The past few weeks have been gosh-awful busy as I try to get a landscaping business off the ground, get the lawn maintenance of the Kingdom Hall I attend in gear after the winter and try to get my own garden in. But, that’s what May is all about … and why I didn’t take on additional volunteer duties this month.
It’s better, I think, not to make a commitment that you can’t complete than it is to make it and fall short. So this month my volunteer efforts are simply whatever I can squeeze out of my schedule without making myself feel pressure to make good on an overly large promise.
On the home front,
- the tomatoes are in,
- the peppers are in,
- the arugula is in,
- the basil is in,
- the loose-leaf lettuce is in.
- The beans (pole & pink) are in
- also the crowder peas (this years’ experimental produce) are in,
- the broccoli is in and
- the asparagus (pictured at left) is in & up (at 2 roots for a buck, it was hard to pass up)
- the compost is cooking along at 120 deg. F after having already peaked at 130+ (when it gets to ambient + 20 deg., I’ll turn and re-wet it)
At the Kingdom Hall I’ve
- transplanted ~50 tiger lily bulbs split between the front and rear beds
- they were planted in a mix of home-made compost and the builders clay that was present … that was some heavy rototilling for ’shaky’ results. Oh well … gotta begin somewhere!
- I have a Cardinal Weigela bush in my front yard that needs relocating so I can work on my foundation. Likely it will replace a missing butterfly bush.
- put a simple knot garden of white & purple alyssum under the overhang for our entrance. I’ll pass along a picture or two as the season progresses, but right now they are barely sprouted … no true leaves yet, just the cotyledons.
- mowed twice (with help the first time)
- fertilized twice
- applied broadleaf and crabgrass control twice
The customers lawns are beginning to shape up. I have a few more applications of broadleaf control to apply this coming week and one fertilizing. I’ve found some black mulch for one lawn. Now I need to find some black edging stones.
That’s it for this week. I have a sprinkler line that I want to get fixed at the KH and then test the system tomorrow. If all goes well, I’ll program it again, but leave things sit until the natural rains fail us or the warmer weather calls for more water. I’m planning on re-starting it about the first or even the second week of June.
A sprinkler system should not only keep things green, but also result in a reasonably low water bill. It’s purpose is to dispense the right amount of water at the right time and in the right locations. The care with which it is programmed demonstrates our level of stewardship of all the assets entrusted to us. Contrary to popular opinion, more water is often not better … but that’s a topic for a later post.
