May 2019 - Lots of work in the yard & garden!

*All our walking paths need attention.  The pine bark from 2yrs (?) ago is getting thin.  Barellas doesn't carry it any more.  They substituted this product they call 'walk on mulch' which has some pine bark, but also lots of chunks that look like coarsely-gound shipping pallets?!  We went to  Soilutions and got a load of stuff made from recycled kitchen waste.  (Liked the color and the textures.)  It was stupidly cheap:  $5.00 for a truckload.  But the downside is that it has bits of plastic, and the occasional chicken bone or shard of glass.  I made a spectacle of myself for several hours standing at the back of the garden truck, painstakingly sorting it out, one handful at a time.  My real worry was the dogs:  would be awful for Phryne to cut her foot or choke on an ancient chicken bone.


* G decided that the raised bed in the garden proper was draining too quickly.  She is about halfway through taking it down.  We got lots of goodies at the Dot Garden plant sale (date?).  Most of them are still waiting on the bench in the shade.  :)

*Most of the swiss chard seedlings we planted in November ACTUALLY made it!  I bought heavy frost cloth.  And between the mild winter and our efforts covering and uncovering the bed several of them look pretty good!

*Gloria's bed of garlic (yes, planted on time last November) looks great. 

*Made an impromptu visit to see Tim the tomato guy.  He is always inspiring.  This year he is adding an attractive wood framework and plans to permanently install a 'roof' of shade cloth over all his beds.  He lost plants to hail damage last year, and was upset/determined not to have that happen again.  He also has long narrow ollas for EACH plant.  And a skirt about 2' high around the bottom of his raised beds as wind protection.  For the early spring, each plant had a ring of water around them as solar warmth.  (Imagine a those cheap ice pops you had as kids...  make them bigger and clear, then stand them up on edge and wrap them around in a circle.)  Those are very happy pampered plants!  We offered him chicken manure; he said he is getting manure pellets. (Never heard of such a thing?!)  In the past, he has often had lots of extra seedlings, and has sold some to friends.  This year, when I asked, he said he had two.  (Just TWO!)  They were gorgeous.  Already in gallon pots and flowering.  We traded him for some eggs and proudly carried them off.  I planted the larger of the 2 in the bed with the chard and strawberries and G's blackberry sprig.  Not sure if it will get enough sun?  And probably should have planted it deeper.  Tomatoes actually like that, but it makes me nervous (daughter of a nurseryman and all).

*New plum tree.  Probably needs watering as we speak? (I can imagine scratching my head in the next few years and not having a clue when we planted it.)  April 2019!

*List of new things we added. 
*Things that died:  the forsythia.  Really a shame.  The lace vine up front behind the mailbox.  Very sorry about that one.  :(  

Sunchokes are amazing--a wall!