Diggin' in the dirt

This is the year that we get our garden moving forward.  Not sure what happened, but I seem to have energy for the yardwork.  Perhaps its because Bruce hired someone to look after our lawns and there just isn't any guilt about playing around in the garden while the lawn remains uncut.  I'm determined not to overdo things either .. I go out for an hour here and there .. do a bit of this or a bit of that.

The last few day I planted some sweet pea seeds (might be a bit late so we'll see if we get any flowers), shifted some pathway rocks around and levelled them, put about a flat of impatiens in around the that walkway, and dug some holes and planted campanula beside the steps .. the idea is that they'll fill in and soften the rock .. and more importantly, cover the gravelly dirt.  I put together a hanging basket of fuchsia, which has turned into a planter basket, a height I can better deal with, and trimmed the coral bark bush.  We moved my lily bed, planted a hydrangea, bought an 8' tall climbing hydrangea, planted a daylily, moved some more day lilies, dropped some marigolds and geraniums in the front beds and shifted around some grasses that were threatening to be lost under the front cedars..

Still to come ... another two flats of annuals to drop into the ground in the  but that should be easy enough .. its the weeding  before hand that will be longer.  Isn't that always the way?  We also have to plant that tall hydrangea and move around a plant already in that bed.  And oh yea .. get that three foot tall weed playing peekaboo behind the coral bark.  Sneaky weeds!

Spidery tracks from my watering can attest to the industry in my
garden this year.

On the right are the gloves I used last year.  They look positively pristine next to this year's pink pair.

Sandy .. I've been wearing Sloggers into the garden which are really good for dryer days.  Would you have any idea where I could get those duck boots you use around your acreage?  I've squished about a ton of mud into my socks and shoes from the wet dirt in the gardens.  Did I mention its rained here .. a lot?

The upper hedge in the back yard is a meandering wall of floral fire
against the backdrop of the lower cedar hedge

My big indulgence this year.  The spring metal in the tail feathers and neck
give life to the bird in the breezes that play tag amongst the shrubs.  Now, if it could only sing.

The alium outside of Bruce's office window gave me a chance to test the
close-up functions on my camera

The rhododendron and heather in the front yard show off for my camera

It's been raining so much that we still don't have the patio furniture out for the summer so that's on our list for the coming week .. rain or shine!  Ha ha .. I say that, but I really do mean just shine.  No way I'm going to convince either myself or Bruce to haul around furniture in the rain.