More Garden Prep

We went over early this Sunday morning and finished up a project that has been bugging me…the side garden.

After my visit with the Master Gardeners, I knew I needed to get the plastic down to keep the weeds away.

Ben went with me and helped lug the bricks over to weigh down the black garbage bags. Whew! I was glad he was there.

The bricks are the ones that were inside my chimney, but are now outside!

We have been taking our dog, Lucy, over periodically to let her sniff around and get used to her new backyard. I don’t think she’s discovered Mr. Rabbit or Chippy, the chipmunk, yet.

I know you are still wondering about my painting the brick, right? Well, I need to take a couple of pictures of the test I did and run it by my husband before I go crazy, but it is looking good!

Gardening Thoughts

My sister told me today that she is really sending me 350 iris. Wow! Plus daylilies! I am SOOOOO lucky! Now that my bed is ready, I better start figuring out a plan.

Here is a picture of the iris that is on the way.

Plus, I recieved an email from Breck’s this morning, as if I needed prodding!  Have just spent the last hour researching early blooming bulbs versus mid and late season bloomers. What a lovely way to enjoy a cup of coffee!

Here are some of the ones I am thinking about:

Snow Crocus – always an exciting thing to see at the end of a long dreary winter!

Quail Daffodils – 16-18″ tall and a mid-bloomer

Apple Blossom Tulips – these looked just yummy to me!  20-24″ mid to late Spring

Azure Allium – 18-22″ tall with  2-3″ blue spheres on top! Blue pom poms just look fun to me. I think they may look awesome with yellow daylilies.  It is ab early summer bloomer.

I am checking to see when the bloom times are for the daylilies and iris, then I can plan to my heart’s content. I heard a rumor that my mom is rooting some hydrangeas! Both blue and white varieties!  I will save a spot for those little darlings should they make it.

Now, the side garden is all dug up. The dirt looked really much better than I was expecting. No huge rocks or problems became apparent either during our dig. I wonder how I should treat it until these new gift bulbs get here? They will be her mid-October.  Then I can cover with mulch.

We are moving Nov. 19th adn will have loads of cardboard which I hear worms adore!  I planned on putting that down over the areas that are not planted then placing mulch on top of that. I think I can do newspapers too. What about until then? We are talking about less than two months.  I don’t want to pile mulch on, then have to take it off to plant, then place cardboard and then mulch. Am I asking too much? Will I get weeds growing before the gift bulbs arrive? Plus I don’t know exactly when the Breck’s bulbs will arrive either. Hmmm.

Maybe I should go visit Roundtree Plantation which is one of my absolute favorite ever gardening centers? They will know what I should do.