably wait on this one until this grow out a little more.  I'm not getting rid of my daises, per se, just trying to take white out of my front flowerbed. Some of them I'm giving away, some I'm putting up on the back slope (daisies are supposed to do well with clay soil), and some I would like to put in my new flowerbed (see below), which will have a color scheme of billowing whites and purples.
     B. Divide irises down front.
They must like it there; most have 2 if not three healthy rhizomes growing from the main center one I planted a few years ago.
     C. If my hydrangea down front has died, pull it out and figure out what to plant in its place. Or move something down to replace it. ** NOT DEAD! MOVED IT TO SHADIER SPOT.

3. New flower bed
   I've already talked about this in a previous post. I've narrowed in one what I want, now I just need to make it happen.
  The summarized version: 2 cherry trees, 3 lilac bushes (including one from the slope), and a flowerbed. Ready, set, go!
   PURCHASED 2 NEW SHRUBS FOR THIS BED, 2 MORE TO FIND.

4.  Roses!
    ENGLISH ROSES PLANTED.
   So I've got 4 English roses coming my way sometime this spring: 3 William Shakespeare, and 1 Abraham Darby. I'm really excited. The AB rose already has a place. I need to buy a trellis for it.
The 3 WS roses could go any number of places. As part of moving my daisies (above), I could either put a William Shakespeare rose each place I had a patch of daisies OR put them all together in the new flowerbed OR make another new flowerbed for them down by the driveway. Decision time is very near, as any new bed needs to be prepped now, so that it can be ready for when the roses come.
   Also, the Burgundy Iceberg rose in my front terrace needs to be moved to a location with more sun. [SWITCHED PLACES WITH THE HYDRANGEA THAT NEEDED MORE SHADE]

5. Top Terrace
  The master plan: Move daphne from the end, and replant with a boxwood to match the other one up there. I already pulled out the 'Watercolors' rose, and I plan to plant another elderberry there. I'm hoping more repetition will counteract the rather haphazard look I've got going on right now.
 Cut down the doggone pine tree up there! It's only been a year...and a few months since we sawed off the top for a Christmas tree. I mean, really? It's time. I'm sure the long-suffering neighbors would agree.

6. *sigh* the lawn [that isn't...yet]
  Fertilize the lawn so that at some future--perhaps mythical--date we can actually walk on it again.
My son did this and overseeded at the same time just last week (4/10-11). Maybe it will actually GROW!

7. Vegetable Garden
  Add compost and till in. Chit potatoes.
  Plant the spring veggies! (plus sweet peas)
I'm hoping to get these last two done this week!

And for all my spare time...

7. Prune the forsythia I just realized is growing at the tippy top of the slope. It's on our neighbor's side, but as we are great friends, I'm sure they won't mind. Yes, I'll ask first.

8. Purchase and plant a dwarf willow tree at the top of the slope to help cover the unsightly bare mud patch. It should love it up there due to the presence of an underground spring (we think)!

9. Plant all the bulbs we dug out in connection with the lawn project last fall and hope that they come back next year.

A Few Gardening Goals for 2014

Rather than add these to my (ahem) already lengthy list of personal resolutions, I decided to list them here, where maybe I will actually remember to do them.


1. Baby the blueberries.
    Has a nice ring to it, right? What I'm saying is--actually use the lovely soil ph tester kit I bought last summer and figure out how far I need to go. Add sulphur or ammonium sulfate, mulch with pine needles, think blue thoughts. Something. Going into year 3 with the blueberries, we have gotten a total of 6 berries. **BONUS! A whole blue spruce former Christmas tree just loaded with needles has now taken up residence along the side fence. Get 'em while the getting's good!
    
     1a. Move the strawberries away into their own side of the terrace, once the newly expanded top is complete. The ones that did the best were on the end without the special acidic soil anyway.

2.  Buy or make a birdbath.
     I look and I sigh and I shudder at the prices, but this is the year. Time to just do it. Something solid that the kiddos can't pull over onto themselves would be good.

3.  Add a few more kid-friendly garden features.
     I'm thinking a mud-pie kitchen would super fun, or a water-wall, or a sandbox, or some whirligigs, or even marbles set into the fence. (Except that it's technically the neighbor's fence...darn! Maybe they would give permission?) My Pinterest board "A Child's Garden" is chock full of good ideas. Now to get on it!

4. Assuming the garden extension project is completed--grow corn, squash, and maybe even pumpkins.  All those crops I haven't had room for. Oh yes, and at least a few complete sections of flowers--sunflowers, cosmos, or even sweet peas. Just because flowers make everything better--even the vegetable garden.

5. Pick flowers/plants to bring inside for an arrangement at least once a week.
    It's fun. It's addicting. Kids love it, too. Let's do it.

6.  Keep a hanging planter filled with flowers alive on the hook in front of the shed.
    The Topsy-Turvy tomato plant didn't fare so well in that location. Perhaps some pretty flowers will help me remember to actually water it.

7.  Make and can tomato sauce from my own tomatoes this fall.

I could keep going, but this will do for now.  You'll notice "weed regularly" or even "kill every thistle in the yard" didn't make the list. I'm shooting for achievable goals this year, people.

Perpetual Chore List, updated

 Our weather is supposed to warm up again this week, so I'm gearing up to get some more garden chores knocked off the list! Specifically, I want to focus on my various berry patch plans.

 

So, here's how I'm doing on the early spring list:

 

1. Prune raspberries and stake them. DONE!

2. Put in edging around raspberry bed and (3) add mulch.

4. Finish clearing out the garden. DONE!

5. Plant spring veggies DONE!

6. Fix paver path between deck and A/C unit.

7. Smooth out what's left of the unsightly dirt mound that resides next to the garden.

8. Plant something in that space!

9. Fill-in behind the top garden terrace.

 

Here's what's up next:

 

1. Put in edging around rasbperry bed and mulch.

2. Build and install raspberry support system.

3. Prepare soil (add acid-lover's amendment) in top terrace for blueberries!

4. Transplant garlic to bottom terrace.

5. Transplant blueberries from slope to terrace.

 

6. Purchase 1 more blueberry bush and strawberry plants from nursery. Also, thornless blackberry if available. 

7. Plant them!

8. Finish planting violas/pansies.

9-12. Work on projects left undone from before. 

Perpetual Chore List:Early Spring Edition

A few things needing my attention in the next month or two, with pictures!

 

 1. Prune raspberries and stake them.

2. Put in edging around bed.

3. Add mulch.

 

4. Finish clearing out the garden.

Yes, it's time to say goodbye to last year's tomato vines.

5. Plant spring veggies (I'm aiming for first weekend in April again.)

 

6. So 2 summers ago, I made this little path over to the faucet.

Then, last summer we got an A/C unit put in (believe me, it was worth the flowerbed space sacrificed!). As you can see, my lovely path got all covered up with dirt and the edging was taken out.

I never did get around to fixing last summer, but no excuses this time around!

Besides, I think I want to put all smooth pavers in and take out the pebbly ones. They were hard on bare feet.

7. Smooth out what's left of the unsightly dirt mound that resides next to the garden.

8. Plant something in that space!

My current thought is a currant bush. (HA! Very punny.)

9. Fill-in behind the top garden terrace.

This is another one of those chores that's easy to forget about, until you're walking along the very top wall and almost fall into the abyss on the back side. Whoops, guess we'd better get some dirt or gravel or something in there!

 

I like doing these types of projects in the spring.

It's still nice and cool (but warm enough to be outside).

Also, with everything still dead, pretty much, it's easier to see how hardscaping and such needs improvement.

Winterizing Chore List

I just heard that there's supposed to be some snow NEXT WEEK! AAAHH!
So, here's what all needs to go down before that happens:

[Update: So, most of this got done just last Saturday (11/17) after all the snow had melted!


1. Remove all cushions from outside chair/bench and store in shed.  DONE!
2. Store grill in shed?  DONE!
3. Remove flowers from pots and store pots in shed.  DONE!
4. Clear out hoses and store in shed.  DONE!
   a. cover outside faucets with the styrofoam things.  DONE!
5. Finish pooper-scooping the slope (for the last time!) 
      **Not done. It has been so rainy that the hill is a muddy mess. I haven't attempted to get back up there to finish this job. Maybe in the spring.
6. Finish clearing out the garden, including tomato cages to shed. DONE!
7. Plant garlic in garden.  Done by my Joy School kiddos: 10/18/12
8. Plant bulbs.  See post: The Great Bulb Countdown!
9. Clean up/put away any remaining tools/toys/bikes, etc.  DONE!
10. Mulch back flowerbed, new raspberry bed, around the dogwood in back of shed flowerbed.
     **Still need to mulch. Maybe tomorrow if I get a chance?
11. Plant seeds from Collette on slope, wherever else.
     **Didn't plant any seeds yet. Probably could just go out on the garden wall and scatter some to the wind; see where they end up.

Let's get on it!

Raspberries moved!

Cross it off the perpetual chore list, baby!

I had spent 3-4 hours digging, digging, digging, in an attempt to make a new bed for the raspberries.

The ground was so hard that it was very slow going.

Enter my rescuer!

Hooray!

The backhoe made quick work of the digging.

I smoothed it out, then started digging up those raspberries.

I kind of thought there would be room to purchase a few more to plant.

Silly me. They were so packed in there by the house, they filled up the entire space just by themselves.

Granted, I did plant them all in a line down the middle.

I'm hoping that will make staking them up easier next spring.

I decided not to prune them yet, either.

I'm hoping they'll get settled in to their new digs (literally-ha!) before winter.

I think they look so much better!

So does the back flowerbed, for that matter.

HOORAY!

Spring Blooms & Chores

After another cold and snowy/rainy week last week (except for Tuesday, the one warm day), this week is supposed to warm and beautiful all week! I'm so glad!

Today was a gorgeous spring day. Probably in the 60's. We were outside without jackets on all afternoon and even the mud has dried up a little.

Chore: weed flowerbed and prune raspberries

(mostly done!)

Despite the awesome weather, my motivation has taken a nose-dive this last week before baby.

I kept myself going on the weeding by telling myself that 5 minutes of spring weeding, when everything is tiny and pulls up easily, is worth an hour of summer weeding, when you have to fight for every one.

I was able to get about half the bed weeded, (yup, the same half I always do--rasberries over to the mockorange bush), and the winter debris cleaned out. At least that half is looking good.

I have a little bit more cleaning up to do at the very back of the raspberry patch--a few more weeds (though I got almost all of the morning glory out and a couple of huge dandelions--YEAH!) and 1-2 more dead canes to prune out. We have several tall, healthy-looking canes getting ready to leaf out soon.

I think we'll have a good crop this year.

I still want to move them over by the fence, but I'll need Jason's help for that.  

 These are cheering me up right now.

The hyacinths smelled so good while I was sitting there weeding today, and all three flowers had several bees on them the whole time.

There are several more daffodils about to bloom, too. Hooray!

Once we get the raspberries moved, I want to get a pretty shrub in that space, and another one in front of our bedroom window. I will probably need to shift some of the irises to fit the one in under the window, but the bed desperately needs some height and variety!

 These little purple flowers are just opening up on the slope.

I think they must be the 'Chinodoxa'.

On the left, in this picture.

Small patches so far, but they are still brightening up the slope-side view just a little. I'm hoping they'll spread a little each year.

Spring Landscaping Chores

Even a chore list is more interesting with pictures, right?
The real question is: how much of this will I able to get done 8-9 months pregnant/with a newborn?

p.s. 51 degrees today and tomorrow, back in the 30's with chance of snow later this week. Welcome to March!

1. Fill-in new flowerbed (front) with dirt and compost. (sprinkle gypsum first & spade in).

    --design plantings

    --purchase plants/shrubs + put in

  

2. Clean out/spray? thistles along wooden fence by shed.

    Prepare soil (get some from in front of deck.)

  

 Transplant raspberries along fence--including those on other side of gate

 Put in support stakes/string

3. Back flower bed

[transplant raspberries] and thoroughly weed after

--buy rose bush--hardy, scented, to fill in corner

--Move geraniums to back slope (could leave a small clump)

--Fill in Diamond holes, like the one above (grrr)

--Finish digging out/dividing irises and weeding.

--FENCE BED!!

My little mockorange (above) has had nearly every branch snapped off this winter, from our dumb dog using the flowerbed as her personal jumping off point. 

My fault for not fencing the bed last fall.

Still not at all happy with the dog. I hope it survives (the shrub, that is.)

--Buy shrubs for deck end of bed and to space throughout the bed.
--Weed cloth/mulch all
--Can begin adding annuals for color, or smaller perennials to fill-in gaps once shrubs are in place.
 

Those crocuses peeking up on the slope that I've mentioned before.

 

4. Slope
    --pooper-scoop all!
    --rake out dead grass
    --remove aspen shoots.  I've pretty much decided to take out almost every aspen shoot I find this year. I was letting a select few grow, but if they're within 6 feet of something I really care about--bushes, etc., then I'm just ripping them out.

     
**BLUEBERRIES**
--Remove any leaves/berries/debris from around bases.
--Remove competing grass, lupines, aspens, etc. within 1-2 feet

--Mulch well with pine needles from old Christmas tree

--Apply fertilizer purchased last fall.



**BLACKBERRIES**
Train vine to our side of fence.

I did it!

With this short reprieve in the weather, I was finally able to get the rest of the bulbs planted! That's a relief!  There was more to do than I had remembered.

I put 4 daffodils, Narcissus 'Obdam' (white, double) by the mailbox, along with 3 of the tulips, Easter Joy mix. The ground was a bit frozen and hard on top, but still soft underneath.  I put the remaining daffodil and tulips (1 and 2, respectively,) on the back slope, sort of behind the blueberry bush to the far right.

I also still had the Trumpet Mix daffodils to plant (5), so I put them on the slope between the middle garden terrace and the aspen on the right side. And then, I had probably 10 more crocuses to plant, along with 3 or 4 tulips that had gotten dug up from the back flowerbed when I was planting the new shrub.  Those went on the back slope, behind the shed, in some of the dry patches. I hope that they will brighten up that gray dry dirt over there, come spring.

Phew! It was not warm--probably high 30's--but Jacob and I bundled up good, and got it done. Now we're ready for snow FOR REAL.

Chores & Spring Blooms

 I still have no idea what this bushy plant is! It has really taken off since we took out the tree that was right next to it.  I'm considering taking a sample to the nursery to see if they know.

I mostly want to know if it's going to bloom, or just stay bushy and green.  If it's the latter, that's okay, I will probably just cut it back some so it doesn't completely take over. I should have tons of flower bed space, once our front and side landscaping projects are done, so I'm sure I could start a few little patches of it here and there. I just really want to know what it is!

 Looks like the traumatic transplant last fall didn't kill off this hydrangea after all. Phew!

The new growth is white, interestingly enough. I also really like how the bark kind of peels off along the main stem.  I'm excited to see if it will grow to fill this space, with some sunlight and rain every now and then.  I guess I should have known it was pretty tough, as it was surviving under the eave next to the driveway before. It probably only got occasional sunlight, and only as much water as was poured on it.

 Other than planting the blueberries, my main chore last week was getting this raspberry cane replanted.

It had to be taken out because it was right in the way of the gate/ramp for tractors.  Of course, it was the healthiest, tallest one that needed replanting. 

I kept trying to figure out where to start a new patch of raspberries with it, but in the end, I realized that it would be best to just put it with the others.  The only problem was that there wasn't any room in the flowerbed. Then I realized that the flowerbed itself basically cut through the middle of all the canes anyway, and really needed extending.

 So that's what I did. I pulled out the brick edging, dug up (most) of the grass in between, and extended the flowerbed into more of a rounded shape, cutting it off straight right at the gate. Viola! Room for rasberries and room for tractors. Perfect!

Maybe this week I'll have time to get out there and dig up the rest of that grass.

 

 These pretty tulips have brightened my day every time I've seen them!

Back flowerbed, next to raspberries.

 I'm not sure what this little white flower is, but it has been popping up all over the slope. I love it! I especially like how it has filled in some of the bare space between the violas and the apple tree.

These tulips will probably be orange and red. The ones right next to them are; the picture I took of those was just too blurry to keep. These are on the east side, in front of the fence, under the basement windows.

In other words, I never see them unless I specifically go looking for them! Pretty though, for that one brief moment!

Pruning and Planting

We had a gorgeous, sunny day yesterday, so we spent all afternoon outside working on garden stuff. Hooray!

One little chore we got done was pruning the raspberry bushes. There were quite a few dead canes, some of them hollow in the middle--bug hotels. Some pieces of the crowns even came right out of the ground with just a tug. I noticed quite a few carpenter ants as I cleaned up the canes, leaves, and other debris around the base of the plants. I hope a little better housekeeping will mean fewer homes for those ants right next to our house. Last year the berries we got were very small--I'm also hoping this pruning will encourage production of bigger berries.

I had also purchased 12 daylily bulbs from Costco last week when we were there, so we got those planted. 3 each of: Doublicious (orange with a double flower), Condilla (yellow with a double flower), + 3 each of Fire and Fog (red with yellow border), and On My Own ? (yellow, single flower).   I'm not sure if they'll make it or not--the one package seemed too wet, and several of the leaves were slimy. The other one seemed too dry, and they didn't really even seem alive.  Oh well. We'll see how they do and if it was worth it. I usually try to avoid purchasing anything alive at Costco.  I put them around the base of the biggest aspen on the slope back there.

We also raked out quite a bit of dead grass from around the aspen tree where we wanted to plant.  This hillside will become beautiful! I'm determined to make it so.  I can't handle the "dead bunch grass" look. Even it was green and alive, I see so much more potential for that slope.  We kept running into thin pieces of pebbly cement sort of half-buried, I assume to help hold up the soil or something. I pulled them out whenever I found them.

Next up: blueberry bushes, if I can figure out where to put them!

Chores This Week

This euonymous bush, which you can hardly see for all the weeds, needs to come out.

It hasn't done well ever since we transplanted it there 2 years ago.

Good-bye, and time for  something else to take its place.

Plus: need to water the garden, unless it rains tonight!

Spring Planting Prep

I'm getting ready to put in the cold-weather vegetables. It turns out we will be here through the end of July, so I am going to go ahead and plant potatoes, onions, and peas again. I would also like to try carrots and beets in the later spring.

Box 1: All potatoes--2 varieties
Yukon Gold + ?

Box 2: 4 squares peas--Super Snappy + use up the rest of others
4 squares onion
3 squares beets
3 squares carrots
2 squares flowers

To get ready to plant:
1. Pooper scoop!
2. Rake up leaves from boxes that haven't decomposed and add to compost pile.
3. Add dirt & compost as needed to fill up boxes.
4. Replace string for measuring squares, as needed.
5. Purchase potatoes, onion sets, check number of seeds and buy if needed.
6. Plant potatoes, onions, and peas some time around March 17!

Winterizing

After another long week of rain, we've had sunny skies yesterday and today. So we finally could get some winterizing done!
1. Pulled out all dead (or nearly dead) garden plants and put them in the compost pile.
* we found one more baking-sized potato as we cleared out the one box! *
2. Mowed lawn and leaves, and added the mixture to garden boxes.
3. Put away all hoses, and random gardening stuff left out (baskets, etc.).
4. Took down camp chairs from porch and put in garage.
5. Took down/threw away remains of the wading pool.

Just need to get the hyacinths planted, and perhaps some last weeding done and we'll be all set!

Chore List, revisited

1. Move peony that's next to rose bush over next sedum. DONE!



2. Weeding! Front flower-beds done, and around rose bush.
Still need to weed rest of bed along fence.

3. Pick all green tomatoes, and prepare them to ripen (see next post).
Picked, but not wrapped in newspaper yet.

4. Pick rest of vegetables, if any. DONE!

5. Plant hyacinth and daffodil bulbs. Daffodils planted.
Still have to do hyacinths.

Chores this week & winterizing

That is, if it ever stops raining!

1. Move peony that's next to rose bush over next sedum.
2. Weeding!
3. Pick all green tomatoes, and prepare them to ripen (see next post).
4. Pick rest of vegetables, if any.
5. Plant hyacinth and daffodil bulbs.


Winterizing chores for after hard frost/more leaves have fallen:
1. Tear out dead vines/veggies and add to compost pile.
2. Add mulch to all flower beds.
3. Mow leaf piles and add to all vegetable boxes. Extras can go to compost pile.

Chore List

1. Plant carrots and bush beans in empty squares in box 1 (where potatoes used to be).
2. Figure out what the green beetle is that is decimating my pole beans, rose bush, and apple tree. Kill the beetles (and keep good bugs)!
3. Add compost to all boxes.
4. (sigh) weed flowerbeds

Thunder and lightning waking me up early. Yay for garden! No watering needed this week.