Mid-Atlantic Gardening: What is happening in your Garden Today Spring 2011, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Sally and Holly----

Ray, the guy doing the work on this bed, is a perfectionist! I am SOOO grateful....
All he has done has to be just so.....Not 1/4" off....

I am VERY pleased with the bed so far. Can't wait for the two panels of "Shadowbox Fence" to be erected....
That will really look great--and I won't have to look at my back-yard neighbors junk...

Ray does a good job!!!! I help with the minor stuff.....but today--mostly--I did some digging up and
potting up some off-shoots from my Columbines ans my Astilbes. They sure DO try to travel!!!

Today (Saturday--day #2) he, basically, finished the construction of the bed.
All 3 posts are cemented in for the two 6'x8' fence panels. Will get those Monday.

Tried to order delivery of 3 cy of top soil. Called 2 places--neither had any..
It has to do with the rain--same as sod cannot be cut with all these rains--and people just
don't get it....They think sot is just manufactured somewhere--in a factory, DAH!!!

Same when people come in asking for plants that have not yet grown enough to be sold---
Like Bleeding heart--Lilacs-- Butterfly Bushes--Ornamental Grasses, Purple Fountain Grass, etc....
I tell them--IF they brought in pots of some dead sticks--would you buy that?
One has to wait until the plants are in their best "form"---like blooming or attractive
enough to sell. People just don't "GET IT"!!!!

Anyway--Here is the progress after today's work on my bed.....
Looking good!!!! Also--Looking really BIG--as far as how much soil it will need...
Two cubic yards--easy! Then--I have my bags of composted leaves to add and am also
considering buying a couple of bags of that "Contractor's sand" or the "Paver's underlayment"....
That has small bits of stone in it....
I seem to still be hung up on needing all this "texture" thing "tapla" keeps talking about....
By now I believe, though, that any field-scraped topsoil would already have all that in there....

Here are some pictures of the bed as of today.
View from my shed--West...