I woke up today feeling very optimistic about the mulching project I had planned.  My goal this summer is to put mulch down on all of my boulevards, so I don’t have to mow anymore.  This is a huge job because I live on a corner lot, but I’m up for the challenge.  So I spent 6 hours putting down 400 gallons of mulch, which is 2 cubic yards.  I put down 5 to 6 layers of newspaper and quickly run to get the hose to spray it down so the wind doesn’t take it away (no easy feat with today’s weather).  Then I put mulch on it and lay some more newspapers.  The thing I love about this project is that I automatically practice mindfulness and forget about all my worries.  Thoughts on food, money, business, relationships… it all just goes away and it’s me and my hands working to make the world a more beautiful place.

I did end up running out of mulch when I was 3/4 of the way done, so I decided to get another load from the compost site.  Before leaving, I dug out my hacksaw and cut a 20 foot branch that had fallen in Thursday’s storm into 2 pieces so I could fit it in my little Civic.  Then I pruned my apple tree – I know this isn’t the right season for pruning, but the branches are so close to the ground it’s very difficult to mow the backyard.  I shoved all those branches into my car and went to get another load of mulch.  While I was there, I was commending myself for lifting the 18 gallon buckets of mulch like an old pro.  I’ve gotten really strong doing these projects and I’m really proud of myself, since I wasn’t sure I had the endurance when I first started.  Now I can lift the heavy buckets with little effort.

After finishing the mulching, I swept my driveway and sidewalk to make it more friendly for my neighbors to walk by with their dogs.  Then I decided to move a few of the tulips that are done blooming.  I have two bunches of tulips on the north side of my garden, but they don’t get quite enough light there, so I wanted to give them the treat of a new location.  As I was digging them up, I realized I was excitedly exclaiming every time I found a clump of new bulbs.  There were something like 20 or 30 of them and it was like digging for gold.  So I gently pulled them up and then planted them in their new locations around my garden.  I’m really looking forward to spring next year because I have 50 tulips planted all around the perimeters of my gardens.  It’s going to be so fun to see them bloom!

After all this, I was ridiculously dirty and thirsty, so I took a shower and had lunch.  Then I found myself walking to see all my neighbors’ gardens.  My next plan is to get some red-orange bee balm and yellow primrose to add to my garden, because I fell in love with them today.  I also fell in love with the beautiful flowers on my carrots that are blooming.  I have a special fondness for these carrots because I planted them last fall and they came up this spring.  I haven’t eaten them yet, but they sure are pretty.

 

Oh, and I just remembered that the first sugar snap peas are out on in my vegetable garden, so I need to go pick those and give them a taste.  I’m getting excited for the produce I’m growing, but I haven’t quite figured out how to keep the birds from eating my strawberries.  I already made strawberry-rhubarb preserves that I canned last week using rhubarb that was a gift from my patient, but I had to buy organic strawberries because mine are struggling from all the bird scavenging.  So I’m still researching natural remedies to discourage the birds.  So if you know anything that works, let me know!

Vegetable Garden