Living Things Update

Every year, I think working in the garden won't kick my butt. Why do I never learn?

A neighbor was putting in an order for pine straw mulch, and to get free delivery, she needed to order 10 more bales. She posted in our town's Facebook garden group, and ended up ordering 30 more bales. (I only ordered 2, because I had a very specific plan.)

The mulch came in earlier than expected, so my plan was accelerated because I didn't want the mulch sitting on my patio for the two rainy days that we'd been promised. I came home from work on Thursday and decided I'd just move all the stones out of the central portion of the yard. Then I decided that I should weed. That bright idea was followed by "oh, just the landscape fabric." By that point, I couldn't stand up straight and already knew that I wouldn't be capable of gardening the next day, so I sucked it up, spread thte 2 bales of mulch, which I absolutely love, and then I replaced all the stones.

And then I fell down like a tree and waited for my husband to get home to bring me wine.

Over the weekend, our local garden centter got in all her vegetable starts. I already had some going - my own and swaps from neighbors - but I added a few different tomattoes and peppers, a zucchini, and some herbs. Those are now planted in the raised beds in the back yard, with just a few tomato cages waiting for the inevitable volunteer tomatoes that the squirrels leave behind. They're often not even varieties that I grew the year before, so if I get a weed tomato, I put it in a bed and see what happens.

Now I can sit back and work on my story, because for the foreseeable future, I just need to water and watch things grow.