This weekend is a record-breaker. 89 degrees right now, and supposed to go up another couple of degrees before it goes back down. Tomorrow is predicted to hit 93.
We’ve been fantastically busy the last two mornings, all in the yard. Prepping for and moving gravel, digging up and planting lilacs, moving around chopped up apple tree, weedeating, and watering.
Yes, it’s entirely the wrong time to transplant lilacs. (The right time would’ve been March.) But circumstances (our neighbors putting in a trench for bamboo) pretty much demanded it. So I’m crossing my fingers and watering frantically. If it works out, it’ll be quite lovely. Turns out the two bushes could be separated, and now one is at the head of the patio garden, and the other is outside my bedroom window. More spread-out enjoyment of next year’s blooms, and much closer to where we actually go outside.
The backyard prairie is just about mowed down. I’m a little sad, but I know that we’re prepping to have most of that area turned into next year’s vegetable garden. Already thinking ahead to next year, when the current veggie garden will be given over to more flowers, and the prairie to veggies.
I took out the peas that ate Olympia yesterday, too. I planted WAY too many, and they were crushing the rest of the veggies in that square. They were mostly gone; the flowers at the ends went into a pitcher of water, where they look quite lovely. (And are still turning into peas, oddly enough.) Now maybe the carrots will be able to recover. Tomato starts went into the empty spots…they still seem awfully small, tho. I hope we started them early enough that we’ll get tomatoes this year.
Whew. But by noon both yesterday and today I was quite done with the hard outdoor work.
Yesterday I recouped with a long siesta. Today we went for a bike ride around the lake and hanging out at the downtown coffeeshop. C continued riding, while I went home and sat underneath the poplars out front and read.
Such a luscious experience. The breeze cuts through the garden and rustles the tree’s leaves, and I am entirely and perfectly happy sitting right there. Thankfully this year the aphids seem to be kept at bay by both making the tree healthier in general and by application of lacewings. (Fingers crossed.)
In all honesty, it’s about 10-15 degrees too hot for me, but I’m making do.