A short update! (Sunday, 5/7/23)

Busy, dirty, sweaty weekend, as evidenced by yesterday’s post, but I got so much done! It was absolutely glorious today, a real peach of a Michigan day, bright and sunny with a nice breeze, so I was up early and outside. Today I dug up my sadly neglected iris bed and liberated 30 iris roots from the tangle of grass that invaded. I planted the liberated roots around the walnut to join the other irises I’ve put over there. I love that there are indeed lovely things that will grow under a walnut, since the juglone makes it kinda difficult for most things to get established.

I pulled a few weeds from the bed as I was planting the irises and was happy to find six hosta just coming up! I thought for certain that the deer had murdered all of the many dollars worth that I’ve planted over the years. I marked them by piling sticks over them, and I may move some mint over there to repel the jerk deer. I hold no illusions that the sticks will deter them for long.

I also pulled up a dozen concrete blocks that have bordered the iris bed for 20+ years and let me assure you, I am feeling that already. It’s going to be a two Tylenol night for sure. I’m donating four of those blocks to the Garden of Edison, but I’m keeping the other eight. Concrete blocks always have a good use around the yarden. My first thought is to use them to border some of my garlic instead of the orange flags I have planted around it now. I’m thinking I’ll put spearmint or some such in the block holes, that will contain it from becoming invasive, plus mints are excellent companion plants to garlics. I might use horse mint (aka bee balm) since it makes beautiful spires of flowers.

I put up the hammock and the patio table umbrella today as well, since it’s going to rain all day tomorrow. They have been in the basement all winter and can use an airing and a rinsing for sure. I moved my patio box into the backyard from its former location by the back door to make room for the kitchen bed, and I like how it’s increasing the seating back there as well as storing things like chair cushions and other backyard acoutrements closer to the action. I’m looking very forward to setting down a concrete pad so I can mount the Tiger Stadium seats later this spring, and raising the Crabtree farm bell on its post. I’m looking forward to a lot of good times with good people in that space this year.