Our helper came by to haul tree rubble and mulch. We will have many small logs left, even if someone gets the bigger pieces for firewood. Logs and sticks are great additions for the yard, unless one covets the billiard table look.
I kept piling up sticks near the Jackson Bird Spa all winter, rather than hiding them in the back. The birds constantly used the sticks and branches for beak wiping and perching.
Logs rotting into the soil are food centers for many animals, large and small.
Our helper was impressed by all the pruning. He said, "Now you will have to build a deck with lots of lumber and provide yourself with some shade back here."
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| I planted on strawberry plant in the compost, just to see how it would do. |
Front Yard
I mulched Mrs. Wright's rose garden myself, because I wanted to see the finished area, which is the sunny side (south) of the house. Now the area boasts the straw bales growing potatoes, strawberries and a few other items. Raspberries are newly planted next to the straw bales, and a few red roses are planted between them.
I put Mrs. Wright's roses in a straight line parallel to the fence between our yards. The walkway between them and the straw bales was grassy. Now it is mulched with shredded cypress.
Back Yard Again
We mulched Mrs. Gardener's roses along the fence. We began the mulching last fall, so the soil had plenty of time to develop more soil creatures. Newspapers, wood mulch, and autumn leaves fed the soil for about six months.
Digging those roses was easy and fun. I put them in the lawn parallel to the fence, so we had lawn to cover with mulch around the roses. This time I had pre-soaked newspapers to lay down. Sassy and I did a quick run to Lowe's for more bags.
Before - grass and weeds grew along the fence. Now mulch has suppressed the grass and weeds, turning them into compost. Roses are leafing out and growing fast.
Storm Arriving
We have been watching the storms develop in the West. Normally we get moisture pulled up from the Gulf of Mexico or rain sweeping across Oklahoma toward us. Often the brunt of the weather heads north to Joplin or south to Ft. Smith and Little Rock.
Today we had a rain so light that I grabbed our new strawberry plants, soaked them again in rainwater, and planted them.
The rose bushes lacking the proper attitude were given an all-cane pruning. Nothing wakes a rose up faster. Two things I suggest, based on recent experience:
- Soak rose bushes and potted plants for hours before digging them in. They are more dried out than appearances suggest. Rain water is best. Second best is water that has set for a day. Third best is city water.
- Prune all the canes upon planting for a faster start. Waking them up means getting the roots to establish themselves.
The rain is pouring out of the clouds now.
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| The fence and trees make vertical gardening easy. |