Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Manic mulching and letting go of seedlings

So here's what's been occupying my free time for the last week:

This ten yard pile of locally produced mulch was paid for by the sale of used books from my garage.

Each day I have spent hours mulching my newly expanded flower and shrub borders.
I listen to books on tape and remember to lift with my legs, then go inside, put on a heat pack and have a drink.
 I'm sore, but the final result is worth the work.  The beds look so neat and tidy!


I also sanded, then sprayed a rusty old garden chair. The color is 'true blue'. I like the way it matches my garden trug.





These thickly mulched new beds mean less time spent weeding and cutting grass later in the summer, and more time for tending my tomatoes and peppers, which are now hardening off outside the garage each day, and going back inside at night.


I did plant a test tomato (Sungold) and  pepper  (Jalapeno) yesterday to see how they do before I risk planting the rest of my babies too early.



And the 'Florence' fennel seed I planted directly into the garden several weeks ago is doing great under the shelter of the arugula patch:


That's all I've got time to write today-- there's still lots of mulch to spread!