More extra-early gardening

It's really hard to stay inside when this abnormal warmth continues outside.

And while you're outside, it's really hard not to get busy.

Thing is, you can get into trouble if you go around thinking that it's Spring.  Oh sure, the ground (which NEVER froze this past winter) is loose and friable and begging to be planted.  But wait.

Nighttime temps in the 20s are coming.  More rain (this time cold rain) is coming.  Snow flurries in the future.

Nope.  Not spring.  But....

You can always always find something to clean up.  I trimmed back the big Montauk daisy in the arbor bed, cut back the H.F.Young clematis and all the dead New England aster plants (lots of new growth at soil level).  I loaded up the hatchback and took it all over to the yardwaste depot - on opening day no less!  Talk about hitting the ground running this year.

Then I did take advantage of that lovely loose soil, chilly or not.  I dug up the Meyer lilac in the swing bed and planted it in the arbor bed.  I dug up the rooted Montauk daisy cutting from the overwinter bed and planted it in the Sargeant crabapple bed.  Finally, I dug up all the Palace Purple heuchera and the lace-cap hydrangea in the swing bed.  I centered the hydrangea where the heucheras were, then used the heucheras to make a nice border between the hydrangea and the rubber paver path.  

There.  I'm really ahead of the game right now so I'll have no qualms keeping inside during the cool/cold/ weather coming.  

And talk about coming!  More like charging!  Yesterday the wind was 20s w/gusts 35 mph.  Today the wind is nearer to 40 mph and almost steady at that rate!  One gust actually blew open the plastic taped over one of the leaky front bay windows.  Wow!

Hope things are a little calmer where you are.  

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Hey. I've put up several updates on the sidebar pages (household adventures; garden projects; flowers; and plant propagation).  Lots of action going on there. Check 'em out.

Garden help

Until my health issues get sorted out, I have gone (kicking and screaming) looking for help around the gardens.

No one I personally knew were aware of anyone (family or friend) who would be interesting in some part-time garden work.  So last week I looked on Craig's list.  There was an entry for 'Gardener looking for spring-cleanup work'.  She boasted that she did 2ce as much as the pro's and cost half the money.'   Hmmm.

I called and we set up a meet.  She arrived on time.  And while she was friendly enough (and certainly talkative enough),  she certainly wasn't what I would ever call a 'gardener'.  To me a gardener-for-hire has plant savvy, their own well-used tools they prefer, and usually don't ramble on about a sorry divorce, insist on showing a plethora of dog pics on a cell phone, and the like. She wanted to use all my equipment, too.

Still -- I did need help with some of the heavy lifting and digging....  So we arranged for a 4-hour trial for 2:00 pm last Thursday.  She agreed to phone me between 5 and 7 that evening before to confirm.  Her parting comment?  "I probably won't be up to speed when I come.  It's been a long winter and the muscles are soft. HaHa."   ??

She never called Wednesday night.  She called around 11:00 a.m. Thursday.  "We still on?"  I said something and she said, "What?  *yawn*  Didn't hear that.  I just got up...."

That was the end of that.  I canceled her before she ever showed up.

Crap.  Then I sent out a shout to my buddy Craig (the builder, plumber, fixer, etc.).  Was his 20-something son interested in some ready cash?  He'd check.

Saturday dawned in the 50s.  Around noon I get a call from N.  "Dad says you need help?  I could come today if you want..."  Oh, heavens, YES!

Bless his heart, we got a lot done in 4 hours that afternoon.  

He cleaned up all the sticks and branches while I scooted around on a low stool and cut back a lot of dead stalks from the birdbath bed, brick bed, crabapple bed and arbor bed.  I left all the debris next to the beds and he then raked it all up and added them to the brush pile.  Then on went the nabe's dead Xmas tree.  The birds will have to find perching elsewhere.

Next he brought up 4 water barrels from behind the shed and he scrubbed out the 2 that didn't get cleaned before I stored them away last Fall.  Then I power washed them. He also brought up a couple of heavy hoses and 4 deck chairs from out of the shed.

Finally we did something fun.  The day before I found another Miss Kim lilac to complete one of the driveway plantings.  He dug the hole and I scored the root ball, added fertilizer and water and voila!  Now that little bed is complete with sedum center and lilac bookends.

N. was affable, funny, and easy to work with, making me feel less frustrated and defensive at having to let go stuff that I used to do so matter-of-factly.  Best of all, before he left, he said, "Call me when you need more help. You got my cell, right?" 

What a boost to the spirit!  Maybe this season won't be the train wreck I'd initially imagined.  To find someone willing to work and do a good job is near impossible these days, so I'm counting my blessing for sure.  Oh, I'm a little sore today, but nothing like I'd've been doing even ONE of the chores he took care of!

Meanwhile we're promised some rain this week.  I'm going to put the screens on the  2 water barrels at the shed corners and catch some for when I put in the cold temp vegs later in the month.  Now with beds tidy (well, we never got to the ring bed - but hey, it's not going anywhere), I can enjoy my morning coffee in the sunroom looking out over the gardens with a calmer attitude and brighter outlook.  Fingers crossed....