It is Memorial Day and since the river was not suitable for kayaking, Mike and I had “Garden Day!”   It started at 7:00 am.     Like all “Garden Days” we have, it began with a trip to Home Depot or Lowe’s.  We go more to Home Depot than we do Lowe’s since Lowe’s moved from Exit 7.   We had to get some mulch for the back yard.

My back yard has been a source of great enjoyment or great neglect depending on what I’m doing during the summer.  This summer I believe, even though we’ll be kayaking ALOT, it will be a source of great enjoyment!   Here’s what I’ve been doing.

I cleaned my fence a few weeks ago.  It was filthy with mildew.   I did a blog post about how I do that a few years ago; and surprisingly, a lot of people–oh okay one or two– have sent me emails thanking me.  I am serious.  Really!!!   Apparently, there are people who do not live in an area where they must fight mildew each spring and are not as experienced as we Mendotians!!   Here’s the post called “Cleaning Your Vinyl Fence.”

Since I’ve never mastered weedeating, Mike came behind me yesterday and weedeated the border garden area.  It left me with sort of a blank slate.   I’m intermingling green beans, green peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers in this back yard.  The cukes are going in a pot on the stairs.  And flowers everywhere.

One of the problems with our back yard is that it is fenced in for the pets so it has to meet their needs first.   It keeps skunks out, and it provides us an easy way to let River out to use the “facilities.”   The funny thing is that he will not poop in this yard.  He refuses.  Dr. D’Amato’s place which is just up the road?  Now, there’s a good place to poop!! 

While I want it to meet their needs, I also want it to look nice.   Here’s one of the problem areas.  River has dug himself a bit swath to lie in during the evening when he goes outside to sleep.  He loves to sleep for a few hours out in the back yard.

So..for me to have anything back there that looks decent, it’s going to have to have a trellis protecting it or be in a pot.    I’ve got green beans planted out there … an heirloom pole bean that will grow up the bamboo trellis I made.  I don’t put mulch around seedlings.   Behind the  green beans, I planted cosmos and a few zinnias.   I think the small bamboo trellis’ will be enough to deter River from messing around over there.

I’ve even got the Foxglove protected by topiary things.  River would love to roll on these.  Not happenin’ little buddy!

Got these labels to put in the ground.  This reminds me what is a weed and what is flower, and it also lets me know if someone decides to dig around and move stuff.   River isn’t my only digger.  I have cats.   Z is for Zinnia.  PB is for Pole Bean.   C is for Cosmos.

See how well they work?

Lots of hanging baskets this year.   This is a bleeding heart.   $10.99 at Cecil’s Market!  I think I’m going to have to figure out a way to repot this thing.

I went back in the barn and found a bunch of baskets that I bought TEN YEARS ago.  The one in the picture below that is in the center is one of them.    I planted Black Eyed Susie seedlings in them.  They’ll be pretty this summer. 4

Here’s the seedlings…soon they will climb all over that basket with happy yellow flowers with brown eyes.

I’ve got a lot of New Guinea Impatiens.   I’ve been finding the best selection at Walmart.   These are planted right outside my steps and apparently snails don’t bother them.  It’s a good thing because there are a zillion snails out on the patio at night.   I used to stomp them, but a physician friend gave me a new perspective and I allowed them to live; but then this year, because they ate my basil, I went back to stomping them.

And here are the succulents I’ve repotted.  I am selling these at Adventure Mendota for $2.50 per pot.    I think Mike thinks no one will buy them.  Bet he’s wrong.   I’ve got about 20.  So when I’m $50 richer, he’ll be sorry!

And I love these little pot stands I found at Walmart for under $4 each.   They will keep the pesky snails away from my pots.   Those green plants you see below are Mandevilla that I over wintered.  They look healthy but where the heck are the blooms?   They’d better get busy are they will find themselves in the compost pile.    Did ya hear that ya lazy girls!?!

Hope you and your family are having a great Memorial Day!!