Well, on Sunday I got the weeding done, July 1st.
This was the New Herb last year in April. I’d not been able to mulch well in 2021 and all the green are the walkways where nothing is supposed to be. I don’t have an overhead photo of before I started showing how many plants there were in the beds.
Last year as I cleared a bed or walkway, I planted and mulched before moving on because the weeds were so bad, even in a drought. I never finished until July 20th in 2022.
Looking southeast
This year I was able to clean out beds and walkways without having to plant or mulch. I’d hoped to start planting on Sunday, but it looks like it won’t happen until at least Wednesday due to rain.
But this year I’ve lost a lot of plants. One expects to lose the annuals, some of which are flowers, some herbs. But I’ve not lost a third of the perennials before. This is why the garden looks so empty.
Looking southwest
I think it was the high temps in January and the widely fluctuating freeze thaws all this winter that did it. Also the late heavy May frost might have taken some out. The big surprise was how well the thyme did. It’s seldom survived a winter here.
Looking northwest
The two rows that fared the best were the end rows of #1 & #7. Not sure why that is.
The worst part is, I forgot to start 14 different herbs this year. I found a few of them at Farmer’s Markets, but there’s going to be gaps…
I live in hope that there will be one year when it all comes together, not too much weeding, seedlings started and doing well, plenty of mulch available, and I get an early start on this garden.
Looking northeast from on wildflower area
I thought getting up higher might work, but the 6’ high tansy and 4’ high wormwood fixed that idea.
So I came down into the yard and shot around them.
On Sunday I was supposed to mow the yard, but we had 3 days of rain start at 4AM on Sunday morning, so not much is going to get done outside until at least Wednesday, when I will have to mow.
My surrogate grandchild and her mom were to visit on Sunday but that’s been put off until Tuesday. So it looks like I will be spending my rainy days paying bills/doing the budget until it’s done. Then maybe I can get the curtains finished and the winter clothes put away.