I finally got out there to really do a job on those Junipers, Weeping Cherries, Weeping Pussy Willows, Helmut's Pillars, and Harry's Crooked Walking stick (or some such name). I had to load up the little trailer on the tractor 6 times and then take it to my dumping spot in my woods. I wonder if that dumping spot will turn into some kind of mulch or compost some day, even though I don't do anything to it.

Teri, it totally will! It just takes longer that way. After a few years, though, you can dig under there and find some really good compost. But you might find you're disturbing somebody's home then, if you do that. :D

There are plenty of other places for him to go, if that should happen. I'm also wondering what I could do with all the dried up grass clippings that we have dumped in one area.

Oh, grass clippings are super for the compost! Have you noticed that they heat up just sitting there?

My landlord where I lived in Washington state used to dump grass clippings at the edge of the woods, and I would go down there with a wheelbarrow and haul them back for my compost. Nitrogen gold, that is. But if you just leave it, it also eventually will rot down nicely into something really good. Just takes longer.

This spring I'm gonna dig up that whole area to see what's underneath!!!

Two Iris beds to clean but they are still green and blooming. Crazy weather. This one now has all the buds open. It is beautiful and loves this cool night time weather and warm days.

Isn't it great to look out there and still see those beauties, JB

Gorgeous picture, @JB! and a gorgeous iris, too.

This morning I went ahead and up-potted with fresh soil my cousin's four Christmas cactus that have been sitting outside on a table in the shade all summer. She's been talking about doing this since she took them out there months ago, but I figured I might as well just go ahead and do it. Cleaned the table off, etc. They look and feel happy to have had the attention. She doesn't yet know I did this; she is in a work whirlwind at the moment.

This morning, before all that, she and I ceremonially shared the one ripe fig from one of the little fig trees (there are three). Next year we should actually have enough figs to say we have figs! I hope so anyway.

I decided what to plant in the end of the newest bed, between the golden Arborvita and the fence corner. It's a perfect place for a comfrey plant and some borage, and if they want to seed themselves forward, further into the bed, more power to them.

Still have to get some borage seeds.

Still have to actually organize the seeds I have and make a list. I'm now looking forward to doing that which means it's probably about the right time for that task.

Kyla, I can go out and check my withered borage plant and see if I can find any seeds on it for you!!

Well, that's mighty sweet of you! I was thinking I would buy some next month, though, so don't do it if it's a chore!

no chore here! just need to remember to do it!

So.... after reading this post: http://garden.org/thread/view_... I decided that yes, I would ask my neighbor if I can have the about 15 or 20 bags of oak leaves the neighbor kid blew off her lawn with his new blower. I was not sure I wanted to use oak leaves but that post gave me confidence that I can make this work. And it seems a shame to watch all that organic material go into the landfill. (There is no municipal composting here that I know of.)

I can surely used these somehow but I am thinking of spreading them on all the new beds! over a thin layer of alfalfa pellets to make sure of enough nitrogen.

I can also work them in to the compost over time. I may stomp on them and see if I can crush some, but they may be too damp for that to work. I don't have easy access to a mower to run over them and crumble them that way.

Anyway. Another project.

Off topic, but could someone direct me to the lily group buy that I read about on one of our threads?

@Roses_R_Red, here you go: The thread "Lily Group Buy Order Thread For Spring 2015" in Classifieds and Group Buys forum

Have fun! and tell us if you order stuff?

So, I followed you over there and saw the reply so checked out that Beck's and now I know how great these prices are, in the group buy! My goodness!

There is a toadlily at Becks I would love to have but one plant for 25 bucks is a bit steep for my sense of proportion, frankly. Though I know for some special plants that's not much at all!

Anyway. Today I was busy working on a couple things, one being adding more layers to the first new bed because too much stuff is growing there. I know most of it will freeze but still. So first I put down a sprinkle of alfalfa to balance the carbon, and then used up all my white pine shavings to cover, but there was not enough!

Which brings me to the second thing: the bags of oak leaves. I took one bag and stomped and rolled and squished it a few times hoping to crumble some leaves but it didn't do much that I could see. I put a layer of them over the areas I'd not been able to cover with the pine shavings, and then watered.... and had to run off because my friend called then! So I was really glad to see they'd not all blown off to kingdom come when I got back -- and I watered them more so I hope they will stay put!.

I'm going to put them on the other new beds too, but the first one was hardest because I put all those stepping stones down, so I had to place stuff around those. Very tedious! The other beds will be easy in comparison.

Would you believe that now there are more of that old Iris blooming in all this cool and rainy weather. Look at this. Amazing.


This old girl just will not give up.

Beautiful!

Beautiful for this time of year, JB.

Kyla, thanks for the link to the lily sale. I placed an order but I'll have to find my favorite "Eyeliner" somewhere else.

This Weed is causing havoc in my lawn. I have sprayed broad spectrum weed kilier on it and nothing happened. I pulled this crud out of the lawn today but I can't keep doing that. Any ideas as to what this might be? My guess is crabgrass but the weed killer I sprayed listed that. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

This Weed is causing havoc in my lawn. I have sprayed broad spectrum weed kilier on it and nothing happened. I pulled this crud out of the lawn today but I can't keep doing that. Any ideas as to what this might be? My guess is crabgrass but the wend killer I sprayed listed that. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.