Back In The Saddle Again

               Just came in from a few hours out weeding. Boy! Do those things grow well when you don't have $  for mulch!   New "gotta have" item........ mulch each and every bed this year! Well worth the investment--- No weeds, less watering, less diseases, less work! Gotta love that! I already filled a 5 gallon pail and I only moved about 10 feet! Funny thing happened when I tried to get up...... I had to crawl to the mudroom on my hands and knees to pull myself up by a grab bar! Boy have I gotten out of shape and legs are really weak! I have several plants still not planted yet, and they are all lined in the driveway waiting for me to get busy! I think I will let things rest this year. No breaking up or dividing. I actually like seeing big clumps of plants filling up the garden space. I have tons of seeds yet to start.They are all on a table with seedling trays- all I need is the energy to DO it.                                         I went  to the place where our town has designated to dump yard debris yesterday. I had four trash barrels to dump. A gentleman offered to help me, then wanted to know WHY I had so many barrels. I told him I had many gardens. My truck hasn't run since last July, and stuff did pile up. Now truck is back,  debris is under control, and  I won';t have to answer dumb questions again. I guess I'm just a cranky old lady! Working in the garden always makes me smile and I am sure it lowers my blood pressure too! Last year I bought some "ice cream " tulips. They look just like an ice cream cone! I highly recommend  them! Vanilla ice cream with strawberry sauce on top! All my lilacs are blooming right now. Smells great! My tree Peony is blooming right now too. It is way ahead of the regular Peony bushes. This year I have all the lumber ready to rebuild the grape arbor. Got two more red vines to plant. I have given up on my Kiwi vines, and now they seem to be going gangbusters! If something doesn't do well for me, in this case, Kiwi, I get rid of it and work in something else. After babying Kiwi for several years, each time I got blooms, they fell off after two days. I never had trouble with grapes. I have a Niagra vine, and it NEVER fails me! Which brings me to ask a question----does any one know if the rule that fruit is plentiful every other year is true???? I heard it somewhere, and I wondered if it was an old wives tale or truth. On that note, I will close for now. Keep digging!!!

Ode to Shovel

    Happy Mayday! If you are a digger like myself, your tools are all sharpened, oiled, and ready to go. It is hard to believe as I look over my varied selection, what odd things I have amassed through these years. There was the year everything HAD to be purple, then there are the many different cutting tools. I have four different pair of loppers; each have varied lengths on the handles. Three short cultivators, and one ancient one that has a long handle. I am embarrassed to list how many pair of hand clippers I posses: each one comes with the promise of doing a better job than the last one. Small spades, (dime a dozen) sharpening stones...DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT...many metal rakes, spools of wire and wire cutters, and shovels. On that point, I have one exception. As I said before, I'm an old farmer....well, when my parents had their farm, and I was a wee lass of four, my dad had one standard shovel. Somehow, through all these years (and we're talkin' 1950 to now....) I still have that one ol' shovel Dad bought!!  It was a classic, even has a split shank. I sharpen it, oil the handle, and it has gotten me through all these years. Hard to believe, I kept it for decades that I didn't even own my horses, lived in an apartment, got married, divorced, another dozen apartments, and now my home of 26 years. I never had a relationship ever! that lasted that long!! It's hard to think, I havn't named (him) yet. Isn't it the cars that get girls names? Then there's the very old 10 inch straight head screwdriver from my farm days as well. Great to get between rocks after those weeds with long roots. I think that is just as old, some things you just can't remember not having. I have recently  added cable ties to my arsenal, there are the scissors, pen and notepad, numerous pair of garden gloves, tape measure, tissues, chapstick, sunscreen,and of course, the cooler along side for my water bottles. I guess it does look like I'm moving in, but I have to plan only one trip out to the garden, so better make it good. My limited walking ability has taught me to plan wisely. hahaha                   Add to all this, the fact I need my four wheel walker to get to the garden in the first place, I must be quite a sight! Add my cane, and there's your entertainment for the afternoon, ladies and gents..... top it off with a funny garden hat,