Thursday, August 19, 2010

Farewell to Sweet Peas

Today began rather sadly - I finally made myself yank out what was left of the sweet peas. Now that the weather has cooled somewhat, I've been getting some sporadic flowers, but most of the vines were dry and brown. I cut the two flowers that were open and proceeded to yank. Once they were gone, and the pea fence removed, things did look better. Two rows in the back garden were now open, so I planted more lettuce. Pluses and minuses, as my husband likes to say.

On a really positive note, the Great Replanting along the new front walk has begun. After lunch, I went out and started transplanting the three rosebushes that I wanted placed there. First to go in was 'Gertrude Jekyll'. 'Gertrude' has spent the last two months out in a huge pot in the back garden, and my task now was to somehow maneuver her, first out of the fenced enclosure and into the wheelbarrow, then out to the walk. The first part of this didn't go quite as easily as I'd hoped. Recent rains made for a VERY heavy pot; heavier than I'd expected. Long story short, I was on the verge of caving in and begging my husband to help me out when I suddenly remembered that I had one of those Potlifter gadgets! I brought it out, slipped it over the pot - and after an inordinate amount of huffing, puffing and swearing got it into the wheelbarrow. The only casualty was my left knee, which sustained a good bruise, so on the whole I did all right. 'Tiffany' and 'Nancy Reagan' (yes, I was so taken with this rose that I temporarily abandoned my anti-Reagan scruples) followed quickly. They've promised rain tonight, and I'm devoutly hoping for it. After all, nature does a far better job of watering than I can do. Peonies will begin following the roses tomorrow. Onward!

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