Getting Things Done

Like everyone else this time of year my chore list seems monstrous, insurmountable, and just plain humongous.  To write it all down would be a chore in itself. I suspect that if I did write it all down at one time it might look so large that I would just give up – probably not, I enjoy gardening too much but it would surely be very intimidating. I suppose that’s why I break things down into parts and work around the garden haphazardly getting things done that would be on that monster to-do list. I tend to make a list of a few things I would like to get done then fill in the rest as time allows. You’ve seen my to-do lists, they’re always ambitious and I rarely accomplish everything I set out to do. So today I tackled a few things from my chore list over the weekend that just didn’t get done and a few that never even made it to the list.

My Garden What’s Been Done List

• Transplanted a redbud – two redbud saplings tagged along on some plants from Gail last year. One of them had too many roots to transplant but the other did fine. Redbuds are notoriously hard to transplant becasue of their root systems!
• Divided golden ragwort – one of the redbuds tagged along in the ragwort so by necessity the ragwort came apart into many little baby ragworts – free plants are always good – unless they are weeds (which are worth exactly what you pay for).
• Divided the Phlox paniculata – these plants also came from Gail and the second redbud was hiding among them. Six divisions were made without even intending to do so. Now nearly every garden will have Gail’s PPPP!
• Transplanted two Miscanthus sinensis grasses. One from the rain garden and the other from the border garden. I put them in the back yard where a massive flow of water usually occurs when it rains. I figured that the strength of the miscanthus root system may prevent or reduce some erosion problems. 
• I screwed a screw into the greenhouse back door molding. It was bowing one spot and just needed an extra screw put in.
• I transplanted the maple that has moved so many times – perhaps this will be the last time!
• I transferred various materials into the greenhouse from the garage. I’m hoping to be able to insulate a couple inside walls then put in a couple cabinets that I was given from some friends of my parents (you can visit their daughter’s food blog called the Healthy Spoon and say hi!). I can’t wait to get the garage cleared out!
• I raked coffee grounds over an organically challenged area in the front yard. It may sound silly but if coffee grounds can work in the compost bin why can’t they add a little organic material and nitrogen to the turf? Coffee grounds have about 2% nitrogen and nitrogen is good for fertilizing your yard this time of year. I’ve slowed down my coffee intake the last two weeks so there may not be a next time. I think after this post there may be a run on the coffee shops for used coffee grounds!
• I pruned one butterfly bush and have three more to go. I made some last minute hardwood cuttings from it. The picture to the right is the butterfly bush before pruning, I never brought the camera out I was too busy.
• I also stuck some rose cuttings that have been sitting in our garage for several weeks. It may be too late to get them to root but since they were all still alive in the jars of water I figured it couldn’t hurt to try.
• I moved several overwintered plants to the back deck so they can enjoy the rain and sun of spring. The plants were cuttings taken last year that I decided to keep in my garage. I didn’t put anything out that couldn’t take the cold.
• Yesterday I was able to remove a ton of dried weeds from the vegetable garden with my my TARP technique.  I’m trying to get the vegetable garden presentable for the season. I need to clear the grass that has grown underneath the fence, mulch, build a couple raised beds and I should be ready to go. I hope I can get to my fence project sometime this year!