Spent most of the day yesterday just walking items out of the shed, greenhouse, and basement to wherever they belong around the garden. I told myself that the number one priority was the greenhouse, so I started there and just kept picking things up and carrying them out where they belonged. Plus, got a lot of my overwintered dahlias, cannas, and colocasia potted up and on the bench to start waking up. I neglected to do that last year...give the summer bulbs a head start in the greenhouse...and I got almost no canna flowers at all. I've still got a ways to go, today I'd like to tackle the garden shed and get that fully cleaned up and the stored things out. Plus, I know I have a couple of tools that need handles replaced, so hopefully I'll get to that too. Also got two very big clumps of cannas planted out; that makes 4 big clumps total in the ground. Until they actually sprout, they're pretty cold hardy so I'm sure they'll be fine and I can always toss some leaves over them if they come up before the weather is stable.
I used up most of the dirt from E's pile in potting up the dahlias, etc. And filling the big pots up by the maple tree. There's still some left, though and I should get that into the low spot by the water barrel in the veg. If I can empty all the buckets, I'm thinking of running "up the mountain" and getting in some mulch. That's a crap shoot. I'm not sure what is up there. There's times when I get up there and there's nothing much left, other times mountains (literally) of the stuff.
I'm excited about the collection of big pots under the maple tree. I've been doing the pot thing there for several years, with mixed results. It finally occurred to me that it's one of those spots where you either "go big or go home." I added several very large pots to the collection plus two double "shepherd's crooks" to hang planters from, plus moved a wire mesh table down there where I hope to put a collection of smaller pots. I also set up a couple of those big logs from the maple tree trimming so I can set pots on them. I've already got a big bowl of pansies on one of the logs. I'm pleased already with the visual effect, even before there's anything growing in the pots. The area just needed a lot more..it's a big area, with a very big tree and it needed this added visual "bulk" to make a statement. I can't wait to get the pots growing. I've already put in my yellow mini canna in one pot and deep magenta glad bulbs in another. The overall theme will be tropical. I'm going to move my banana tree up there, plus all the ferns, once the weather is warm enough.
Another pot-related idea. I've got a few big pots in shades of white. (One is actually a big saurkraut crock!). They've always been just placed willy-nilly around the garden. This year, I'm grouping them up in the Casey Cave area, in the back. It's one of those dark spots that just needs something to guide the eye back into the space. I had been toying with the idea of putting in a statue of some sort, but that's just not happening. I think a cluster of big white pots might just do the trick. At any rate, I'm going to try and let's see what it looks like.
Well, those litter boxes aren't going to clean themselves, missy. So I better get to it. Happy gardening!
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