Bought two plant seeds this week, black eyed susans and bachelor buttons. I did manage to get them in a planter for the time being. I’m still wary of the squirrels, though the susan seeds are so tiny they can’t possibly want to steal those, right? I’m going to try stagger sowing them a bit, though not by much because the start is already pretty darn late this year. (Hullo, June!) So I only did some of each to start.
The Knight peas seem to have officially shuffled off this mortal coil. I am thinking my temporary home where I put them until the rains took a break was a bad one, and that led to their demise.
It’s still a bit early to expect anything out of what I direct sowed in that bed, but I did check yesterday–the first blissfully free of rain day. It’s nice to actually take water out of the rain barrel for a change.
Due to a totally unpredictable event, the Valentine sunflower seedlings we had bought at a local greenhouse did not make it. They were directly under the area where the soffit pull away happened (I think I mentioned this. Did I? Let me know in the comments if I didn’t.) So when whatever pulled the fascia away on its way down from the garage roof, it landed right upon them. They were smooshed to bits in their planter pots when I finally took notice of them after I got the fascia attached again. I tried to perk them up a bit and watered them, but what little life they were clinging to left them soon after.
This makes me sad because there honestly is no way I could have known that (likely a certain punk of the neighborhood cat) was going to plummet off the garage roof (likely trying to kill the nesting sparrows which I fear they may have succeeded at since the nest is now empty), and then kill the seedlings just below that were awaiting their new home by crushing them with its weight and the force of the drop. Fortunately, it wasn’t much cost loss, and maybe Valley might have more if I can get back there to try again. I’m not counting on it, though. I think this place is of the “keep it in the back until it’s ready and then put it in the front greenhouses” until it’s gone, which doesn’t take long from my experience going there. We barely snatched up the last lavender they had the same day we bought the Valentines. The lavender, fortunately, fared better, but also didn’t seem to be in direct line of the fallen whatever.
We have oodles of strawberry and false strawberry runners. I am amazed at all of the black raspberry runners flowering as well. I honestly don’t think we’ll get more than a handful of strawberries this year, but time will tell.
I have been slowly working my way along the driveway bed from the street and back towards the garage. As you can see in that image above, the weeds rest for no one.
Now that we finally had a day with no rain, the soil suddenly looked parched. So I picked a few weeds out, left one pea like plant I think might be common vetch that has purple flowers, and then laid the mulch as I worked south. (If I’m right, that’d be great because vetch is a nitrogen fixer.)
The dyed mulch I used was leftover from two summers ago, as I had only used a little both of those two summers. I put it down around the frilly orange lilies I had transplanted in what I tend to think of as the first leg of the cleaned up driveway beds. I feel a bit odd doing this, having learned a lot about why that type of mulch is often questionable and just not a great idea. Still, I didn’t know that until after I had purchased it, so might as well use up what I have and then never buy it again. The artificial color contrast of the red against the green leaves is kinda nice, of course. Likely why it’s popular.
Today will be busy, so I’m hoping on Sunday I might finally get around to continuing along the next stretch along the driveway what we ran out of time to finish before the rains arrived. Then I’ll transplant more of the orange lilies, clearing the way for the walkway that will take its place with moss as the new ground cover there.
It’s going to be more difficult now, because the grasses in that dirt are crazy tall already thanks to the rains. So I’ll have to shear them down first and put the cuttings in the compost. Otherwise the turf turn won’t be as smooth as before.
Speaking of moss, I am encouraged that some of the moss bits I tried to salvage seem to be holding their own in the cracks near that first edge bed. I hope they spread in time.
Having only sown the sunflower seeds directly last year (and now knowing many were likely snatched by the Acorn Bombers hence having so few grow), I’m a bit nervous about any direct sown seeds. Still, it can’t hurt to try, and so I am pressing forward.
My hope for next week will be turning my attention back to both the turf removal on the front yard, and dandelion pulling and the making of the second kitchen bed in the back. These vegetables aren’t going to grow still in their sleeves in a tin on my desk! *chuckles*
