Thursday, June 22, 2017

A Day in My Life

Yesterday was a busy one....errand day always is!  It is also  my least favorite way to spend  the day.

Yesterday was our hottest so far at 92° and very humid. 

Farmwise

After several delays due to breakdowns and rain, they finally finished this y ear's hay crop.  The last 18 acres got rained on but will be  usable.  He has yet to remove the bales from the field for us.

Brush-hogging is coming along with about 40 acres yet to do.  Young man is coming this evening to begin on that.

I have been very impressed with the re-growth in the cut fields.  I have actually be doing my 'used to do' work of spraying fence rows and actually getting out of the yard and onto the farm itself.  The east field is almost knee-deep in clovers again and could be re-cut.  We will just graze I think.  Max is finally talking about selling the cows and just buying calves to graze each spring then sell in fall before winter and hay feeding begins. I support that idea (so far).  We change our minds almost daily.

My BIL has had and is still ongoing some very serious health issues which made us start thinking very seriously about our daily farm chores.

Off the Farm

Errands began around l pm.  We had our regular grocery run, then my make-up store (Merle Norman), a farm supply store (of course) and another quick stop at a second grocery (I forgot an  item or two).  By the time  we got home we were exhausted.


Yard and Garden 

 I finally got the trimmer  started.  It seems if I follow directions, it floods the thing.  I waited some  time and tried again without priming the motor and it started right up. Be interesting  to see how it goes this morning.

I was able to do a little trimming but still have a lot to go.  Have you noticed I am not mentioning my yard crew?  That failed  as I knew  it would.  The young man who we have known forever still works for  Max and me when his time is available.  The other 'landscape specialist' (so-called) has better fish to fry. 
His method of edging is not going to be much of an improvement in my style of gardening.  I may look a little more  finished at the edges but maintenance is still required.  The permanent mulch thing isn't too successful here either.  I have very vigorous  perennial things such as violets,  lambs quarter, poke, plantain and maple tree seedlings that come up through the mulch.  I will  still keep the garden fence border mulches but will not edge it.  My best method is intensive planting.....so no weeds can survive.  Makes it easy to pull out the odd one amidst the flowers.

Gardening like life is an ongoing,  changing process.  Age is making me introspective and hopefully adaptive!


A few pictures more:



This is a Texensis variety of clematis that is now growing on the ground beneath the edge of the kerria japonica. 

 This is a cheap dahlia I got from either Lowes or Walmart several years ago and leave in the ground.  (not the Japanese Beetles appreciate it too)
 My Oakleaf Hydrangea which gives me a lot of bloom over a long time in spring.  The Limelight will follow later in the summer.
 This is just to show what kind of gardener I am.  This is laughingly called the herb garden with parsley blooming. (I do save the seeds).  Note the garlic seed heads near the trash can.  They must go!
 This is to show what I mean by intensive planting.  Edge of new bed with violets,  daylilies ,sedum, and salvia  farinacea right next to a monstrous clump of flags.  A couple of roses are close behind.
 My favorite combo this year:  salvia farinacea, rudbeckia, phlox , all self seeded. 

 May have shown this yesterday, but it got included with this group moving.  A stray phlox seedling,  much paler than the rest.  That is more ss salvia in front of it and is just to the right of the rudbeckia group.

 Just loved the yellows  and blues so included it again.

All for now.  It is 6:11 am and Max is ready for his oatmeal.

Have a wonderful day.  

9 comments:

  1. I just love the visual effect you get from your "intensive planting!" Looks so much like those pictures of Grandma's Old-Fashioned Garden. I plant my vegetables intensively, too, for the same reason. It crowds out the weeds . . . and holds in moisture.

    Today is my errand day and it exhausts me, too. Never seem to have as much energy for the rest of the day after it's done. Why is that? I think I work much harder physically when I'm home all day.

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    1. Mama Pea, it is Grandma's Old-Fashioned Garden! I used to be a regular on Gardenweb before it was taken over by Houzz. I remember when the term was "cottage gardens". Whatever you call it, it comes as second nature to me....I am not a basically neat and tidy person and as you can see some of my colors clash horribly.....somehow I never get around to relocating them.

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  2. Thanks for all your "lessons" on flower bed crowding, weeding, edging, etc. Not sure what I can do with my limited knowledge and no assistance, but you're such an inspiration. It's always nice to see your lovely flowers.

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    Replies
    1. You learn by doing......just do a very small intensive planting with easy perennials and see how that goes. I hate to see you give up without trying first.

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  3. Love your flowers Glenda. Errand day always wears me out too. I try to get out early and home within 2-3 hours. I enjoy the shopping, it's just draining for some reason.

    Happy summer to you and your dear hubby ~ FlowerLady

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  4. Thank you. It really drains Max for some reason. He often chooses to wait in the truck for me.

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  5. Glenda - Your latest post about another trip to town won't load up for me. Anybody else having any trouble with it?

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  6. Love the phlox and I too love the overplanted look. Those dang weeds still find room though!!!

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