Gardening 2023

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6.5 hours they were here!  I have no idea why that took so long.    And because they were here so long, we broke into my Halloween candy.  Don't worry I bought more. 

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The big shed is cleaned out!  Filled up the dumpster and had a pile for the metal guy to come pick up.  The shed was loaded with brown recluse spiders and ants.  Marsha is very leery of those spiders.  I feel something in my shirt, lift it up and Marsha sees one of them on my bra.  Don't move!  I feel one in my bra.     Yeah unhook that and see if there's one there.  Thank god she's a good friend and a brave woman.     Fortunately none of the guys were around or we would have been screaming at them to get out.     Not for my benefit but that shirt was coming off, didn't want to embarrass them.  Getting the shit out of the shed was my job, organizing it is on Marsha and Kevin.  I had Tom back his truck up to the shed and pitched everything in there, backed it up to the dumpster.

Beka got our perennials that were ready from the plant sale planted in the renovated beds.  Phebe was out working the pantry bed project.  They didn't get the garlic in but we can do that Saturday.  Catherine got her stones cut for the Cottage garden wall and is getting close to having it done.  No Menards rebate money sent back yet so it's all been hitting my budget.  That extra $3500 is taking a hit.  We're getting shit done and I'm not giving all that money back.

Kevin again said he was doing the bricks on the fourth.  Reminded him the office is closed on Saturdays and he need to get the bricks out of there.  Yeah, he didn't think of that.  With the shed cleaned out, we can have the tool sharpening class in there on the 11th if the weather is yucky.  That will end the projects I'm responsible, get the tools sharpen and cleaned for the winter.

I have no more projects for the Menards rebate money so it leaves it for Marsha for the boardwalk.  I check today and one of the checks is coming.  She wants to dig out another path.  I'm not real happy about adding to our to do list but she and I are doing that Friday.  She has her team scheduled to get everything done to where she is planting her fruit trees at the end of the month.

Killing frost moved up to Sunday night and we will have night time lows in the 20's for 5 days.  Get those hoses disconnected folks and leave a spigot open on the manifold.  Kevin has to come around and blow out the pipes

All fall projects are being checked off or scheduled to be checked off.  Love my crew!     Got a little hop, skip and jump in my walk going on.  It's been a good year.

[cineater]

   The other Kevin, you're so not going to win this argument, tells me it's okay to leave the collapsible hose outside during the winter.  I told them to get them in the shed or take them home for the winter.  Says he does it at his house all the time and it's fine.  Okay, first off your lazy and a procrastinator.     I did not say that.  These hoses aren't made of your hard plastic, it's a material type, can't be dragged over rock, stuff like that.   So I say back to him, "anything, no matter what the weather, deteriorates faster when exposed to the elements.  Don't you agree?"  I believe that's a win.

Really you shouldn't leave your hard plastic hoses in the hot sun but we do that.  And we do leave those outside during the winter.  They are a pain in the ass.  Heavy and you have to coil them up.  Collapsible hoses just go in a bucket and don't weigh shit.  They cost more and I love using them.  We're taking care of those.     The sooner the hard plastic ones die, the sooner I can replace them.  Unfortunately they don't deteriorate that fast.

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And the truth comes out.     The manufacturer does recommend inside storage to extend the life of the hose.  He thinks it's because of the washers.  Er, no.  Life of the hose, not the washers.  And here it comes, "My garage is full enough so I leave mine out and take my chances. It hasn't been a problem so far."  Lazy and a procrastinator.     Clean out your fucking garage!  Really, you don't have room for a hose in there?  You can't spare a minute to take care of your equipment? 

I did two tool sheds this year.  The big one has probably never been done.  I showed up on 08 and I know it hadn't been done since then.  I found horse show ribbons from 06 in there.

Wait, I did comment on Axl's garage one time.     Would have taken two dumpster to clean out his garage.  Bet some of that was from the previous owner.  Wonder if he ever did do that?

[cineater]

Alright!  Marsha's team got all of her trees in but one.  They have to finish building a berm before the last one can go in.  Kevin told the whole group he was doing the bricks on the 4th.  We're going to be out of the garden by Thanksgiving.

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Last beautiful day.  I got the rest of my elephant ears out of the ground, ran over to will call and picked up the pots so we can keep digging up plants for the plant sale, unloaded a yard of compost and helped get the new greenhouse doors unloaded.  And that's enough.   

I'm just not taking any shit.    The neighbor, Mike, started giving it to me over some plants in the island between our driveways and the drain basin.  Look buddy, you don't even want your father in your car.  He can walk his ass to the end of the driveway maybe once per month when you do let him in your car.  By the way, do I say shit to you that your driveway is loaded with cars, all the time, or that you had your spray paint booth up for two years?  Yes you can cut paths through drain basin if you think it would look better.  But do you really want to mow that every week, invite people and their dogs to use that as a walking path and you understand it is loaded with chiggers?  Stop talking to me!     Yeah, he just didn't know how to get out of that conversation.  Stop finding something to complain to me about is where he should have stopped.

And Marsha started in.  I said something about offering to help Catherine.  I know she's sick, that's why I'm offering to help.  Marsha cuts me off and says I'm pushy.  I was going to let it go but the girl with us starts to tell me how I should say things.  I just lean over and say that's Marsha's perception.  Marsha comes back with some examples, straightened her out on what really happen and the both of them just shut up.     Sounds like I was being an aggressive bitch there but no, I'm actually pretty cool and calm when I'm straightening your ass out.  Later I'm like WTF but pat myself on the back for not letting it just roll off my back.

Beka loves the idea.  I have a cow tea pot that's starting to rust.  What if we put it in a white plant stand and put it in the moon garden?  It can be the cow that jumped over the moon.   

40 degree tenpature drop this afternoon.  Surprisenly, I don't have a headache.  Not really ready for the cold but it will warm up again next week.

[cineater]

The headache didn't hit until 3 in the morning.  Way colder out there this morning.  We did finish up the cottage garden wall.    Kevin got in the garlic and we reviewed the supplies he needs for the bricks.  Getting there.  Not quite ready to get my nails done but I can clean up my hands a bit.     I did vacuum out the car, probably not the last time before we are done but might be.  With the cold I'm ready to wrap it up.  It gets warm again at least one more time next weekend but for now, I've got a couple of days of a break.    So tired but in a good way, job well done.

[cineater]

Killing frost coming tonight.  Singing to my gardens. 

Lay down my dear Brother, lay down and take your rest
I want to lay your head upon your Savior's breast
I love you, but Jesus loves you best
I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight

[cineater]

Nothing you can do in the garden, there is always tool sharpening.  I clean mine up and sharpen the edges until you can see shiny metal.  Squirt a little 3 in 1 oil on the pruners.  None of us seem to have used motor oil any more.

My newest lead, Eleanor, who has the smallest garden, the Entrance Sign, is going at it.  Dug everything out of the bed and rearranged it.  I didn't have the heart to tell her the sign might be getting updated but I did.  Turns out she knew.  The University changed their logo.  She thinks we will get a whole new sign.  Probably didn't notice they had something taped on it.    If they do anything, they will probably paint over what's there or put a sticker over the old logo.  I don't think she's getting new.  Anyway, I like her, good worker, takes ownership and asks me if it's okay before she does something.

I put that picture on my frame, Catherine and Peggy when they finished the Cottage Garden wall.  They are holding up their caulking guns and each other, big smiles on their faces.  Makes me smile to look at it.

[cineater]

Can't really tell that was a killing frost.  Maybe it didn't get that cold last night.

I finished up the Elephant Ears in the garage.  They just need to dry out a bit more before going into a burlap bag.  Dug out all my flowers between Mike and my driveway.  His dad is going to till it up and check into if we can put down sod now or have to wait until the spring.  DJ said she would take some plants if I can over and planted them.    Connie took most of them, told her I would help her put them in later in the week.

I've been a bad girl with my shovel.  It as rust on it.  I'll see if the sandpaper takes it off.

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Over at DJ's.  She treated me to dinner for helping her with her native plant order.  She'll just pay for the 5 plants I ordered, I have to come over and help her plant the 150 she ordered.  I owed 6.35.     What a deal, right?     And I'm going over Friday to help her plant the plants I gave her.  I better get another root beer float out of that.

Yippee, Marsha called while I was there.  This was probably her last chemo treatment.    Her numbers are good.  I had connected her up with DJ as it's been 9 years since DJ had the same cancer.  DJ goes in two weeks for another check to see if it's come back. 

And while I was at DJ's, we signed her up for the Master Gardener program.  Both she and Marsha like to do that thing where they always want to tell you how to say, behave and do things.  Wonder how that's going to go between them?     My plan is to stay on the other side of the building in the 3 renovated beds and hope to hell I'm not a topic of conversation!  Geez I've got a garden sister and adding a garden mother.  Look I am older than both you girls, WTF?!

[cineater]

Oh cool getting closer to that finish line.  Kevin blew out the pipes and winterized our water systems today.

And I had to review pages of documents, Memo of Understanding between us, the university and the extension counsel.  And the revision of policies and procedures for the demo gardens.  Please let this be the last of these.  Nobody reads them until they want to prove you fucked up.     These are suppose to be the rules but I'm going to go with more like those user agreements you see on websites.     Guess I could have said "more like guidelines" but I'm not a pirate.

Hey for a minute there my hands were noticeably clean.  I took a scrub brush to them and then I got my hands back in the dirt today.  The car is still clean though.

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Lights on.  Start of the seedling growing season for me.  The growing room, formerly my daughter's bedroom.  7 double, long growing lights, a short light and two spot lights.  Always room for one more flat. 

I have incoming later in the month and December, lavender and rosemary.  Turned them on for the houseplants.  Not soon enough for the asparagus fern.  It dropped little leaves all over the place.  It will go back outside later this week when it warms up for a haircut.  Surprised how well organized the room is.  Nothing for me to do in there at the moment, darn. 

Also start of being indoors, at home.  Happy to be here this year.     Still have things to wrap up outdoors but I'm looking forward to being snug in the house, in the plant room.  I've got music back there, my work table and the cat bed to keep me company.  It's bright and white when all the lights are up and going.  A little humid, small breeze from the fan.  Highly recommended if you are a plant person.  And if you're not, come in here, you might want to be. 

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Kevin is so excited about his tool sheds being cleaned.  He's already started putting up hooks for the tools.  Found out he could get rid of this stack of flooring, told him he could wait until it was warmer but he put it right in his truck, ran it over to Habitat for Humanity.  Told me he was coming back to take the bricks out of the building for Saturday's project. 

Catherine got the last few toppers in place so the cottage garden wall is done.  Eleanor approached me about resetting the stones in her new bed.     I told her she could wait till spring but no, she wants to do it now.  Don't add to the project list people.     She's so excited about that bed.  I have no doubt she'll get it done.

The celosia got hit hard with the frost, total collapse.  It's on my to do list for tomorrow along with taking out the rest of my plants that didn't survive the frost.  Damn cold out there first thing this morning but once the sun cleared the tree line, you weren't freezing.  I'll have to check my list but I think we are down to 3 final projects:  the bricks, the boardwalk and install the new greenhouse doors.  Two of them are scheduled for Saturday.

   Just got a call from Kevin.  He can't find our bricks.  "You took them out two months ago, you need 25 blank ones."  "Oh yeah, senior moment."  I may have to start checking his truck for beer.  That mini stroke only explains so much.  You know he is the hardest guy to find at that garden and he does drive that zero turn like a daring teenager somedays.  And I've seen the evidence before.

[cineater]

Well shit.  Was over watching the grandbaby.  My daughter wants her husband to get a real job, at least part time.  My gardening days may be slowing down.  The baby is starting to pull up on things so he'll be walking soon.  He'll be one here in a few weeks.  He likes his grandma.  And she likes him. 

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Kevin is out getting the supplies for the bricks!  And where he told me it wouldn't cost anything to put them in he now wants $100.  And he doesn't want to shop at Menards where I have money.     It's okay, we have it in the budget.  He told Mary he wasn't doing her bricks, just ours this weekend.

Helped Connie put in the plants I dug out between Mike's and my driveway.  And collected up all my dead plants in containers.  I'll let them dry a few more days before they hit the garage.  The big ones will get trash bags over them and sit out there all winter.  Home front looking good.  Halloween lights are down and I'm doing Christmas lights on Sunday.

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The leaves haven't come down yet.  That's kind of weird.  Maybe I'm just ahead this year and that's normal.  The killing frost was early.

Talked to Marsha.  Chemo hit her yesterday.  She'll try to come tomorrow.  They are working on the greenhouse doors.  No rush imo.  If I walk away with the bricks done tomorrow, I'm golden.

[cineater]

Well, progress.  Kevin only got half of the bricks installed.  It's a little high on the left and drops on the rear right.  Two of the guys say it will settle and one says good for drainage.  I say good enough but I'm thinking Marsha and I will be fixing it next year.    Marsha wasn't feeling well enough to join us today.  Couldn't get Kevin to commit to when he would finish the project.

The Herb girls harvested the horseradish and processed it.  I have a container to try.  A nice number of trainees showed up to help dig up the perennials for the plant sale.  Beka got some extra plants for the bed renovations. Phebe worked on the pantry beds and Nancy and Earl dug out the bulb garden.  Good work session.  Weather is looking good for the next week, two work sessions.

Delay on wrapping the fig trees.  Too many leaves on them.  Guess I'm not the only one thinking the leaves are behind.

[cineater]

What is happening to me?  I spend all my time at the garden.  Hang out at the pot plantation and now Phebe wants me to keep mushroom spores in my frig.  New Beatles and Stones music.  I'm being thrown back to the 60's.   

Didn't plan on doing that but I'm pruning the Crepe Myrtle behind the greenhouse.  Normally do that in March.  I'm hoping cleaning them up reduces some of our aphid problems in the greenhouse.  Cleaned out the Prairie Dock bed in front of the greenhouse and my containers around back.  Moved 4 wheelbarrows of sand.  Cheated on the last two.  Instead of dumping them in our hole we are trying to fill up, the creek was closer.  I'll finish up the Crepe Myrtle tomorrow and maybe the bed Jim adopted.  Get that done and I only have a couple of vines to take down.  Too hot to get on the roof and put up the Christmas lights, maybe Thursday.

The gardens look nice today despite all the plants getting winter kill.  People are getting their beds cleaned up.  The grass could use one more mowing.  A big hunting bird flew out of the tree line when I showed up.  I really hope we become a place for them to build nests and hang out.

[cineater]

I didn't do any gardening today but somebody did.  Actually it was the drunks.  They dug out the whole area between the two driveways.  Mike's dad said he was going to put down rock.  I already told him no to that.  Dirt blows in and it just becomes a weed patch.  And then you have rock all over the place.

Talked to Marsha yesterday.  She resigned from her job.  She's not going back.  Yeah, life is too short.  She's pretty tired.  I hope this was the last chemo for her.  She has a lot of neuropathy setting in.  She plans to be at the work session tomorrow.  It's going to be hot.  Let it go back in the 50's.  I can get a lot of work done out there when it's cool.  Thursday we are suppose to go back to normal temps.

I sent out the request for the leads budgets for 2024.  The girlfriend of our president comes back with we have plenty of money in the treasury.  She wants $100 to plant "some plants" in her garden.  First off we don't have plenty of money and we are not paying for some plants just because you want to go shopping.  Do that with your own dime.     I told her she had to have specific plants in mind, check to see if we could supply them either from the plant sale, home gardens or already on property.  She had to justify the need for the plant such as not present on property, educational value, use of displaced plants when installing new ones.     We'll see what the president says about that. 

Thing is I have 15 plants I need to buy for the bed renovations.  I don't usually spend any money.  I told Marsha depending on the cost I may only ask for keystone plants and save some for the following year.  She said they were only themed beds.  I'm not sure what that means.  All the gardens are themed but it was in that voice saying that it wasn't very important.  Excuse me but you have spent 1000's of dollars on the orchard out there.  I think I can have a couple of hundred.  Then on the other hand, I told her some might be gifted to us.  She thought that was okay.  Doesn't know I meant I'm just going to buy them.     I am not taking years to complete my projects.