Getting there...

We've spent most of the past week outdoors weeding and digging and planting and then weeding and digging and planting some more! I say "we" but I really mean "he" because Lew does all of the heavy work ... but I'm real good at providing moral support and supervision!! ;-)

Gardening Chores To Do List

Rose Bed
☑ pest spray roses
☑ enrich soil
☑ plant Gerbera daisies around
☑ spread anti-slug granules around hosta
☑ water/mulch

New Front Bed
☑ dig bed
☑ enrich soil
☑ plant hostas/impatiens around tree
☑ spread anti-slug granules
☑ water/mulch

Mailbox Garden
☑ weed/clean up;
☑ transplant black-eyed susan;
☑ enrich soil
☑ plant remaining impatiens
☑ water/mulch

Front Corner Bed
☑ weed/dig out sedum
☑ dig spot for black-eyed susan
☑ enrich soil
☑ water/mulch

Backyard Bed
☑ weed backyard bed;
☑ thin/dig out sedum;
☑ dig spot for lily;
☑ enrich soil;
☑ plant New Guinea impatiens;
☑ transplant lily from side bed;
☑ water/mulch

Around Deck
☑ prune winter-damaged weeping Japanese maple
(in progress)
☑ prune damaged azaleas
☑ feed azaleas
☑ enrich soil
☑ plant geraniums
☑ water/mulch

West Side Bed
☑ thin lilies/salvia
☑ plant tickseed (coreopsis)
☑ water/mulch

Front Fence Azalea Bed
☒ replace 1 azalea
☒ feed all
☒ mulch
☑ replace rotted wood border between beds with stone blocks
(in progress)

Front Porch Azalea Bed
☒ plant annuals (haven't decided what yet)
☒ feed azaleas
☒ mulch

Rhodendron Bed
☒ replace damaged rhodo
☒ feed all
☒ mulch

West Side Fence
☒ dig spots for 4 hibiscus plants
☒ plant
☒ water/mulch

Back Yard Azalea Bed
☒ maneuver 4 railroad ties (120 lbs ea!) to rear of bed
☒ weed (again!)
☒ feed all
☒ mulch

Lilac Beds
☒ spray lilacs
☒ weed
☒ dig up shoots to give to neighbor
☒ mulch

Miscellaneous
☒ decide on future/treatment of my prized pink dogwood - not only did it suffer severe winter damage but it may be diseased as well *sniff*
☒ the shed is in dire need of a paint job - some time soon
☒ add dividing stone border in east side bed
☒ I'm sure I'm forgetting something that needs doing!

Phew!! No wonder we've been sleeping so well! Check out Lew's Other Pics for a few photos.

Hummmmmm...

Oh joy! My tiny little flyers have returned for the season and I am ready to be entertained.

I bought another feeder this year in hopes of avoiding some of the territorial battles that went on last season, but haven't decided where to hang it yet. Maybe we'll do one in the backyard and another in the front. Dunno.

These were late-in-the-day quickies through the patio door, so they're not terribly detailed, but you get the idea - at least you can see it's a hummer.

Wishing all my mommy readers ...

and my very special mommy-to-be -

...how does your garden grow?

Very well, thank you! Well, hopefully very well. How well remains to be seen.

For more years than I care to remember, I've wanted a bed of hosta around either our front yard maple or our back yard oak. For one reason or another, we just kept putting it off - there were other beds to dig, other things to plant, etc., etc., etc. Well, this was the year and it's finally done. Our maple has hosta underneath it!

Lew has worked very hard the past two days measuring, digging, and laying border blocks. The major chore and time-eater was digging through and around thirty-five years worth of root growth. Jeez, what a job!! He persevered, however, and I'm loving the results:

Measuring blocks and plant placement...

Extra soil, compost, and peat moss ready for the plants...

Hostas and companion impatiens all planted...

and looking pretty as can be!!

Now all we have to do is keep the slugs and rabbits from turning it all into a buffet and the neigborhood cats from making it their personal litter box!

As an aside...

Did you know that almost all new refrigerators now come with an automatice ice maker? And, tough noogies if you don't want one cuz they won't take it off?

That, friends, is what they call PROGRESS!!

Grrrrr!

The ugly revisited...

*sigh* Well, two weeks later the refrigerator issue has reared its ugly little head once more. Last night it started blowing warm air again so that's it - we're just not gonna keep fooling with it.

Unfortunately, we can't get a new refrigerator delivered until May 25 (!!) which means the next three weeks or so will be a real pita going up and down the stairs every time we need something cold. Aargh!!

I keep telling myself to look at the bright side, at least I have another fridge... but I'm still NOT amused!