April 29 2023 planted dahlias in 4 pots and put 3 in the ground

 Well, I am discouraged.  Will the dahlias really grow?  Will the squirrels bother them? I have them in the back.  apparently I am not supposed to water them a lot.   I guess I will leave them in the rocks as we depart on the 7th. I will cover them.

I put three dahlia tubers near those whatever-they-were that Tom got marked down behind the grill.

My lettuce in pots has sprouted.  Carrots and dill, nothing yet.  Debbie said a squirrel had pushed aside the wire cover and dug.  

Funny thing though.

Seethe little spot in the middle that is green?  Well, what is that?  I put some dahlia bulbs from last year that had been in the garage in there two weeks ago.  Are they sprouting?

April 17, 2023- clearing out two gardens, making pots for dahlias

 After a 25 mile bike ride, I went at the garden near the Baileys.  The soil was so hard, the sprinklers were not buried.  I added some compost/top soil that was leftover from making the 3 dahlia pots.

I think I will plant the bulbs in the pots before we leave for India.  Might try to cover them to keep out the squirrels.  Debbie has said she'd water if it does not rain.

She is going to keep the "experiments" on her porch, the carrots, lettuce and dill.

I also cleaned out lots of mint from the garden near the house.  So I will need to buy lots of flowers when I get back from India.  Excited about that. 

Kind of in a spending on the garden mode.

April 13th, 2023

Why is it not clear when I planted the zucchini last year?  Ugh.  I obsess over all this with the 2 trips.   Last year there were 3 trips but it worked out, I guess. Few notes.

So on my bike ride today,  I thought of an experiment.  I washed out 3 smaller pots, filled them with old garden soil and planted carrots in one, spinach and some lettuce in another and dill.

Who will water them while I am away?  Neighbors. I feel like I am always putting Debbie out. Paula- she is always stressed.  

Not much going on in our lives right now.

Going to Memphis and Dallas next week.

Will that fern survive?  Hopefully I can salvage some of the spring bulbs and also plant the lilies. 

Lilacs just started this week.

April 12, 2023 more garden work and ideas

 I spent an hour yet again clearing out the pine tree garden.  I especially dug up all the hard soil and roots in the blue boxes  

I jumped some old potting soil (from pots) in the garden.

My dahlia bulbs that I saved looked terrible so I planted them down near where Scott and Denise live.

I also planted some bulbs Tom got for $.38 cents.  Not real hopeful about those. I planted those next to the ornament in the garden behind the grill.

I have some lilies to plant eventually.

I think I am going to put together a couple of pots one for lettuce and one for carrots.  A new experiment.

The soil is supposed to be topsoil, no week killer in it, manure and compost.  I think I need to buy some of that.  Tom said he would buy it when it goes on sale but I don't think so.

I think that I will plant those two experiments before we go to Dallas.

In all my digging, I only found one peanut

April 1, 2023 The house finches are back

 Are they the same ones as last year?

They sing in the tree and the lilac bush, just eyeing us.  At dinner, the mom was up there with the eggs. Maybe protecting them from us?