Garden update

I've been really focused on getting the garden in shape since I got my semester wrapped up.  I'm making pretty good progress with weeding, but there's still much to be done.  I am determined to stay ahead of the bindweed and nut sedge this year.  I've been fighting with them for a few years now and can't seem to beat them.  It's a major effort just to keep up with those two, and since they are the most problematic to the garden, I have to win this one.

I've moved and raised about half of the flagstone path so far, and I'm very happy to have that done.  I'm not sure I will get to the rest of the path this year.  I fixed the worst of it, and there are several other projects that are a bit more pressing (though I'm not doing anything else until the weeds are totally under control).

We have all of the food "crops" planted but haven't gotten any other plants yet this year.  We usually get lots of annuals for color and a few perennials to add or replace those that didn't return, but with the vet bills that have left us completely decimated, we have decided to skip the flowers and focus on the food this year. It won't look as pretty, but we will enjoy it just as much.  In an ideal world, I would love to be able to grow all of the food my family (humans & animals) eat, but that's not realistic.  So far we've been enjoying the fresh greens (as have our rabbits, guinea pigs, and birds) and herbs from the garden but will have to be patient for the rest of the delicious food.

The roses are looking really nice right now, but I have maybe another couple of weeks before the shitty little Japanese beetles appear and completely destroy the (hybrid tea) roses.  The only organic solution I can find is applying milky spore to the ground. That kills the grubs.  I'm just not comfortable doing that.  I also can't bring myself to execute the other solution, which is to hand remove them and throw them in soapy water to drown.  It's maddening to watch my beautiful roses destroyed every year!  I keep hoping each year, that something new will be discovered that will solve the JB problem, but nothing so far.

I should be gardening right now, but I'm struggling with hand mobility and pain today.  I've done so much gardening lately, that the host of issues in my hands are all at their worst.  I'll probably sneak a little work in between the dogs' vet appointment (in a few minutes) and dinner (jambalya, which I already have made and just need to heat up).   I had initially planned to paint the dining room today, because the weather forecast called for storms/rain today, but I'm not able to hold a brush or roller today, so that's out.

I'm very anxious to get the dining room painted, now that we finally finished stripping the wallpaper and getting the walls prepped, because of some awesome and surprising mother's day gifts I received. More on that in the next post.