Wednesday

 Another soggy dirt morning.  I used that reason to make a trip to Rosie's for pond plants.  Three came home with me. 

                                                No sunshine today so there were no bubbles.  

This time the rain came at noon.  Not so much but anything at this point is a little too much.  I did a walk around deciding it was time to take care of two jonquil bunches of leaves.  They had started to droop looking a little tired.  Not completely worn out but leaning.  That left two big spaces with a what do I do next.  What was ruled out were moving any perennials.  I wanted to see Jonquils next spring.   In no time, both pair of garden shoes were soaking wet. Not surprising I must admit. 

                            I've had verbena in the garden for years..  This will be different for sure.

In the garden with a lot of self seeding from other years was verbena. The shovel took scoops of them, moving verbena to the newly vacated jonquil area.  Butterflies love verbena.  I've spotted beautiful drifts in recent gardening books. It was the right move with more plants to move into other places.  It's been a bumper verbena year.

What a pretty combination of textures and color  Yarrow, Chives, Cabbage and a German Chamomile     surrounded by a log with interesting fungus.  All recently having a few grand showers to clear the dust. 

Another bumper year has come with the hens and chicks.  They can survive with little water which is what I thought was their choice.  Well, the rain has produced GIANTS already.  Such fun to watch with so many choices when moving them to different places.

                             This hen is almost as big as my hand. Raindrops keep falling on my...

I did more work with transplanting some things to the walkway.  I'm not sure this is going to work with the lawn guys.  I'm taking that change at a slow pace.  I snipped a lot of zinnia flower heads.  I want the strength of the plant to go to the plant roots and not to the flower at this point.  Asters also got a trimming.  They can get too tall and flop.  That usually is a deer happening but not this year.  It came from ME!  

                                                    Common Milkweed ready to bloom.

                                            Butterfly Weed preparing for the Monarchs.

        Then there is swamp milkweed.  Another Monarch favorite.  More zinnia heads need to be chopped.  I've never proven and never read but...I think flowers are important to signal to Monarch, there is necter here for the taking.  And while you are here Mrs Monarch, how about some egg laying on milkweed.

While doing the walk I found lots of raccoon and deer tracks.  There was a little squirrel in the Have a Heart Trip that got a ride to the park.  Another small one might find it's way into the unbaited trap, if we're lucky. Fewer holes to fix with fewer squirrels. There always will be some with us along with rabbits, deer, raccoons and birds of all kinds.

Doug and I made a trip to Wild Birds for bird peanuts, safflowerseed and black sunflower seeds.  We should be good for a while.  And of course there was quite a collection of native plants.  BUT! only one came home with us. 

                                            An extra little gem with the third bud on the way.  

I skipped my lunch date with my teacher friends due to low WBC.  Better to be safe than sorry with the possibility of germy folks in a restaurant. I'll catch my friends on the next go around.  All this is another reminder of the Covid happenings. Good practiceses once again.  

There was a good early afternoon snooze and the usual extra drink. This time it was coffee with added chocolate mint from the garden. The fact that it seems to be a cooler than usual day for May allowed for a work break for the body.  I'm using it!

So the rest of the day could be called lazy or body care.  There was a little bag preperation for Bread and Bowl this coming Saturday. That was easy stuff.  Blog and pictures happened. The WBC plan for Saturday B and B is to arrive early and leave before the crowd appears.  I think I'll be fine, especially if we have enough workers.  

                    A huge blob of fungus where once there was a huge tree at our neighbor's house.                                              Interesting to say the least.  Fungus spores plus rain made this happen.                                                                                     It is at least 15 inches wide.  

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