Digging, Mulching And Planting

We went from snow to warm summer days in the blink of an eye.

I went from cranking about my inability to get into the garden, to living in it for the last few days.

It's at times like this I'm especially grateful that Sunday is a day of rest.

Henry and Morgan were finally able to pick up the mulch and compost I needed to get started in the garden.

I have six of these large bins currently taking up a good portion of the driveway.

Three compost,

and three mulch.

That is a lot of digging!

Before Henry cut these flaps in the boxes, I had to climb to the top of my step ladder and lean into the box to dig stuff out.

It was taking forever. . .

I am renovating my entire back yard.

Yes I know your supposed to tackle one bed at a time. I just can`t seem to do things the easy way. . .

I have become interested in adding food to my garden and so have to rework things to include the honeyberry, hazelnut and cherry bushes as well as the strawberries, raspberries, and asparagus plants, not to mention the veggie garden that will hold all my tomatoes,spinach, lettuce, beets and so on.

Of course since this in back small city backyard it also needs to look good!

We`ll see how that goes. . .

Two full days of digging, weeding, amending with compost, planting, transplanting and mulching have gotten two beds finished.

This shade bed is now full of different hostas and edged with the dianthus I started from seed.

The wishing well bed holds one of my honeyberry bushes, strawberries,`Stella daylilies, wave petunias, a hosta and a dwarf goat`s beard.

Not too bad for two day`s work.

Now all I have left is this. . .

and this. . .

And my Nemesis, the grassy hill. . .

I do have some great materials to work with though.

While at a stone warehouse picking up a tile order one day, Henry noticed employees throwing slate into the garbage bin.

It seems that once a year they clean the various bits and pieces out to make more room in the warehouse.

Henry asked if he could take home what they had.

The guys told him if he came back at the end of the day, they would have the stuff beside the bins rather than in it and he could take whatever he wanted.

This is what he found, along with another pallet full of various types of stone tile.

What a treasure!

Look what Jesse and I found to redo the pathways with. . .

There is enough left of a somewhat different colour to make a much nicer and somewhat larger patio by the pond than the one that`s there now.

You know, once Henry takes it apart, replaces the liner and makes it both larger and deeper. (There`s a hole in the liner.)

So I probably don`t have to worry about that for a while. . . smile.

Then there`s all this lovely plant material.

I leave you with a picture of the front garden.

Which also has to be completely top dressed with compost and then mulched, plants need to be added, the bench fixed and that trellis Morgan made me needs to be installed.

Did I mention that Ev and I have started the process to get a community garden going this fall.

Hmmmmmm. . . .

I think I may need a gardening intervention. . .

Nahhhh. . . .