I'm not writing about the weather much -- clearly an indication of my-mind numbing preoccupations. Who knew starting a new garden, and going on a trip, and planning a move could take so much mental effort!
I asked Ed if later in the week he could help me with his pick-axe again, to make a few more planting holes in the soon-to-be born side yard. He sighed and explained once again that I should simply dump a huge pile of city wood chips on the grass and it would eventually die off. And he reminded me once again how good the soil is at the farmette thanks to the chips we put on over the years. And yes, it does deplete the soil of nitrogen initially, but you can make that up with "organic" home-made fertilizer (dont ask).
The strategy of saying "uh-huh" and nodding my head failed me. I am too preoccupied with gardening plans that I have already set in motion. And the thing is, my sweet and confident guy is so proud of the soil in the flower beds that I hate to pop his bubble, but working there was not easy, for different reasons: not only was there clay below the couple of inches of "good soil," but there was the encroaching weed problem. Every flower field had one or two or three creeping menaces that came up from under all that "good soil." I was losing the battle in most of the beds. Creeping bell flower, creeping charlie, spreading violets, and don't get me started on creeping bishop's weed. When a non-gardener thinks of weeding, she usually thinks of pulling out a plant here and there. It doesn't work that way. That feeling of failure was strong for me, right about the end of July when all I wanted to do was give up and retreat. And that doesn't even take into account farmette mosquitoes.
So, not feeling very generous toward my advice-giver, I said "never mind I''ll do it myself." I will live to regret this. Indeed, even today, I suffered the consequences of my annoyance. But all that was after breakfast, with Monty Don and Millie (the former only in book form).
Millie is very sleepy in the mornings, so I do not feel too bad putting her in her crate for a couple of hours. (And Tuesday is doggie daycare afternoon, so she'll get plenty of exercise there, chasing her BFF Mable. I'm told they hang out together often.)
The goal today was to pick up some composted soil at the farmette...
(writer's shed)
(blue false indigo, yellow iris)
... and finish planting all the roses. I did that. All but one. I forgot about the most beautiful rose, because it's on the porch shining its colors for me every morning at breakfast. But the rest went in. The holes were already dug, so this took all of 20 minutes. Next -- water the beds. Terrible idea to do it at around noon, but this is the free hour I have, so out come the hoses. One on each side of the house. Afterwards, I put in the clematis vines. I had been sitting on this for a while because I wasn't sure where they would fit in best. I decided today. In they go. And finally, I take out one of the remaining five day lilies that were sent to me in bare-root form. And I found that three of them had rotten roots.
Was it my fault for putting off their planting? Probably not. Unlike many other flowers (roses come to mind..), day lilies can be planted any time, from spring until fall. The only reason to get them in fast is that the impatient among us would like to see a bloom this year. The later they go in, the less likely they'll flower for you in the summer.
And now comes the dilemma: do I put in plants that have at most a 40% chance of survival? I do put them in, but I'm likely to take them out again, especially if I get a refund!
And the renter still hasn't cut the grass, so I think he is either mad at the landscaping work or shacking up with his girlfriend or boyfriend elsewhere.
At home, Millie is happy as always to see me. And this is when I remember that I have an unused camera that I got as a replacement for my small Fujifilm. I haven't had time to set it up and test it. I do that today. And find that the shutter release doesn't work, And I cant get the strap on. But, I do not shout, scream or wail. Not yet, anyway, I call Fujifilm Customer Support, which thankfully does not have a circle of automated responses, nor does it have a two hour wait time, The guy has me do a bunch of diagnostics and determines that it's not the camera body but the lens that is defectively not connecting. "Send it back" -- he says. But I need it for my trip!
Well, the lens has to go back to Fujifilm. So much for having this lighter camera with me on the trick. (The old one is like a brick around your neck.) But in the meantime, maybe I should just keep the lens on until I have time to package it. In screwing the lens back on, I hear the magic click and it strikes me that perhaps I hadn't fully screwed it in before, hence the poor connection. Oops.
One hour wasted on an unnecessary intervention. Good thing I was going to procrastinate once again (this time in sending in the lens). Being too busy has its virtues!
I drop off Millie at doggie daycare and pick up the kids at their respective schools. Sparrow is now always tired because there's a lot of outdoor "fun" in this last week of "classes." And Snowdrop? She is in the thick of friend sagas: this one said this about that person and isn't that awful and grounds for not speaking to this one? That kind of stuff. I tell her that in my experience, ignoring trouble makers rather than being deliberately mad at them is the best strategy, since bully types like to see you get a rise out of their obnoxiousness. But tell that to an 11 year old in Middle School. I'm sure these stories will continue and my advice will be listened to and shelved at some special place reserved for useless grandmotherly admonitions.
We pick up a happy Millie and go to Sally's House, where it really isn't just all about the dog!
And in the evening I am grateful for all that I have accomplished by now: the front beds are mostly planted as are the roses. The trip booklet that I wrote explaining to my fellow travelers what happens each day and what we are likely to see (25 single spaced pages, though with some paragraph breaks) is done and it is in the hands of its intended audience. And the move? Well, that comes in 4 weeks and yes, there is a dispute as to when I can claim residence, but what's a move without problems, right?
So I relax. Watch a couple of episodes of Rizzoli and Isles, which is kind of fun in a predictable way, if murders in Boston can be called "fun." And I pay attention. None of this distractedness that would lead one to wonder why on earth the TV is on in the first place. Finally, music, Millie walks, books and sleep. That's the plan anyway. And today, I think I may succeed. Maybe.
with lots of love...
