A Garden Update

Gardens are not made by singing

“Oh how beautiful”

and sitting in the shade.   

Rudyard Kipling

Woman Reading in the Garden-Mary Cassatt

I always imagine that this picure is what having a garden is all about.  I see myself wandering about in an elegant outfit....bending over graciously to pick a flower or sitting quietly among the flowers.......

Alas....the reality is me in  mismatched shorts and tanktop with my ugly green garden clogs.  Drive by and you will see me on my knees among the weeds....

Yesterday when the sun finally made an appearance after 2 weeks of rain and clouds, I knew that it was time to get out there and weed!  I wandered around in my bare feet wondering where to start....after stepping in a pile of deer scat (really stepped right in it!)...got my garden shoes and gloves on and spent a productive 2 hours ripping out 3 baskets full of compost for the "dirt factory".

Garden TIP:

I am envious of people who seem to be able to weed with hoes....but that never works for me.  I have to do it by HAND...and use gloves.  I hate spending money on new gloves, so when every single pair is too gross to imagine putting on....I gather them all and put them in the washing machine.  Works like a charm....even the leather ones.  Just dry them flat in the sun and they are good as new-except for the holes. 

Machine Wash those gloves and Dry them in the Sun

Well I got the weeding done- Ha.....the weeding is never done!  Here are some photos of the pay off for all that hard work.

My first Zinnia bloom.....these are a fave for cutting!

This is Blue Campanula...I love that it blooms almost the same time as the Red Bee Balm and the White Daisy

Our new Red Climbing Rose.....hope deer don't like rose buds!

The lantana in a pot with zebra grass and yellow sedum.

The ONE Asiatic Lily that wasn't lunch for the deer!

Here is wishing you some successful time in your garden!  Maybe you will have time to loll about with a bonbon and a book. As for me...the sun is still shining AND I have a LOT more work to do!