Patio Garden Progress

Sunday we were still under a heat advisory, so I used that as an excuse to run to town and get a new salt/mineral block for the goats.  Of course, I had to look through the garden things.  I really wanted to get a couple more of the livingstone daisies I added to the annual planter.

They are the pretty little ground cover plants.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have any, but I found a couple of other cute things to fill in the gaps.

The two mushrooms and the little welcome stone.

I also got my first hanging pot decoration.  It probably won’t be the last.

A little mantis on the bird of paradise pot.

Monday, we finally had a break in the heat.  It was still really hot, but we were out of a heat advisory, and the rains were coming by afternoon, so if I wanted to get any work done, it had to be Monday.  I decided to start with the patio garden in front of the well house.  I had to get that soil broke up and leveled out before I could do anything else.

I started with a spade, but it was really hard.

I was going to start by moving the half concrete blocks from the rock garden.

The blocks in the back won’t be needed once the lattice is put on.

But I didn’t want to disturb my guest in the toad pool.  So I waited for him to finish his soak.

I adore all the little toads out there under the deck!

I tried starting the tiller, but I could not keep it running.

The tiller-do you see my little friend?

little squirrel

Because of the time constraint, I decided to go old school.

That dirt was hard packed.

It was probably better that I didn’t use the one with a motor anyhow because I did bring up a couple of rocks and other things.  It was kind of a pain, but with the cultivator, spade, garden claw and rake, I got it to where I stopped.  I’ll let it get rained on to settle it, and then I can finish evening it out with potting soil if I need to.

Where I stopped on Monday.

Then, it will be time to put down the landscape fabric, place everything and mulch.  The only thing left after that is the cleanup and enjoying all the fruits of my labor.

Goats and Gardens

Well, the kids were not in the ditch when I got home today.  That was an improvement.  Just as I was getting started with chores, my uncle pulled in the driveway with his little tractor.  He was here to till the garden.

I’m very grateful that he came out because my garden isn’t exactly small, and I only have a hand tiller that is twelve inches wide.  It takes me a long time to get it done.  After I let him in the barnyard and through the panel into the yard (same route I had to use for the lawn mower yesterday), it only took him a very short time.

This is the part of the garden I tilled and planted potatoes and garlic in.  I did weed around some of the spotty potatoes.  Ignore all the the dandelions in the strawberry bed.  That did not used to be strawberry bed.  These are the most invasive strawberry plants I’ve ever seen.

I have a tree on the edge of the garden that I did not plant, but I end up leaving a patch of grass where there isn’t enough sun for things to grow.

He did a great job.  When I asked about tilling the piece up north, he said it was already done.  Wow!

I did hang out by the garden while he was tilling, so I could open the panel and gate for him.  I didn’t think I should make him do it since he’s eighty-seven.  Do you like his tractor?  He just got it last year, and the tiller was a new addition this spring.  I can only hope to be so active when I reach his age.

After he finished, it would seem the normal thing to jump into planting all those tomatoes and peppers and cabbages I have sitting on my deck.  Nope.  I did chores and then went to clear the fencerow between the corn field and pasture.  I had numerous scrub cedar trees and rose bushes.  These are not the most pleasant to remove.  While I was there, I tried cutting some of the thistles also.  We have a weed commissioner who does his job enthusiastically.

When I got back to the house, I still didn’t have kids out!  My happiness was tempered a little bit when I found out that five were hanging out in the garage when my dad came to take his lawn mower back home.  Mom talked him through putting them back in (open the gate).  It worked, so tomorrow I will work again on attaching the fence to the existing posts better and adding some pieces of panel at the bottom where there is a fairly big gap between fence and ground.

I really intended on going back out and working on the fence or starting to plant a little, but I wore out.  I took pictures of the garden patches, and I made the effort to notice some of the beautiful things around the place.

The chives are in full bloom. The strawberries are full of flowers and growing berries.  I can hardly wait for some fresh strawberry shortcake.

Don’t forget to visit the page for my 100th Post Giveaway and leave a comment to enter the giveaway.