Making progress. Got most of the left side done, except for the top which needs to have the grass edge cut in. It's starting to fill in nicely, and I added a couple things from the PNW swap. Put in a couple patches of strawberry begonia from Julia, which she says will spread out quickly. At some point I really need to get a camera again, I like to snap photos of ongoing projects to keep me motivated.
Weeded the thyme and around the perimeter of the patio. Julia gifted me a flat of sempervivum seedlings which I plugged in here and there. They do real well at the edge of the patio, pretty much pure gravel. And it softens the edge. I may let some grow in the cracks, although I don't know how much foot traffic they can take. The cracks get filled with moss during the fall/winter, but that then shrivels up when the sun starts being on it. I caved and have started spray painting the adirondack chairs. I really liked them just stained, but they just didn't weather well. Spraying them is much easier, I should be able to just give them a spring tuneup once I get them coated. I went with 'claret wine' which is about the same color as the house doors.
Interestingly, I planted a St. John's wort in the relaxation station of the herb garden, assuming it would spread out. It was a bit fancier than the regular one, and so far has kept to itself. On the other hand, the vervain has absolutely taken over the chicken yard, and they don't mess with it for some reason. I'm torn over letting it just continue to colonize (the birds end up making paths through it) or trying to dig it out. It so far has not been a problem in the herb garden, likely because it pull it out when it pops up where I don't want it. Other plants they seem to leave alone are blue fescue (surprised me), feverfew, nettles and of course thistles and burdock. I planted sweet cicily, daylily, and comfrey just outside the fence, the chickens peck at those but so far haven't killed them.
On a side note, my camera bit the dust (again, I have no luck with electronics). So no photos. I should figure out how to use Gary's cell phone, but then I'd also have to figure out how to get them from his camera to the computer. So, probably not happening. I'll just buy another inexpensive point-n-hope.
Scot the mole guy has been back twice to check traps. First time he got 2 and we paid $120 ($60/animal as agreed). Second time he got 3 and only charged us $60, so who knows. Gary said the moles were pretty big so hopefully he got some breeders. He'll be back in a few weeks. The lawn is noticeably smooth with very little fresh mole activity.
Between rain spells, I keep working on spring cleanup in the herbs. Tall boys and repellent beds are done, got halfway through cosmetics and astrological. Lost the pretty rose, so that needs replacing. I also seem to have poor luck with either chamomile or soapwort. Maybe I need to plant more thickly, I think they are so small they just get overrun with the more aggressive herbs. I'm waiting to go to Christianson's for a nursery run, but we're right in the midst of the tulip bloom and I don't want to fight the crowds. Early morning on a rainy day midweek seems to work OK.
We have been inundated with mole hills this spring. I counted 30 one morning, just in the lawn, more in the garden beds and fields. Gary saw utility pole posting 'Moles' with a phone number and called it. Scot came out and set about 20 traps, much much smaller and more compact that the jaw traps we usually use, with little flags to note where they are located. Less than a week later he returned to check the traps and got 2 moles. Reset the traps. On the plus side, I have only seen one new mole hill since he came out. He is quite confident that he will rid our yard of moles. In the 38 years we've been here, we've constantly battled these little rodents - it would be really nice to have a smooth lawn.
His fee is $150 for initial assessment and trap setting, then $60 per dead animal. Once he rids the yard of moles, if they return, he will only charge per animal (the $150 is a one-time fee). He lives in Arlington, seems like a nice guy.
Wonder why all our trappers are named Scotty (both the beaver guys and now the mole guy).
