New beds to fill.

By my calculations, I should have about 1000 new seed grown plants to place around the property this spring. Lots more seeds have germinated over the past few days since it has warmed considerably. I need new beds to plant them all in.

On Sunday morning, Carla and I spent a few minutes laying out the edgers for two new potager beds. I moved one of the wooden beds I built last fall. There was a reason I never hammered the rebar. I now have 128 sq ft of space to grow tomatoes. They still need final setting, soil, and some adjustments. I've got a month to get that done.



For semi-shade loving plants, I have a shady corner where many of the rooted hydrangeas have disappeared over the winter. If they return, great. If not, I have plants.



The meadow will be home to things like Ox Eye Daisy, Rudbeckia, Echinacea, grasses, etc. Direct sown seeds will also be tossed out with an emphasis on orange cosmos.



The upper meadow, behind the upper potager, will hold orange and red blooming plants that should contrast nicely with the fall color I get from the maples back here. More cosmos, Salivas, and reseedings annuals will be sown here.



The front slope will become a butterfly garden. Buddleia, coneflowers, rudbeckia, and lantana will be the foundation for this bed. 200 daffodils are already pushing through the soil. Deadheading will be key to keep this bed blooming through the fall.



The final bed is new. The stones have been adjusted. The greenery has been sprayed. In a couple weeks, I'll add cardboard and leaf mulch. Scented plants like nicotiana, four o'clocks, datura, and brugmansia will be planted here. This is by the garage door where I enter and exit most of the time. Coming home at night will be a joy.



There's a lot of new growth out there today. The overwintering plants have been shuffled out, covered with a white bedsheet to minimize sunburn. It's already 61 degrees and warming quickly. We should see a high in the low 70s. The garden center is busy as can be. Our last three days have seen a significant increase in traffic. Perennials will begin arriving this week. Shrubs, trees, and cool weather annuals are already on the tables. In another week, it'll look like a true garden center again. Time passes quickly when you're busy.

When I get home, I might spend a couple hours trying to level and place the edgers for the lower potager beds. I'm loving the weather.

Daffodils and muscari

I spent most of the day planting bulbs. It's currently 69 degrees and, um...breezy. It feels like spring. I had 400 daffodils to plant and 150 muscari, or so I thought. Here's the final tally, so I can be disappointed in the spring when nothing comes up.

Daffodils:

* 200 on the front slope
* 100 scattered in the shrub island, rose garden, and around the lilac.
* 35 in the shady corner where a frost killed brugmansia still stands.
* 33 around the legs of the swing.
* 35 behind the upper potager/hoophouse.
* 6 in the neighbor's corner.

That's more than 400, right?

Muscari:

* 90 on the front slope.
* 10 along the backyard fence
* 60 in the crape myrtle bed.

Yes, I can add. Along with the bulbs I planted last year in the perennial bed, the bulbs that pop up here and there, planted by someone else years ago, and whatever spring flower plants I may or may not have, it should be a colorful time in the yard in just a few months. Christmas is just around the corner. Then there's New Years Day. I'll be busy all through January sowing and planting out early sprouts from my wintersowing. In February, it'll be really cold for a couple of weeks. Then there's my birthday. Peas will be planted in the lower potager about that time. Next thing you know, it'll be spring. It's like 2 weeks, tops.

I also spent an hour moving pavers from the driveway to the hoophouse. I laid down cardboard then three 16' long rows of pavers. These will heat up a little during the day and radiate heat back at night. At least that's the plan. They might not be thick enough to really warm up. Still, the roots of tender perennials not yet sown should be okay once it's closed up.



I've got a few left. The ones in the hoophouse will be stacked to create a couple of resting spots in the backyard when the hoophouse comes down. I'll reuse them again later. The patio idea is on hold indefinitely for now.



The front slope area where periwinkle was killed. Here's where I planted the majority of the bulbs.



I found a few sprouting daffs in a spot I thought would be perfect for some spring flowers. Guess I was right.



I collected moonvine seeds from the back of the house. I was surprised to find 8 seed pods. I don't recall seeing but a couple blooms all summer. Must have been while I was laid up with my leg.



Mr. Lincoln.



The "orange" rose.



Sunny Knockout.



After all this, it was time to have a sit...



and watch the clouds race by.



It's still 69 degrees. A gorgeous day.

I guess someone will be expecting me in Atlanta soon, and a bit further Southwest after that. I'm not sure my back can handle another 200+ bulbs.