Not much here either. This is the time of year when I walk around the yard with a load of plants and try to find a spot where I can stuff one more. It's not a very rewarding or creative way to plant, but that's just the way it is!

Most of the pots are planted, most of the vegetables, and most of the annuals too. Now about these young trees ...

Mowing, weeding, planting out endless wintersown containers, and (primarily) ditch digging to alleviate some of the drainage problem around here.

Trimmed, pruned, weeded, deadheaded, mowed and FINALLY started mulching. That is one chore I always put off...don't know why because when it is done everything just has an extra spit-and-polish look to it.

Also, I thought I was done planting but this morning the thought came to me that I must have a knock-out rose. Don't know why. I have been afraid to try roses and yet everything I read says these are the way to go for the rose-phobics. Anyway, I thought a couple blush knock-outs would like nice near my daughter's garden path soooooo I went to HD and bought two. All I can say is that it is a form of insanity. So, now I have two more things to plant.

Patty

More of the same as last week - building some raised beds, (and all the lugging of buckets of soil that goes with that), planting out winter-sown containers, weeding. I put up my tomato cages, put up the netting on part of my cutting garden, and mulched parts of the vegetable and cutting gardens.

I'm a bit overwhelmed because it seems like there's no end in sight. I thought for sure that this would be the year I'd have everything planted out and done by May! Oh well, I guess that's the great thing about gardening - there's always next year!

:)
Dee

Weeding, planting out winter-sown babies, swap babies, and Bluestone babies. At Stonegate, found a few more azaleas I must have. Want to putting them in a wilder spot in the yard -- "virgin clay" -- needs lots of sifting out of rocks and amending before I can put anything in. I am hoping to get them in by end of June. Also, trying to clear perennials from under a magnolia. It (only 1 out of 3) is underplanted and seems to be struggling. Ironic that I've just begged, borrowed and stolen lots of tiarella to underplant the other 2. Rethinking that. Any experience with magnolias out there?

My husband finally finished the bluestone patio in our new hot tub area...yay! Now I have to rework some of my brick edging in that garden and shuffle some plants around to soften the patio edge. Then I'll add some containers and wall decor on the new fence and side of the house. A trip to Homegoods may be in my future. I've decided to remove the weeping cherry. It's taking up too much room and has developed a rather unattractive form-not worth the space for maybe two weeks of flowers in the spring. In it's place, maybe a japanese maple or a conifer like that Korean fir 'Horstmans Silberlocke' I've been lusting after for years in Monique's garden.

Earlier this week I picked up a bunch of tomato cages. This will be the year I venture into vegetables, cherry and grape tomatoes in pots on the patio. I also plan to modify the cages for dahlias-maybe keep them somewhat upright this year. Usually I have all my containers done by now but I'm still plugging along.

A few intense hours of shoveling and dashing around with a wheelbarrow last night made a nice dent in the compost pile. Like Patty, I always put off mulching. Usually it's because I just want to find one or two more plants to put in the ground. A few years ago I discovered this really nice fine chipped pine bark mulch. It's great for perennial beds because it stays loose and breaks down the soil quickly. Unfortunately it only comes in 3 cubic foot bags. Yesterday I picked up the first of what will probably be a few loads of 10 bags. For the wilder areas and shrub borders I'll get a truckload of shredded bark...as soon as I get rid of that compost.

Tomorrow Mindy (arbo retum) and her husband are stopping by for a garden visit and then out to dinner in Hartford. Never a dull moment when it comes to the garden and garden related activities lately.

Sie

mayalena, I've always thought that magnolias didn't like to have their roots disturbed & it was best not to underplant them. That said, in our NH home...I had scilla, Virginia bluebells, & celedine poppies seed under my star magnolia. I left them & never noticed any decline in the tree. I never dug any holes though to actually plant something...all were self-seeders.