MORE YARD WORK!

I began working on my "big" garden project on Saturday - digging out a flower bed.

It all started with the need to divide my Hemerocallis Citrine, a daylily (which was on the right side of the steps in the second photo). So I pulled that out, cut it into three clumps, freshened the soil where it came from and put in one clump. A second clump went up into the back yard, and the last one was to be put to the left of the steps, for symmetry.

I knew that would be a nightmare because there are oak tree roots all mingled in this (see red line) bed and I haven't amended the soil there for a few years. So I needed a whole day to start this, and Saturday it was.

I had a super blessing last month when my brother-in-law stopped by and asked if I needed any perlite. He didn't know what it was, just that it was for gardening. He had two humongous bags of it for me! (see one on the blue dolly) I had also found two screen doors that Mister had pulled out of the barn to throw away, and I cut the screens out of them to stop the tree roots from invading the bed.

So I started by digging out all the old soil, sifting out tree roots and rocks, setting it into a pile. Of course, I'm doing this section by section, not all at once! I laid down the first piece of screen. Then I went over to the woods to dig up some leaf-mold soil and clean out the roots, rocks, and acorns from that.

Thank goodness for big, vintage enamelware basins! They are perfect for mixing the old soil with the new soil and the vermiculite, and for holding the plants while they're waiting to go back in.

The new mix then goes in over the screen. The daylily was replanted. Then I started in on the next little section. I'm straightening out the rock border, also, as I go along. As you can see, I've only done about five rocks length so far.

I figure it will take a week or so, working one or two hours a day. But it will be so worth it, having that screen under the soil!

So, between home schooling, babysitting, and housework, this is what I've been up to! The only good thing about garden season ending is that I'll be able to blog more!