mudpies's Blog

A warm day, at last!
Jun 14, 2009 | 7:10 PM PST
Tags: potatoes , carrots , beets , Cleome , asters , zinnias , celosia , bearded iris , poppies , peonies

Today was one of those gorgeous days that make me feel happy just to exist on this planet - sunny and warm with billowing cumulus clouds overhead.  I need to remember to start wearing a hat and/or sunscreen.

It's a good thing the weather put me in a good mood, because C is pushing his luck again.  I spent the morning tidying my house while he headed for the farm.  By the time I got there, he had gotten too close to my sunflowers with the tiller and planted four more rows of  potatoes from some of the small ones we had remaining from last year's crop.  That makes eighteen 40' rows of potatoes, folks!  What in heck are two old people going to do with that many potatoes??  I'm going to have to sneak pails full of them into the back seats of my friends' vehicles when they're not looking!  There are still five 5-gallon pails full in my cold cellar.  I had asked C to bury them under the compost heap.

As well, he decided that we don't have enough carrots and beets in the ground.  I still have seed for both, but had decided that two rows of beets and three of carrots were sufficient.  Oh no!  He secretly bought more seed and in went another row of beets and two more of carrots.  At harvest time, C expects me to distribute them all over town - particularly to the widows of some of his deceased friends.  That's a pleasant pastime because I get to visit, but it's also the time when I need to be in my kitchen canning and freezing produce for our own consumption.  It's a good thing I love the man, or I'd compost HIM! 

I planted cleome, asters, zinnias, and celosia in my cutting bed.  I know it's late, but the soil has been cold and damp up till now.  I've never planted annuals from seed before, so this is a learning process.  Wish me luck.

I spent some time edging more of my shade bed, but forgot to take my camera with me.  Will try to remember tomorrow.  I also planned on taking a photo of some of my favourite imperial irises.  I also have violet ones, pale yellow ones and a Japanese variety, but nothing can hold a candle to imperials in my books.  My oriental poppies are getting ready to bloom.  I hope I can find a nice day to photograph them when they do.  I consider poppies and peonies to be the tarts of my garden - a little over the top - like Dolly Parton - absolutely gorgeous despite their short shelf-life.

Enough gardening talk.  Back to mundane chores.  I need to start a load of laundry.  Take care, everyone, and happy gardening.