Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Yarden maintenance May into June, 2 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Sally---

The opening photo.........Is that from YOUR garden????? HUH???? NO WAY!!!!

If it is--WHAT has happened???? I do not remember EVER seeing this kind of a
garden feature in your garden!!!

Happy---
Tongue in cheek now......IF you cannot get the Obedient Plant to grow for you--
I think it needs some disciplining.......

Sally--and anyone else--PLEASE consider using Milorganite as your Lawn fertilizer.
It is totally Eco Friendly--has no salts and is organic. NPK is---5-2-0.

We have a discussion on this product going on in another Thread. maybe this one's earlier version???

I cannot tell you how I have hauled for the last few days!!!!

Today--I dug up and removed ALL the Daffodils that were covering my East side bed with their foliage.
How I HATE it! Every year--when i want to start planting my annuals--there is ALL this bulb foliage
laying all over all the beds! And--for what??? Two weeks of bloom????

Well--I had enough of it today!!!!! Time for some drastic action!!!!
As much as I like the daffs. welcoming me in Spring--it is a lot more how I HATE having to deal
with all the dying off foliage when they are done blooming. It just covers all the available soil in my beds.
And--many of you know how small my beds are!

I am good at braiding...I am good at bundling---I an super-great at rubber-banding....or even knotting them up.
NONE of them is recommended!!! Bah--humbug!!! It IS the easiest way--after all!

My Kitchen side bed--Bright East sun till 3PM--COULD serve a lot of purposes. But for the. non-productive,
dying bulb Foliage...It covers ALL the available spaces i want to plant annuals in by now. Mercy me!!!

As I assessed this bed this morning--I noticed several robust shoots of Begonia Grandis trying to grow
through all this limp bulb foliage. That did it!!! Priorities are priorities!!! Vengeance is mine!!!

Bulb foliage? GONE!!!! Along with all the daffodil bulbs attache to it....
No more welcoming blooms Next spring!! So sorry!!!
OMG!!! I had NO idea how many bulbs there would be when I dug them all up!!! Mamma Mia!!!
And--I am sure that there will be several left in the depths of the soil that I never got to.

So--This had now become a determined, deadly work in progress--- Ultimate goal--
--To plant my Dr. S. Brug in this bed...ALL my Dr. Seuss Brugs have been planted in this bed.
--To amend the soil that is in this bed--with all the Mushroom Soil I dug and hauled.....
--To lighten up the soil as best I can---using past potting mixes from pots of basil and w-Boxes.
Good, light soil--great for mixing in the heavier, existing soil--along with other goodies.
A good way to recycle used container soil.
--Adding some "Organic Choice" soil mix for nutrition and nutrients....Dig--Dig--Dig---turn everything over again!

At this time--my little Dr. S. has still been languishing--but growing--in the pot I dug it up in last fall. A real trooper!
I hope most of you have, by now, read the Dr.'s saga???? SO! It DID need to be planted in its permanent quarters asap.

THAT was today's mission. And--does my body hurt at the accomplishment of it!!! At least 5hrs of non-stop work!!!
Getting to old to haul like this!
The reward is--that another bed has been done! Now I can add whatever annuals I want to it.

Here is the cleaned up bed as of today! And--Pic. #2--With the begonia Grandis' and Dr. Seuss all planted.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...This bed is almost done! Annuals? No biggie!!! Poke a hole and plant!

Tomorrow--I am continuing. My Old Birch Tree bed needs attention. That is where i grow most of my Coleus....

Here is the East side bed. And--them--the same bed with the begonias and the Dr. S. Brug planted in it...

The shrub on the left is my Endless Summer Hydrangea. I DO have some cuttings of it for the Swap--like two left.
The front will be planted with Coleus and annuals for a lot of color. Then--AHH! enjoying the Dr.'s blooms!!!
AND--hopefully I have set free the begonia Grandis plants that were always smothered in the back of this bed.
They totally disappear for the winter and early spring--Then grow out of nowhere! And--bloom until frost!
They multiply fast and easily. You just have to be patient!