On Saturday, I had 2 chores I wanted to finish. The first was to finish cleaning up the mess from the window washing. I expanded that to include washing the 4 windows that were mine alone to do. These were the ones on the doors.
I got the room back to rights, vacuumed and washed the floor. I put the screens into the 2 smaller doors, but this year we were going to replace the screen door and it would need to be installed. So I couldn’t do that.
Then I went up to the barn and got the push mower and the rider and brought them to the house. My friend had sold me the rider, so I knew it was all set to run. But he hadn’t found the push mower as it was under a pile of plastic. He would have gotten it ready too, if he’d seen it.
It was full of gas and oil, but would not start. So I called him and he explained a trick to try, as he thought the float was stuck. I tried it and got it running. It ran fine until I had to shut it off for one reason or another. If it was off for more than 3 minutes, I’d have to prime it to get it running again. Otherwise it would just start.
I finished doing the trim with the push mower just after noon. I came in and sat down for a while.
A car pulls in about 12:45 and it is 2 people I knew from BuyNothing. They help out at a huge plant sale that will be in 2 weeks, and I’d offered the clump of white iris that was in the pea area of the Big garden. They’d come to dig it.
They also took 2 clumps of the lamb’s ear. Slowly the garden is clearing out. I just have to move the lamium, which has started to flower. I was waiting for that, so I’d know which of the 2 types were which.
They mentioned they were off to the local plant place and did I want to go? I’d briefly considered trying to get there Saturday morning, but it was just too far and I might not be able to safely drive home. So of course, I jumped on this opportunity! So off we went.
I got mostly the annuals I hadn’t been able to start, and a few I always pick up each year. I got:
Lobelia – Midnight Blue
A Begonia
2 Impatiens
2 Heliotrope
White Allyssum
A Pink Evening Primrose
A Strawflower
A Million Bells
The alyssum, impatiens, and lobelia were 6 packs, the others single plants. The alyssum and primrose went out into the cold frame. The others got a tray in the dining room window as it is too cold for them yet.
I’d asked Tom for an extra dozen of eggs, in case I did get taken plant shopping by someone. So I gave them the eggs and said they could divide them or I’d give another next time and they could take turns. We had decided it was good fun and there would be a next time!
Kousa dogwood’s first new leaves
I got back in time to finish the mowing on the rider. That job’s done for another week or 2.
Remember on March 31 I finished planting the New East garden?
This is the New East garden 3½ weeks later.
The empty places are where the impatiens and other annuals will go the end of May.
The mock orange never looked back and its creeping veronica has come along nicely. The heavy rain broke many of my daffodils’ stems.
In the South Herb garden the flowering almond is at its peak right now.
On Sunday it’s supposed to rain. My first job is to see if I can find heat mats and lights for the seedlings I started. Then I hope to vacuum and wash the kitchen and living room floors. I may even wash the insides of some off the inside/outside windows, as I have to scrape off paint, etc.