Choice Morsels

Here's a little bright spot for the day: My first blooms of Clematis! I've never grown Clematis before. I just planted this one last spring and it bloomed, then during winter it was just brown stems on the trellis. I wasn't even certain it was still alive. I read it blooms on "old wood," meaning last years growth, so I didn't touch it. I decided to wait and see and, indeed, it did break out in fresh growth and blooms along last years stem at every joint. Plus a new vine has sprout from the roots. This particular Clematis is a compact breed that stays less then 5 feet, which is why I chose it. It naturally climbs. The blooms are lovely and I look forward to it filling the trellis eventually. Other Garden Tasks: Monday Hubby and I worked together to clean up the south side beds that are on either side of the front door. Mostly blowing out winter leaves, then raking out excess pine straw, mowing it, then I put those mowings back down where it was...

The Mama Kat prompt I chose today is, "share something you were working on this week," and that's perfect, since what I was working on was putting the veggie garden in. However, putting the garden in led to another decision that will lead to new project in the fall... This is my Veggie bed: It's an in-ground garden. It's in the center of the back yard. I've improved it over the years so now it's walled in with castle blocks and the soil his higher level. There's a bed of garlic chives at the far end and above that, a flower bed. Prepping it every year involves throwing down a combination of garden fertilizer and lime on the soil then digging it in, either by hoeing or turning with a shovel. There's only one major hindrance to contend with: pine roots. Long needled pines are everywhere here and they have extensive shallow roots systems, which means their roots aren't deep, but they have a long reach. I've seen them as ...