Just call me Neil Sperry

With K gone today, I had to come up with something to keep myself occupied. I thought about going to the mall, shopping, renting a movie, exercising, cooking, or reading, but ultimately settled on gardening. I was motivated to plant for the following 2 reasons:

1. The challenge. Every plant I have ever tried to sustain has ultimately died. Now it's like a game - me versus the green. I am GOING to win this time. These plants will grow roots and live.
2. The beauty. I have always longed for a beautifully landscaped yard. While out of town one weekend last year, K borrowed his friend's tiller and surprised me with 3 flower beds in our back yard. We have yet to fill them with flowers. I so appreciate his labor of love, and feel like it's about time to do something about the dirt beds that have become such sore sights to the eye.

So here's what we're dealing with. One pot, and 2 beds. Before we begin though, I would like to personally thank my Dad for spending so much time with me on the phone this morning and fielding numerous questions at multiple intervals throughout the day. Without his guidance and gardening expertise, I could not have done it.

Let's start with the pot. We got this last year as a centerpiece for our outdoor patio furniture, and filled it with petunias that have since died. They were once quite lovely, but due to neglect and lack of watering, they have turned into this:

Solution: Out with the old, in with new dianthus. Much better!! Nothing a little potting soil can't fix...



Problem 2: The dirt beds. Again, these have been empty for about a year. My primary goal was to find a lasting shrub with color that would make it through the winter and bloom again in the spring / summer / fall. I wanted additional color to surround the larger shrubs, knowing that I'd likely have to replace the smaller plants with seasonal bloomers throughout the year.




Solution: Encore Azaleas in Autumn Amethyst bordered by more dianthus. I tried to space them out with the expectation that as the grow, the plants will become more full. Assuming they live, that is....


Dirt bed #2. This one was much more difficult to work with as I ran into many roots underground. Not only did I dig up each bed, but also used soil conditioner, garden soil, and mulch to finish it off. Just call me Neil Sperry.




All in all this was a very difficult but rewarding project. I remembered little tricks I used to see my Dad do growing up, like cutting down the mulch bags as they got empty which made it easier to get the stuff in the bottom out. I don't think I have ever sweated more in my life, but the finished product was definitely worth it...