Summer's Finally Here

After a cool beginning, summer is finally here and I've moved out into the gardens during those cool, calm hours of the morning. The grasses have certainly thrived (that's what I get for moving onto what was formerly range land) and my biggest challenge is trimming it away from the perennials so they can get some much needed light and water. I have abandoned the idea of digging out these tough perennial grasses and am content with keeping it at bay. Gardening on an acre lot has taught me  to pick my battles and settle for a "naturalized" landscape. I have started pulling some gotta haves from the nursery and am already looking forward to planting after the nursery is closed for the season at the end of July. I sat down and figured out a watering schedule for July yesterday; it's the only way I can get water to each of the 12 gardens on a schedule. There's no way I would remember in my head when I last watered an area, so this takes away the guess work and the trees, shrubs, and perennials will benefit from my taking time to schedule it out. Am loving being out in the gardens and know I will eventually get to the all. I remind myself that gardening is intended to relieve, not create stress. 

Warming Up

Hard to believe that it's been just over a month since my last post. May buzzed by in a blur as I scrambled to keep the plants warm and through some very cold temps. June has been slightly better, but here we are at June 10th and temps were again in the low thirties. I am heading out this morning to get my deck containers planted with plants that have been patiently sitting out there for the past few weeks. The veggie starts will get planted too and seeds started for peas and beans. The peppers and tomatoes will go into large containers in the sunniest location on the deck...they should take off as temps warm up. The gardens have been loving the rain, but it's warming up and time to start watering. Well into June and the sprinklers will go on today for the first time this season! Will put down some fertilizer on the lawn first and then water. Warming up...Finally! Time for the perennials to start their delayed but inevitable show of color.