Transplant Time Part Deux

In her wonderful last post, Dianne mentioned taking that late spring cold snap as a last ditch moment to transplant. I've been waiting to beg some hostas from Dianne and her mother, Ann. Friday, for mental health, I polished off some major 'to-do' items in my gardening. It's been tough lately, with all my travel for work, but I have a three week window here.

Thanks to Dianne, whose gardens I plan to kodak this week, I restored mental health. She gave me red and yellow lilies, which will bloom later in June and July, and variegated Hosta. The Hosta, I found out, should be able to grow under my Walnut tree. I split up some of my own hosta and used some of hers under the tree. I happened to put a Hydrangea she gave me there too. It should have been a quicky transplant, but I had to snip and snap the snarling ivy and poison ivy vines all around the bottom of that durn tree.-- Here's some anecdotal proof that my year-long adolescent bout with poison ivy, due to ingesting it while we built a house on untamed Indiana acreage- made me immune. I was too dirty and in a hurry after a 7-mile run -- and before a date with the hubby-- to go get the microfiber garden gloves I've come to adore. I grabbed those vines with my bare fists. Some are dead, due to my natural weed killer spray ( 1 gallon distilled vinegar, 1 cup salt 7 drops dish detergent sprayed on the slashed up vines). Others are tenacious. Yet, two days later, I bear no signs of reaction. Hmmm

Thanks, Dianne. Really, I'll come help you with your ivy infestations in kind for the hostas and lillies. Anyone else want to donate Hostas to me?

I also transplanted my peony on Friday. All her lovely lilies now grace the front of my porch, waiting to bloom. As I weighed my tour of her gardens, all instinct and lovely variety, I decided to dig up a dying, lonely peony from beside my driveway. It's the centerpiece along that new line of flowers. Let's see if it survives. It looked droopy yesterday when I came home from visiting the Indianapolis Decorators Showcase Home. In those gardens there were white, blue and pink Azaleas. Last year I recall, they were ubiquitous in Northeastern PA. "Imma get me soma those," I muttered to myself. Oh, yes, I left the showcase with Azalea lust. Lilies, Azaleas and peonies will grace the bed next to the porch. Now, who has some of those to share? Or where, Oh where are those on clearance?

Friday was my hubby's honey do day. He got four loads of dirt from the local Progreen. I wanted organic but that was a bit pricy. By the time we drove to where Craiglisted free dirt was, we spent the same amount of money for the dirt here. We loaded five of the six 5'x5' beds with dirt. There will be a 2' path between those lovely lilies and my veggies squarefoots.

At the Showcase, I got the idea of staggering my heirloom tomatoes, 9 of which I planted in one bed until tomorrow night. I will mix with summer and patty pan squash varieties on mounds, colorful lettuce, and one bamboo teepee that should hold climbing spinach found in Macungie PA and sugar snap peas or flat green beans. I wasn't planning on these, but the teepees in the Victory Garden were so lovely. I can't help myself. I think a few bushes of Basil will come later.  Ah, fun.

One last tip I got there: old cd's hung from low wire fence and string are great for scaring off the rodents and birds. Married to a former musician, I can say, we have a few of those to recycle.

Our final hooray this weekend? My hubby and son hacked out another ugly overgrown bush. Dianne says I should plant potatoes there this year. Next year, I plan to whack my way back the brick walkway around this deck bed and do as she does. (My hero, says I, batting my eyelashes at Dianne's gardening genius.) I will let the thyme and sage and parsley periannuals ape out over the edges of this. Right now? I'm wondering if I should add carrots and brussels here for the year, behind the taters. Will they help break up the roots of that batty old bush so I can dig it out easier come fall or next spring?  Ah, the fun.

Tonight, my hubby is off to get the Chicken Tractor. Perhaps my next episode will be called "What comes first?" or "The Sky is Falling" or "Hen House" or "The Chickens are Coming; the Chickens are Coming!"  In good news, I hear it is NOT illegal to have hens, only roosters in within city limits. Whew. I will do civil protest, but I'd rather not.