Wednesday Workday - Pots!

One of my favorite rites of spring is filling the pots for the deck and yard.  There is nothing more fun than choosing annuals to pull lots of extra color.  And, this was the week for doing that, as well as adding more annuals to the beds for color and cutting later this summer. 

 It's not quite 3 flats - so fewer than 150 plants!

A quick trip to the "good local greenhouse" [not a big box store] to stock up on flats of bedding plants.  Fortunately, I had business on that side of town and was able to just "stop by" on my way from one business errand to another.  I call that good planning!

 Separating the colors helps me figure out what goes best with what.

And, then the fun of laying out the plants an planting. 

This pot was a Christmas gift.  Have been anxious to get it filled.

 Love Pentas, and haven't been able to find them for a couple of year.

 The shed is actually yellow.  Am hoping the terra cotta pot and purple sweet potato vine will look stunning in a month or two.

When the pots were done, the rest of the annuals [and a perennial or two] went into the ground.

Zinnias and snapdragons for lots of color!

May Days

The first week in May is when Central Virginia screams "spring!!!!!"  Even the most modest home is cloaked in azaleas, dogwood, late tulips and the first of the perennial flowers.  In a word ... it's gorgeous. 

Did you want pink azaleas?

Or, perhaps white?

Or ,,, PINK!

 When i walked out on the deck yesterday, Miss Kim announced her presence - fragrantly!

Syringa patula 'Miss Kim'

 In the beds there's already lots of variety .... Forget me Nots,

 Iris ...

 Weigela 'Wine and Roses' has started to bloom in the front yard.

While the peonies are ready to pop open in the back.

And in the house, the first of the purple iris hold the place of honor!

I am so happy!

Wednesday Workday

Cancelled ...

on account of rain!

Wednesday Workday

Webb Dirt 2014 Makes its Debut!

I've frequently talked about the need for a compost pile and have sometimes talked about the care and feeding of mine.  Today you get to see some results. 

I have mentioned that Mitchell decided that "he" would expand "his" vegetable garden this year.  The most important thing that you need to know about his veggie garden is that he loves to plant it, and he loves to eat the results, but he's not too interested in what comes in between, especially the weeding part.  That usually falls to .... well, you know who.

I emptied the dirt out of the old one, and then he built a bigger raised bed.  So, this weekend i started filling the new one.   And, that's where the compost pile comes in. 

The last time I emptied the compost pile and used all the dirt was 2009, when I built the xeri-garden.  So the dirt had been cooking for five years.  It is gorgeous.  Every spadeful is filled with nutrients and wiggly worms.  A great growing medium for the base of the new veggie bed. 

I moved 11 wheelbarrow-fuls and cleared out a space that is 4 feet, by 3 feet, by 3 feet - about 1.3 cubic yards of wonderful top soil.

 

This used about one third of the "good" pile.  As you might guess, I have at least two future projects in mind for the rest - a bed for sweet peas next year, and one for strawberries in 2016, so it can just sit for a while and I will use it later.

As you can see, there is already plenty piled on the left side and slowly "cooking" down to the good stuff.

The beds are not full, altho I have plenty of good webb-dirt left if i wanted to use it all that way.  Instead, we will add 2-3 inches of the "square foot garden" blend on top.  It's a blend of compost (three different kinds) with vermiculite and peat moss added.  It's very light and drains well.  Veggies seem to love it. 

But, that's a project for later this week .... or maybe next weekend!