It's too hot.

It's 84 degrees and the sun is baking everything. It's too warm to plant out as much as I had hoped. Many of my wintersown seedlings still aren't ready. I did put out some echinacea Harvest Moon, Columbine, Painted Daisies, and a few others I forget. The majority are just sitting there still. Maybe next week.



I did mow the yard again. The wild onions and clover were getting out of control. In the backyard, I found this little blue flowering thing. I'd love to know the name.



On the front slope, the violets have taken off.



Around the oak tree in the front yard, the Purple Queen is returning. All those little green sprouts are Dayflower. Ugh.



I did a lot of weeding in the perennial bed. It's presentable now. Along the privet hedge, I planted some ferns I collected from Robert's property yesterday. They're just starting to unfurl.



The red clover went into the upper potager bed.



I tilled it into the existing leaves and soil. There's still some cardboard that hasn't broken down. I also built teepee trellises for pole beans and put my metal trellis back up for the cucumbers I'll sow in a few weeks.



The long view.



I used UV safe nylon clips to finally attach the concrete wire trellis to the four posts. I've got plans for a few vines this year including Morning Glory.



Near the swing, I noticed cosmos seedlings. There are lots of datura seedlings too.



Self sown Four O'clocks are popping up in the Shady Corner. A few more weeks and I'll stuff that area with brugs. A few hydrangeas that were rooted last summer survived. No sign of the variegated one yet.



I've had a nap in the hammock and have the sunburn to prove it. I've eaten lunch and am thinking about dinner. I'd like to do some more in the yard, but there's laundry that is calling my name right now. I'm tired, ya'll.

730 days, 20 hours, 52 minutes ago...

I signed the papers that made me the owner of a 1946 fixer-upper. That was two years ago for those with poor math skills. On June 22, 2007, I moved into my "new" house and started remodeling the next day. Just like the gardens, this thing will probably never be finished.

Right on schedule, the A/C went out in the wee hours Sunday morning. After talking to several handymen, I've determined that it's the start capacitor on the unit outside. Turned on, it just hums. Using a long screwdriver and a quick flick of the wrist, the fan starts up with a little nudging. It should be a relatively cheap fix. Last night, I slept with all the windows open. A box fan in the bedroom window gave me a cool breeze. I'm wondering now why I will bother to repair it. When I am home, I'm usually outside or asleep. In the office, a window fan keeps the room cool enough. My body has gotten used to 90 degree days and lots of sun. 81 is more than comfortable for me. Still, I'll fix it later this week when I have more time.

Today, it was more important that I dig two holes and set the next two posts for my arbor at the edge of the driveway. It seems I bought another problem. I'm curious why there's a concrete slab 6 inches below the ground back here. I'm not curious enough to dig it up, but it did make setting the last post a real chore. There's metal mesh in the concrete, so I know it's not just waste concrete from when they built the house. Could it be a foundation for a building long gone? Or a patio?



1/2" metal conduit will span the two posts. I need to drill parallel holes once the concrete cures. I'll use small screws to hold them in place. The rose cuttings I received last week from Jim will grow over the arbor I'll start building next week.



I also moved a lavender crape myrtle. Not the best time to move it, but it wasn't getting enough water where it was.



In it's new home, I put the hose on a slow drip and filled the hole a few times. It's starting to come back. I'm not expecting it to flower much this year.



Beside the basement door, I've finally had enough of the dying yarrow. The last one was removed. If anyone wants it, it'll be sitting at the end of the driveway for the next few days. Come get it.



I planted two yellow knockout roses and another rescued hybrid tea in that spot. Hopefully these will do better than everything else I've tried in that bed.

The grass has been mowed, phone calls made, waiting for Carla and a client to come by. I may have a side job coming up soon. She wants me to design the landscaping for her yard. I plan to show her what I've done and offer suggestions for no-spray vegetable gardening. So far, still no major pest problems. The ladybugs are eating the aphids. Predator wasps are taking out other problems. Japanese Beetles are squished upon sight.

It's 81 degrees and sunny. No rain in the forecast. Maybe I'll sleep in the hammock tonight.