Small steps

Small steps is how this garden will move forward. I talked to two landscapers about doing much of the work, but neither one really got what I'm going for. I've decided to act as the general contractor and hire people to do specific chores. Since I'm the main work force, progress will be measured in small steps. Gardening is fun, and I want to keep it that way.

Today I planted the gladiolus bulbs. The white flag marks the outer line of bulbs. I want to plant something in front of them and don't want to disturb the bulbs. Some of them had begun to grow. I think I got them in just in the nick of time.
Here's another small step taken a day or so ago -- I rearranged the pots and the chiminea on the patio and got some petunias and impatiens on sale to top them off. The green plant to the left is a Tahitian impatiens. It bloomed last summer and overwintered in the house. It doesn't show signs of reblooming, but it's fine where it is. There is a tiny begonia between the two pots. I'm on the lookout for a weatherproof container to go between the middle pot and the chiminea to hold the twigs that we collect from the yard. Right now we're just putting the twigs into the firepot and burning them when there's enough. It would be nice to have a stash, in case we decide to do hot dogs or s'mores over wood coals one night.

I'm thinking about getting one of those hose-hiding pots so the hose can stay where it's coiled instead of having to horse it off the on-the-wall holder ever time we need to use it. The faucet is just out of the picture, to the left.


This is the second small step taken today. I pruned the rose bush back. Yard waste pick-up occurs on Tuesdays, so we put the trash containers on their side so rainwater won't get in. It's bound to rain before Tuesday.

I've decided to get a submersible, solar powered fountain pump kit for Lloyd for Father's Day. He has volunteered to make a ceramic basin for our water feature. If he has the pump, that will hopefully encourage him to get on it. I'm also thinking that if the cord to the solar unit can be removed from the pump, he could make a suitably sized hole near the bottom of the pot to thread it through. It could be sealed with silicone to prevent leakage. That will avoid the awkward cord-over-the-edge-of-the-container issue.