Busy weekend!

We had a very busy, but very productive weekend!

Friday was S’s birthday. I left work just before noon and did a few errands. When I got home I did a bit of straightening around the house – with the boys help since it was a PA day – and around 4pm, S’s friends started to arrive. He had invited three boys, and all of them were able to make it, which was very nice.

We went to a movie, and then when we came back I made a few pizzas and the boys all retired to the TV room to do whatever it is that 14 year old boys when they are having a ‘party.’ Hubby and I went to bed around 11:30, and I didn’t hear a thing from the party below. The A-man told me that he heard them up until about 1 am, but since my bedroom is directly above the boy’s TV room, I can’t quite understand how he heard them when I did not.

Anyway, in the morning I made a big breakfast and the boys played on the trampoline and played some baseball. Shortly after lunch, the party was officially over. The wind had started to die down, so I was able to get some more work done in the gardens.

Last weekend I had totally cleaned out my one garden by the hot tub – my night time garden. It was so overgrown with the zebra grass and lambs ear that I had planted, I decided it was best to just clear it right out and start all over again. (For the record, there will be no more zebra grass or lambs ear planted in that section again.) On Saturday I was able to get the topsoil dug out of the area that will be pathway, and then laid about 3 inches of woodchips for the walkway. After getting that done, I was able to get my white irises back in the ground, and start to figure out what else I want planted in this area.

Hubby and my Dad had been working on the chicken coop for most of the day, and just as I was finishing in that garden, my Mom came to get Dad to head over to the cottage for the rest of the weekend. I went back to the coop to help Hubby with figuring out where we were going to put the roosts (3) for “the girls” and to also determine where the nesting boxes (5) were going to be built. Hubby and I got the roosts all in place and the frame for the nesting boxes finished. Then we had dinner and went to visit some friends for a bit.

Sunday morning – what a beauty day! I started to divide some big clumps of daffodils that I have. The clump is just so big and tight that none of the bulbs were getting a chance. I was able to relocate bulbs to three separate areas as well as leaving some in the original spot. Next I got to working on the biggest compost bin. Raked all the top stuff to one side and starting shoveling out the wonderful compost. Got 4 wheelbarrow fulls of it! Spread that all around my lily garden and my tea garden – which I had totally gutted and started to replant last weekend - plus put a bunch of compost in the night time garden area. While I was working on the compost, I put the boys to work in cleaning up the scrub back by the veggie garden. S used the big clippers to cut down the wild raspberry canes and whatever other things may have sprouted up, and the A-man raked everything back to be level with the large compost bin.

After cleaning out most of the compost, raking up the pine needles from the main garden area and cleaning up the pathways a bit, I got to work on replenishing the pathways with wood chips. I like to lay the chips in/around the gardens that are ‘done’ so that I can see the full effect of the improvement. After a while, the small of my back was screaming at me that it was time to shift to something else, so I decided to get the rotatiller out for the veggie garden area.

Just as I was about to begin the third strip with the tiller, Jazzy and her Mom stopped by to get Hubby to retrieve a homework file from Jazzy’s crashing computer. I went in to make some tea for L and I. As I was putting the kettle on, my in-laws stopped by to visit the birthday boy. After a brief visit, everyone cleared out, and I was able to get back to work on the veggie area.

By the time I was finished, I had planted two full rows of onion sets – Spanish and Red onions, and green onions – a partial row of green leaf lettuce completed with spinach in the last quarter, and a partial row of red leaf lettuce, again completed with some spinach. I planted two small rows of radishes for Hubby (ick!) and will do a second planting of both radishes and lettuces next weekend. I’ll probably put the kohl rabi and swiss chard in next weekend, too. Once the spinach is done for the season, I’m planning on putting a zucchini plant in that area.
As I was tilling I found some cut up potatoes, so I will have to be careful to get all of those out of that area, because I don’t think I’ll be putting potatoes in that section of the garden this year.

I change my veggie garden layout all the time – don’t like to put the same things in the same areas every year, so I change the direction of my rows, or change how I arrange my sections. My veggie garden is always based on my mood when I start it for the season. This year is all long rows, I think. Maybe the row will have different veggies in it, but that’s how I’m working it so far.

Once I finished in the garden, I realized that it was after 5 and I should get some groceries for the week. I took a little break and worked on my gazing ball a bit then went to get some food for the family. When I got back from shopping, Hubby and the A-man were just finishing in the coop. Hubby felt the final steps to saying “It’s done” was to get the doors on, and the ventilation areas cut out. My Mom and Dad stopped by just as we were finishing our dinner - Dad got the doors hung, and tonight Hubby and the A-man will put the shingles on the roof and cut out the vent areas. “The girls” may get moved into their new home tonight, but more likely it will be tomorrow. Just in time for the pheasant chicks to take over the brooding pen on Wednesday!

Needless to say, I did not have a hard time falling asleep last night! I helped the A-man with completing a pamphlet layout for a project, and after he’d printed it, we all had a hot tub and went to bed.

The yard is slowly taking shape. The trick – as always – will be in keeping it that way!