Here is my garden work survey, from viewing the garden this year:
- Weeding
- lots of switch grass coming up -as usual- front main perennial bed most in need of attention
- * also remove from around magnolia, dig up whole section of sweet woodruff to take rye grass out and replant woodruff.
- Dandelions -mainly around Fringetree and by walkway. Use roundup in between the stones.
- Edge all beds
- * consider buying better edger
- Dig / Divide/ Replant
- Dianthus replanted along drive
- Achillea along main border
- Strawberries in veg. garden
- Roaming Therese rose.
- * take out extras and plant elsewhere in yard
- Dig out layered Viburnum starts, replant in roadside areas
- Make more lavender starts
- put phlox starts in driveway bed, experimentally
- get ivy or vinca starts for around sweet gum trees
- Move rosa rugosa ‘ Blanc Double Coubert’ this year
- remove tree start from side garden bed and replant in back field
- Place some lamium upfront along driveway rocks
- move self-started lilac from under fir tree
- Pruning
finish other two apples- pear
- cut back clematis
- lonicera
- trim up weeping willow
- open up between the large arborvitaes
- Other
- mulch
- till veg garden
- clean pond for season
Obviously, I am going to have to pay my children to help this year, if I hope to do this and the porch’s extra jobs.
I’ll see how I do.
===== a few words on roundup=====
I am not a purist. I do garden organically for the larger part, but on occasion I will use something like spots of roundup for hard to reach weeds in between the walkway stones. It saves lots of time and it is in a very limited amount. If one is sensitive to the gardens needs, I don’t think that much in the way of chemicals is ever needed.
Chemicals are usually needed when the gardener is not working with the nature of their location. Ditto for uncontrolled demand on water resources. Modern life creates a tension that former times did not know. We are sold ideals of perfect plants and fruit and limited in the manpower to produce them. That creates demand for artificial means. At some point we have to delete some of the unrealistic ideals that come from importing other climate garden styles and results into unfriendly locales. At some point we must embrace clover and some lawn weeds rather than velvet swards of unnatural greens. Or we will escalate the stress upon our environment.
I am always for moderation in such things. I find that is the only sustainable answer. Man will not abide tight restrictions of extremity. Not a “good” extremity any more than anything else.
But moderation of our dreams and desires will produce a larger body of responsibility. And that is really what we want, after all.
A well-stewarded earth. Reasonable people. Peace in the garden.
Yes?
