Sunday, June 21st
Did do much gardening today. Got some kind of stomach bug. I did do a little weeding in the vegetable garden and repotted one of my African violets. I made up a mixture of 1 part potting soil, 1 part peat moss, and 1 part fine mulch. Mixed up well it seemed to make a good potting format for the violets. I think if I doubled the mulch and added some perlite; it might make a good soil for the orchids. I really need to learn what is wrong with them and fix it. They are too pretty to waste away because I can’t find anything on them. I wish I still had Jenna’s book from the library to see what kinds they are but I think they are denobrians or something like that.
Didn’t work on databases today either. Just don’t feel good.

Monday, June 22nd
Forecast – 82° and partly cloudy
Did not do any gardening today, but did do some planter planting. I planted the other container garden with the bright green grass, creeping jenny and some snapdragons. I also found a neat wire “box” in blue at the junk shop and used that with a planter to try to make a funky planting. It’s out front between the two rockers. I finally finished the rockers and they look pretty good. I got two wrought iron candle sticks – about 3’ high – from FreeCycle and have them out there as well. The citronella candles I bought for there won’t work though because it’s too breezy. I’ll have to see if they have those illuminate citronella candles in blue at the other WalMart. They’ll look nice out there.
Lisa and I were talking about pulling up the carpeting in the living room and dining room area, fixing the wood flooring and painting it. It won’t look like hardwood flooring, but it would look nicer and smell better. I could even try stenciling a “rug” in some areas. I’d have to ask Mardette for advice, but I am sure she’d help.
I made two stepping stones today – one with crystal stones that didn’t turn out well – and one plain one that I intend to paint a memorial message on it for Tweedle and Penny…. “Memorial Garden” and their names and last dates maybe. I bought another mini rose bush yesterday at Giant. It’s kind of pink with orange-y centers. I also bought six daylilies at Home Depot as well yesterday. They were 3 for $12.00, and another Clematis, in white. I don’t know where I am going to put that, but maybe on the fence by the shed out front....
I need to plant the mint julep and apple mint in front of the shed as well…maybe or somewhere else. I don’t know. The spearmint isn’t growing too great this year. I think the lemon mint and catnip are running it out. I think the orange and chocolate aren’t sharing their spaces either. I think the orange is taking over. I think I might take cuttings from all of them and maybe start anew next year. I also want to pull the borders out about a foot from where they are as well. They are only about 12” deep now and I want to put bricks down the center to divide each mint. Maybe it will help keep it within its borders a little better. That’s another garden project to add to the list! I have to take up the stones I started the other day for the foot path. The second set broke up too much. The first one will stay there but I will have to make more – one mold at a time…. It will take a while, but it will look great if they all turn out well.
Mom’s coming over tomorrow to help me with the side hill. I plan to put weed cloth along the fence and along the top of the hill. Then black plastic on the rest of the hill to keep the grass from growing. I’ll plant the hostas and daylilies along the fence and the ajuga and sedum along the top of the hill. I only have two of the sedums, but about ten of the Ajugas, not counting the ones in the container gardens. I think that’s four or six more. I plan to put the Heucheras along the short fence beside the rubber mulch. I need twine to mark the lines and planting spots. I need it to fence off the fence garden out front as well.

Tuesday, June 23rd
Forecast 84° and mostly sunny
It was a beautiful day today and I got a lot done. Mom came over and helped me with the hill project. I got the grass cut real short, put in the weed cloth along the top of the hill and the short fence, got most of the plastic down to kill the grass, and even got the Heucheras, Sunflowers, and those other flowers I can’t pronounce or remember… but will find the tags… planted and mulched. I am pooped!
The wheelbarrow broke again and this time I will have to actually “fix” it properly. I’ll need the drill and some new screws…maybe even a bolt or two. The wheel just won't stay on anymore.
I didn’t take up the twine from the side hill, but right now its ground level until I get all the plants in. I’ll have to put it up higher until the dogs get used to not being able to go in that area. I don’t think I’ll be able to do much gardening tomorrow with all the running around I need to do for the sick bank forms. But maybe in the evening I can at least start cutting the grass by the fence so I can put the hostas in on Thursday. Maybe I’ll get the Ajugas in by Friday. I don’t think I am going to put the sedum out there after all. I want to make a funky arrangement with it. I think I’ll see if Sally’s has any head forms, maybe make a mold to cast it or something and then make a planter. I’ll have to work on the logistics.
I still haven’t put any twine out front, but I really need to so the dogs will stay out of the gardens. Hopefully, Thursday, we’ll get the bushes from Mom to put them out there too. With all this time off, I am really getting a lot of gardening done!

Wednesday, June 24th
Forecast 86° and partly cloudy
I didn’t do much gardening today. I don’t know why. Just didn’t feel much like being outside today.
I did add one more plastic sheet to the side hill, but looking at it, I am wondering if I did the right thing. That hill is more sloped than I thought! The Ajuga at the top of the hill will look nice, but how long before I can pull up the first row of plastic so it can grow that way? I never thought to check on its growth rate.
I watered all the front gardens today – container as well as the side; ran the soaker hoses out back and side, though.
Found a neat new website… “Henrietta’s Herbals”. I’ve been “copying” some information about various herbs – for things like poison ivy (which Mom is finally almost over!) and one for weight loss. I saw a few recipes for various beauty things as well. I’ll have to keep going back and checking it out and getting “recipes”. I want to plan my winter better this year and have projects inside that I can use my herbs from that I grew during this season! Soaps, lotions, salve… maybe even some oils or tinctures… I have to find out how to “glean” the stuff I need, though. I know lemon balm is the leaves, chamomile is the flowers (which I have very few of)…Stevia is the leaves…but what about the St. John’s Wort? Which part do I take from that? I have tons Sage to dry, some Rosemary, and some Lavender. Maybe a little English Thyme, Lemon Thyme and some Lime Thyme. There’s tons of Watercress for salads (which reminds me I have got to cut some lettuce!)
I need to put the paper down tomorrow in the vegetable garden, transplant the eggplant and squash back to the soil now that they are doing better. I think I might shape out the hole for the pond as well…. Feel like digging.

Thursday, June 25th
Forecast 89° and partly cloudy
Morning - It’s hot today…supposed to get over 90°. I just don’t feel like doing anything… gardening… cleaning… working on the computer. I just want to go back to bed! Dani goes in to work early today – 2to9:30 and I just might take a nap. I have to put down the paper tonight for the vegetable garden. That has to be done. Of course, watering the garden tonight – new plants and the back yard tonight.

Friday, June 26th
Forecast 86° and isolated t-storms
It was too hot to work out in the garden today. It actually got over 90 but I am not sure just how high. The thermometer on the shed recorded over 100, but I really doubt it reached that. I watered the plants out front today, and the new plants. I think I’m going to lose the two purple Heucheras. They don’t seem to be doing very well. The Key Lime Heucheras is doing great and so is the other chartreuse green plant. So far the sunflowers are doing okay as well. …At least so far. All the plants in the fence garden seem to be doing okay as well. I just need to get the two bushes from Mom. Maybe we can do it while Mom’s gone and surprise her.

Saturday, June 27th
Forecast – 89° and partly cloudy
Beautiful day today. Nice breeze, but still left a/c on. Humidity is a little high. Heucheras still not doing great – the purples ones.