For the last few days I’ve been looking at the rugosa roses and all the flowers coming out. I would have been collecting the petals to dehydrate, but the seedlings were in the space the dehydrators use.
But today was June 1 and all the seedlings were being kicked out to the cold frames to harden off. So I got a bowl and collected the petals when I got back from the barn.
Wednesday was a cool cloudy day with rain coming in after noontime. When my general helper arrived, we started hauling seedlings to the cold frames. We quickly filled all the holes in the first one, having removed the 2 trays of Walla onion starts.
The second one had been nearly half full, but we pushed it closer to ¾ with the trays from in the dining room.
The old carpenter’s wife, also a great gardener, stopped by about this time and we walked around the gardens. We discovered a baby bunny in the New Herb garden. I have no idea how I will get him out. Or how he got in…
We checked out the little trees and the zillions of little peaches are getting big. I will have to remove some soon… We also found a single cherry on the North Star cherry tree. There’s 2 berries on the serviceberry too. I bet the birds get them all…
When she left we set about planting the Walla onions. My helper friend had prepped the row on Friday. Once they were in, I again discovered I’d miscalculated and had 3’ of empty row. So I put 2 Canterbury Bell seedlings in there. They will flower next year.
We got them mulched and while my helper did that, I moved the hay mulch off the next section. When we’d finished that, it was time for her to go. But she didn’t have an afternoon job so she opted to stay and plant the row of green beans and mulch it. We got it done just as it started to rain. Now ⅔ of the Big garden is completely done.
I was really tired and just wanted a shower and a nap, but when I got inside I saw the bowl of rose petals. I had to take down the lights and shelving in the south porch window and get the dehydrators out.
Then I loaded 5 trays and got them started. This is the beginning of the dehydrating. Then I got a shower and lay on the couch and napped.
I went up at 7:30 to do the chores and I could see this large dark animal trundling across the turnout. It didn’t move like any of the wild animals I was accustomed to. I drove right up by it and it was a pissed off porcupine! All the quills were up on its back. It headed into the woods ditch at the neighbors.
I drove around and up by the barn and Dennis was in the driveway and so preoccupied with sniffing something she wouldn’t move for the car! Then she followed the scent out into the turnout. She was tracking the porcupine. I told her she did NOT want to mess with that one! She, of course, ignored me. I hope I don’t find a quill filled cat in the morning.
We’ve never seen a porcupine here. I’d imagine they are around, but we’d not seen one before. I, of course, didn’t have my camera.
On Thursday I have a new helper coming to see if she likes the work. We will be working in the Big garden prepping the new section for planting. We may actually get stuff planted too.
I hope to get all the shelving and lights out of all the windows. They may not get put away, but the windows will be empty so they can be washed on Saturday morning.
Also on Thursday, in the afternoon, my friend who is able to take the breathing class is coming and we are going to share what we’ve learned. She had found me a book on breathing and I’m to read that and share the bits I found interesting and she shares what she learns in class. It should be fun and relaxing, I hope.