Planting and dying ... the cycle of life

Today we hit a high of about 72 F, a great day for the garden. The first step was to plant the corner with the electric meter. The grass here has been dead for a good long time, and with all of the rain we've had, turning over the sod and breaking up the clumps was almost fun.

My first father-in-law, a farmer, told me that it's better to leave small clumps of dirt rather than break it down and rake it until it's nearly like sand. The clumps and the little spaces between them accept water easily and hold it longer and don't tend to form a hard crust as it dries out.
The candidates for this little bed were the lilies-of-the-valley I bought at Powell Gardens and a piece of a hosta that I took from beside the screened porch. There was a nice little pup on one side of the mother plant that was just ready to leave home. I think the meter is read electronically from the street now, but I put a stepping stone there in case the reader has to come into the yard to do it.

The next project was dealing with the clumps of sod from the front yard that have been piled in the low spot near the pink dogwood.

The rain broke them down a bit, but it took some serious chopping with both a pointed hoe and a rake to break them down the rest of the way. But the tufts of dead grass are gone and it's smoothed over. I think something will be planted there tomorrow, and those two little coral bells can get out of their pots at last.

Next up were the six caladium bulbs that have been waiting patiently for release from their bag. The label says they are mixed, so we'll be surprised by the colors when they come up. They're spread out in the area indicated in yellow.

Another small step was to get out the hammer and drill and hang the wind chime on the fence and put up a hook for the bougainvillea. The plant may need a couple of links of chain to lower it just a bit so it doesn't hit its head on the rain gutter.

Then came the dying. I sprayed Round-Up in this back corner to try to kill off some vines that have been a problem for years. Last year they nearly tied up the Bradford pear. When I'm convinced it's really dead, the ornamental grass near the shed will be moved against the fence. I think it will make a nice background for a fairy village. It doesn't seem to be as invasive as some grasses. It has pretty much stayed right here for the past four years. This will clear the area by the shed for something special ... a secret for now.

While I had the Round-up out, I sprayed along the two sections of fence that flank the gate to get the grass out of the way for planting the mums that are taking up space in the garden. It's about time they got out on their own. And I sprayed a larger profile for the Maple island and sprayed a fourth island, to be known as the Tear-shaped island between the Big Oak island and the Maple island. The fountain will go in the Tear-shaped island.

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While I was in search and destroy mode, I also sprayed the few weeds in the brick sidewalk up front and the area under the picket fence along the south side, where the mower can't reach.

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And speaking of mower, I found out that American Lawn Mower Company sells a sharpening kit for their reel lawn mowers, so I ordered one. Using the non-motorized push mower is really relaxing. No noise or fumes! And when the lawn is reduced to pathways of grass, it will be a pleasure.

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That's it for today. I'm going to hit the shower and then work on my garden notebook. I'm really trying to keep track of what's planted where, where it came from, when it was planted, etc.