I finally (FINALLY) got out and spent most of an entire day weeding, planting and transplanting. Despite the resulting need to gobble over the counter anti-inflammatories like candy, I am feeling a huge sense of relief. There are hours (and hours) more work to do, including a lot of foolishly postponed weeding I ignored while temperatures were simmering in the triples, but I have enough of a start I think I now can actually break the rest down into doable pieces.
That is a difficulty I have when jobs feel too big. I know I can't get it all done so I typically postpone getting any of it done.
But I've crossed the line now, broken the barrier, entered the zone. Whatever you want to call it, after some cooler days and two rainy spurts, the plants came back and so did I. The gardening game is officially back ON.
Now I feel I am functioning more properly as the gardener again, I also feel free to thoroughly enjoy the beauty of the garden.
How about you? Are you steadfast in your garden chores weather be damned? Do you get daunted when large projects loom? I don't consider myself a fair weather gardener but seriously - the heat this summer. It was too much for active gardening in my book. Oh, are you sitting there silently judging me now for admitting I mostly kept out of the heat? (that is rhetorical - don't feel a need to answer unless you will be gently encouraging)We may not have broken the all time record (and if you are one of those who felt that would somehow have made this past summer matter more I extend my condolences) but record breaker or not, I am thrilled to have the summer of '09 safely behind us. So, yup, I apologize for the interruption and will happily return to my regularly scheduled gardening.....
I tried to enter the zone today but couldn't quite get there. First I checked my veggie seedlings and container plants in back: all good. Then I poured myself a big glass of iced green tea and headed out front to confront the MANY weeds. Too overwhelming. I ended up pruning some stuff and pulling two weeds. Another day, I guess.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to YOU for all your hard work! The pics are great! What's in the top-pictured bed?
Thanks, Iris. Two weeds counts. That bed has broccoli and a cauliflower (I hope...) and a couple of teensy leeks and some chives. Some new (to me) collards. Not much, but I am stingy with the water so try not to grow more than we can (or will) eat or more importantly, pay for at current water rates.
ReplyDeleteI stayed inside most of the summer. It was just too much heat. Fortunately we had a graduation party this spring so in preparation I had put a LOT of mulch on the beds. It really helped keep down the weeds.I lost just enough plants to give me a reason to go to some nurseries this fall..already planning a trip to my favorite in a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping in, Nancy. There are a lot of spots around here I think would be vastly improved by the addition of 3 inches of mulch. I'm not sure why I see mulch and it looks more finished to me but it is what it is. I am impressed you are putting that nursery trip off and believe you to be wise to do so. I made one trip already and am already regretting having to lug water from the rain barrels to help wean those water greedy plant babies away from the every day drinks they got used to at the nursery. Can I get a second for my motion of "No more 90 degree days!"?
ReplyDeleteHi Texas Deb,
ReplyDeleteMy garden is so small I ran in and out to the shady areas all summer long to weed, cut back and water for a half-an-hour at a time. As a result, the shadier places look pretty good now, especially after the rain, and the sunny spots do not!
Isn't there some saying about "She who hides in shade all day lives to weed another day"?
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Annie - I can think of a lot of adjectives for your gorgeous spaces but "small" doesn't leap to the forefront.
ReplyDeleteIf that "She who hides" isn't already a saying then high time we made it one.
Now if we can find somebody to cross-stitch that into a pillow for all Texas Gardening Gals? I'll be too busy pulling weeds (plus I stink at stitchery!).
Hi Tex Deb, All of my summer gardening revolved around just keeping the plants alive, so pruning, weeding, and anything else was left by the wayside. There's no way I could judge you with the log I have in my gardener's eye. Now that it's cooled down (even though I knew the answer before I asked), I called John Dromgoule on the radio gardening talk show to ask if I could still prune some stuff. He said "no" so I'm off the hook sorta' till next spring, but my garden looks awful. Don't feel bad that you weren't out there.--Heat exhaustion & heat stroke stood outside every gardener's door this summer. Laura
ReplyDeleteOh yes. Overwhelmed = stay inside and fret. Right now I have a bed (that never got finished before the hell summer hit)being overtaken by bermuda grass. Again. Sigh. I should be out there right now.
ReplyDeleteYour garden looks lovely and lush.
Laura - good to have you here and thanks for the reminder that there are indeed some serious consequences to working in the kind of heat we had earlier this year. I'm growing my hair out, I think of it the same way when I don't get a plant pruned and have to wait a season.
ReplyDeleteCurious - I spotted a section of fully developed Bermuda seedheads sneering at me that I won't get to in this weekend's rain. That'll be a bazillion more strands to try and pull out in my future for sure. The lush garden is an optical illusion created by judicious cropping.
I love the shots of your spaces on your blog. The young (and young at heart) in your neighborhood are lucky to have you there. Pan, mini-globes, Peter Pan functioning as OnStar with your eave statement, cut-out fence.... I love it all.