Movin' mighty slow at the junction

A perfectly nice day today and all I could think about was going Christmas shopping so I didn't have to dig in the garden. Yes, fellow gardeners, I said 'Uncle' today and only worked 1/2 the day, telling myself I was multi-tasking. Well, I was, but the speed I put into digging in the last few bits of this-and-that's was more than just thinking about the possible impending rain showers. Nope, I just wanted to quit early. 'Und I did'.

I did get the two grape vines planted and staked and even had the energy to dig up the third one and put in with the other two. I think they will do much better beside the veggie garden instead of hanging on for dear life at the edge of the ground cover. I would have had four plants, but ahem.. some four legged moo-cows came along and, poof! then there were three.

I know I said I wouldn't go into the front garden until I was done with the back, but I was looking for a place to put the 'Snowflake' Vib. and I just had to deal with the south-bed. I pulled some major weeds, cut down the scrub tree that had literally grown into the fence, and whacked on the butterfly bushes, which was probably a dumb thing to do. They hate late season cuts, but some branches were just willy-nilly and it was driving me batty looking out onto it from my bedroom window. I don't really care; it's not like I don't know where they have more of the stupid things.

Since the yew hedge was staring me in the face from behind the fence, I decided the trim the top back. This was a harder job than usual because I had let it go for two years and so it wasn't as simple as snip, snip with the shears. a few of those branches had to have the limb cutter taken to them. Then I had to balance on a rain barrel to get the basement well side. I just about knocked myself out when I stood up on the barrel when I caught my head on the door jamb.

The best part about today is I found that my fig tree is putting on a new limb, so maybe it will make it through winter. It looked a little lonely all by itself in the front, so I dropped in some lavender plants to keep it company.

Since I was in the front, I divided the last three sedge and filled out the holes in the border on the house bed under the bedroom windows. I really like that stuff; it takes drought, shade, heat, water and poor soil and still looks good. I watered everything in, including the 'Sky Pencil' holly at the end of the walk. Thank goodness the deer haven't found it yet!

My biggest accomplishment on Monday was putting new soil in the bottom of my two thuja pots on the patio. Those puppies were heavy, but the root ball was nice and tight, so they popped out just fine. I top dressed with some new soil and prettied each one up with some fresh mulch. I put a handful of this and that tulips in each pot, so there will be something colorful to see from the family room in the spring.

Since I was on pot duty, I potted up the new pair of azaleas I got to replace the two Sam & Carly ones I put into the ground. I sank in some pansies on top of the grape hy. bulbs and also mulched these pots as well. It's too small an arrangement for those pots, but it will fill in eventually.

I put in the rest of the 'Autumn Bride' heuchera near the gates to the back yard and that area looks nicer already.

Watered some more; no real rain chance until this Saturday. Heeled in the teeny purple heucheras in the herb boxes. Should hold them till spring.

Planted the two 'Frances Williams' hosta in the shade border and put in the 'Black Lace' sambucus cutting that I shamelessly stole from my friend's yard.

Planted the last of the daffodils around the two new blueberry bushes, so that only leaves the last bag of tulips for one of the pots on the patio and the hyacinth bulbs.

The maple tree is really letting loose of leaves this week, so another batch of leaves is on the agenda already.


My left hand has been keeping me up the past two nights, even with the brace, so I made sure that I took an anti-inflammatory pill as soon as I came in from outside. I think that's what made me want to throw in the towel today; just the thought of having to sleep in the chair again was just not worth it. Thank goodness this hand will improve rapidly if I will just lay off using it so much. Have I whined yet about my right elbow? it didn't appreciate the shoveling today, either.

On a positive note I am done with Jersey shopping except for two gifts. I hate going to the mall, but once I year I must make the trek. It wasn't crowded at all thank heavens. And, I got my Aunt Annie's pretzel, as a reward for dealing with the whole thing. Yummy!

Amy and Fi got to play some fetch with me when I got back, so they were happy. GrandMummy comes tomorrow, so they will be spoiled rotten by days' end.