A Gardening Weekend

It was 80 degrees F. last Saturday.  80 degrees.  Crazy.  Sunday was not nearly so warm, but that was just fine by me.  Spring is the season of perfect temperature...not blazing hot.  I mean if its already 80 in springtime what will summer have in store!?  We took advantage of the glorious weather both days though and got much gardening done.

It was the Spring Work Day at the community garden.  Over 40 people came to pitch in and the work went quick and easy.  We got so much done and it looks so great.  I am really excited to be a more active member of the garden this year.  I am even going to take minutes at the garden committee meetings.  I am excited.  They are great people to work with and, as I told Matt, we actually DO stuff at the meetings.  I am sick of meeting that are all talk and no action.

Sunday was spent working at the new house.  The flowerbeds, once uncovered from dead leaves and other debris is home to quite a number of perennials.  We've never really had room for flowers before.  I'm going to have to do some research to learn all about them  I know a thing or two about vegetable gardening, but flower gardening is whole different story.

There is a flowering bush at the end of the driveway.  When we moved in the bush was nothing but sticks and buds.  In a matter of literally one day a majority of the buds opened revealing the pale pink glory.  The bush is a buzz with bees of all shapes and sizes.  I tried to take the photo of a enormous bumble bee, but I was too slow.  While we were watching and listening at the bush I learned that those mammoth bumble bees are among Matt's favorite in the insect kingdom.

Bless Derek's heart!  He volunteered to come over and double dig with Matt.  We didn't ask.  We weren't even hinting around for help.  It was all him.  What a great friend.  

And I am sure that Matt is loving having Derek and his brother, Ryan, to talk to about gardening.  To share in his excitement.   They each put in a garden space last year. 

We planted strawberries and peas, several varieties of each.  We've never grown fruit before.  It was one of those things we said we were always going to do when we finally settled into our own place.  And now we have!

The previous owner left us a wee row of onions...they were about the only part of the garden space that looked anything like a garden, you know, as opposed to a dumping grounds for grass clippings and debris.

It looked pretty good once we were through.  The soil looked inviting and felt nice....a vast improvement that will only continue to improve as we work to make the soil better than it was each and every year.  I make no attempt to disguise the fact that the fellas did all the really "hard" parts.  I basically planted things in the wake of their double digging, and brought out water and beer to drink while they labored.

The bed on the left is peas and the previously mentioned onions.  The bed on the right is strawberries and rhubarb.  One of these beds is not much smaller than all of our space at the rental.  We are delighted!

Then, while I finished up dinner the boys left for the store, returning with a couple of season spring/summer six-packs--one quite appropriate for the day, don't you think?

I've specifically not shown many photos of the garden space because I've got the mind to do a side-by-side before and after here in a few months.  There is still much to do, but great progress is being made. 

We met the next-door neighbors while we were out working in the yard.  The tell us the garden used to be a real gem, until the previous owner and that they were really excited that gardener-types had moved into the place.  Well, that makes two of us.  We're up for the challenge.