Saturday was very cool and overcast, which was a big relief from the heat of last week. I got up very early with every intention of waking the birds and hauling those woodchips, but you know how it goes: First, I really better do the litter boxes, and while I'm doing that of course I need to scrub the bathroom floor. And since I have all the floor stuff out...maybe I'll give the kitchen a good lick too. And oh, yes, I need to shell out more peas and get them into the freezer... And I really should turn out the pantry and give the shelves and floor a good wipe down... *sigh*
I did make myself go out and haul the chips though....two truckloads, from the corner of the property up around the curve to my Pine Gap. Looks so much nicer now. Of course, most of the shrubs in the "second stage" of the Pine Gap are still very small so they don't look like much, but they are all thriving and in a couple years, watch out.
This morning, I decided that I had to just "pick one"....pick one job and do it. that's the problem with a really big garden, there's so much to do everywhere that a lot of times I get started on one thing and then get involved in something else, and something else...it never ends. Lately I've been trying to just "pick one." Commit to doing one thing, doing it well, and moving on. (Ala Charles Emerson Winchester on MASH). Even if there's other things that need doing. So this morning it was the auxiliary garden, which is planted (again) with tomatoes. Plus, there are 2 new berry beds on 2 sides of the aux. garden, one with thornless blackberries and one with red raspberries. I did a lot of work on those berry beds last fall/winter and it paid off. They are doing great...there's even some berries coming along. So, this morning, I got the sickle out and cut a nice path through the tall grass that is lapping up against the new berry bed fences. Then gave the beds a light weeding (I mulched them very heavily with wood chips last fall and that worked well.)
Once that was done, I tackled the tomatoes...weeded then spread newspapers around them, then topped them with grass clippings from my neighbor. The clippings were the hardest thing....I have to haul them by wheelbarrow (4 loads) from his yard to the aux garden, and it's a hike... In "city slicker" terms, I'd say about a block away. But *dusts hands* there! done. The tomatoes are doing pretty well, but now that they aren't competing with weeds and will have consistent soil moisture and temps, they should really take off. I also wanted to tie up the plants to the garden fence, but it just got too hot and I got too tired to do it. That's something I can do anytime.
I really need to do some deadheading today, especially the roses. Might get out the secateurs and do that this evening, if it's cool enough.
The scarlet runner beans in the veg are in bloom and look so pretty. I also need to give them some more strings to climb on...but I'm out of garden twine so that's on the shopping list.
My friend E brought me a small spirea as a gift....I think I'll pop that into the Pine Gap, in the space in front of the second grouping of Knockout roses.
I really need to get things ready to start taking cuttings this week.
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