On Wednesday morning I was out before 8AM and got started moving mulch. My backup helper arrived at 8 and she started moving the hay bales into the garden to an area already finished. We got all the heavy totes of compost and amendment out of the Tonka garage and spread the totes of compost.
It didn't go as far as I'd hoped, so that meant cleaning the grass out of the compost pile so we could use it. We'd just gotten started when I remembered the very first thing I was supposed to do was feed the seedlings. They hadn't been done last week and really needed it. So I taught my helper how to do it and she did that while I pulled grass roots out of the compost.
I'd filled the 2 totes and was waiting for her to finish the seedlings to move them. It was getting hot and I was in the shade of the magnolia. That reminded me that it needed pruned as it catches on my hair or hat when I go under it. So I started pruning it while I waited.
West Herb garden: the catmint in full flower
We got the totes over and emptied them and I think brought over 2 more before the garden was covered in compost. Then we got it laid out and I raked the areas in front of each stake so she could broadfork that area.
New South garden: lamb's ear flowering (back), hollyhocks, Sweet William
While I waited for her to finish that, I finished the pruning on the magnolia and started putting away the equipment. It was nearly noon and hot and humid and I was exhausted.
When I had come back from the barn Wednesday morning I'd noticed the Damascus rose had bloomed. So I collected the flowers for dehydrating. When I got a shower after we'd finished at noon, I got them into the dehydrator.
Looking from the barn west up the driveway
My son had been working at getting the driveway weedwhacked and it was looking sharp.
South garden: one of the hollyhocks has 3 flowers
West garden: the perennial foxglove is flowering
South Herb garden: the meadowsweet has flowerbuds
In the set off area in front of the barn, the milkweed is flourishing. We often have monarchs and other butterflies here.
There are lots of flowers on each one.
Most times when I go up to feed the cats, Lily is there waiting. Apparently I am good enough now to be allowed to pat her. She even purrs on occasion. Dennis is sometimes there, but I'm not allowed to touch her usually. They are eating on top of the dead freezer these days and seem much happier about it.
The coughing is much less now but the doctor wants to change meds so I don't take so much of the one I'm on. I hope I'm not worse on the new one. It's been nice to be functional again.
On Thursday no helpers are here. I need to get out to the Small garden and get it amended and planted and start mulching, at least around each hill of plants. There's rain coming in the night so they will need protection.