a saturday of work

I spent much of the day in the garden. It felt like a day of closure.

Most of the spring, I did the kind of work that is possible, easily weeding out of soft, moist soils, thinning and dividing those plants that can take a late spring division (they don't bloom till much later in the season). The coolness along with the numerous rains meant that there was no stress on the plants and no need for me to nurse the new plants with lots of personal attention.

And I added some new plants, too.

But much of that work is now finished.

I did vigorous hoeing yesterday and weeding.

I staked the two VIctoria Regina roses in the backyard -- they're providing their spring-time cascade of fragrant, thick petaled roses. I'll have to start spraying the English roses in the front garden -- the tell-tale blackspot is starting to show, meaning reality has finally come to Indy gardening.

Most plants look well. I saw two toads this week -- one of them, the smaller one, was brought into the living room by Franklin the dog during our end of the evening run outside. He grabbed it in his mouth and dropped it inside the house. I had to move furniture to recover it and return it to the garden.

I feel tired and happy.