A clean house

I'll be the first to admit it. I am not as anal-retentive about keeping my house clean as I once was. Part of it comes from having a house that has been in construction mode since the day I backed the U-Haul into the driveway. The third half of the excuse is simply that it's spring. I live with my windows open all day and all night during this time of year. When it hits 90 degrees, I'll close up the house and turn on the a/c. Until then, I'm saving money on my power bill and enjoying the sounds and sights of nature. The neighbor who plays Michael Jackson's "Greatest Hits" album at full volume is just icing on the cake.

I got up this morning around 7am. No alarm clock. No where to be and nothing that couldn't be put off til tomorrow. Still, I got up, got dressed, and made my first cup of coffee. While it was brewing, I went downstairs and started a load of laundry. Since then, the floors have been swept and mopped. The furniture was dusted. The ficus tree that I pruned too severely in the living room was moved to the kitchen porch. I'll bring it back in this fall. Hopefully, it will regrow into a more pleasing shape over the summer. I emptied my three trash cans. I scrubbed the tub and toilet. The sink was wiped down and the dishes were washed. The only thing left is laundry and it's doing its thing in the basement now.

I should be outside mowing the grass. I've let it grow over the past couple of weeks hoping some of the white clover and dandelions will reseed. I just can't put it off any longer. It looks terrible. The bees sure do love it though. I'll have robins all over the backyard this afternoon if I get out there and do it.

Too bad I just made another cup of coffee. Too bad I just took a shower and am enjoying the smell of clean in the house. Too bad I just don't feel like cutting grass right now. Who am I kidding? I know I'll be out there doing it just as soon as the coffee is finished.

It's 64 and overcast. Rain expected on and off all day. Heavy storms moved through yesterday afternoon while I was at work. The sun came out later for a nice steamy afternoon on the concrete of the garden center. Bad day to wear jeans.

3:37pm - 81 degrees, mostly sunny with a few clouds.

I got lots done. I transplanted some butterfly bushes into individual containers. I potted the Calycanthus florida (sweetshrub) into containers. I planted out 20-30 clumps of odds and ends. I moved a couple of things like yellow yarrow. I put it in a pot to recoup before sticking it out in the dry bed. I sowed seeds for a couple salvias, blue and white. I direct sowed a bunch of fragrant seeds in the white bed. I checked and I do have bean, corn, and cucumber sprouts. If it doesn't rain tonight, I will water them tomorrow with the sprinkler.

25 Butterfly bushes, mostly collected from Jackie's "Black Knight".


I have more left to pot up once they grow a little larger. All wintersown.


Sweet Shrub


Other rooted cuttings got planted out and added to those hardening off outside.


Giveaways. Hoping to get rid of them soon.


Still waiting: wintersown daylilies, coleus, impatiens, white crepe myrtles, and two trays of hosta.


My single Japanese Maple sprout has been transplanted into a container.


In the perennial bed, I have this area that's hard to grow anything in. So I planted some left over bush beans. I hope the extra nitrogen they add to the soil helps with the weird soil over here. Years of decomposing leaves have created a mat.


The red hot poker I started last spring from seed is about to bloom.


A single, tiny poppy has bloomed. The larger ones are covered with blooms.


With all that done, it's time for a nap.

6:22pm - THUNDERSTORM!!! Just tossed out some fertilizer on the hosta, potager, and the brugmansias. A good soaking rain is just what I was hoping for.