Just for fun

Things that are blooming in the late May-early June gardens at our house: pansies, petunias, dianthus, bleeding heart, bishop's weed, assorted wildflowers, columbine, iris, tanicetum (sp?), pincushion flower, california poppies, spiderwort, blanket flower, snow-in-summer, jupiter's beard, assorted types of salvia (red, pink and purple), assorted penstemons, (pink, purple) thyme, phlox, mullein, blue flax, roses, moss rose, bachelor buttons, coral bells, yellow flowered groundcover that I have no idea what the name is....and all this bookended by things have already bloomed and things that are getting ready to bloom.

Ahhhhhhhh.

Pullin' Weeds and Pickin' Stones....

These words from "The Garden Song" came to mind last Monday as I was trying to get ready for our first week of Hands for Growing. I was doing exactly what the song said. The once decorative rock was now lodged in between the stubborn grass and weeds...and stickers that my knees kept finding.

There was one more little surprise. There's an area in this used-to-be-soon-to-be garden that had the usual rock, sticker, weed combo with the added bonus of landscaping fabric. The weeds and grass had woven the fabric tightly to the ground, and when I finally dislogded that I found another layer of rock just under the dirt. I call these, the Zen rocks, as they had become one with the earth.

Eventually, it was ready - at least one area.

A dear friend drove 80 miles to help me fill the back of the pick-up with compost and when we returned to deliver it we found that Diana and her husband had been there. They had roto-tilled, which was perfect for working in the compost, and had put up the lattice to hide the city's electrical boxes at the far end.

On Wednesday we started...with 3 girls ( who knew there would be basketball camp that day when we were planning in March?) So many things were good that day. Work got done, we had fun and one of the girls who had been hesitant to come later told a friend how much fun she had.

Next week they plant. "They", because I'll be gone working a high school retreat. A retreat I love but this year am torn. This Hands for Growing project has a hold of my heart.