Backyard Project: Working in Different Garden Beds

The cherry tree has fruit. 

My sister says to remove all the beginnings of the fruit forming on trees in their first year. I did as she said, except I left one on each tree. The birds soon found this cherry.

I threw a pile of tangled embroidery threads under the cherry tree for the birds to use in their nest building. But I think I need to cut them up into more manageable lengths.

I planted more culinary ground-cover plants for the path in the Gravel Bed garden.

The soil in this garden bed that I worked on a month ago has progressed enough to plant a cover crop.

I dug up the daylilies (Hemerocallis) growing up the driveway. With the nearby cedar tree now shading them out and the deer continually grazing on them they were struggling.

I dug a hole, filled it with water, and added a treat of crushed comfrey leaves before planting the divided up day lilies.

I cut them right back and left the cuttings around the plants to break down into the soil.

I added a thick layer of matured shredded prunings as  a mulch to keep the weeds at bay and the water in the soil.

These lilies with their extensive root system will do a good job holding the soil at the bottom of the slope. They will be in reach for me to pluck the edible flowers for a salad. The hummingbirds love to visit them too.

I was reluctant to add this extra row of pavers to make the dining area on the upper patio more useable. It meant greatly reducing the size of the garden bed nearest to the kitchen. But in the end, I agreed it was needed.

I filled the remaining gap with a compost soil mix then planted everbearing strawberries and chives dug up from other beds and supplemented with a few more from a nursery. I covered the soil with sawdust made when Sammy cut rounds of logs to make the gardener's path.

Strawberries and chives make good companions helping each other to grow well and to stay healthy. 

In the meantime, Ron put a new soil mix into these 2 planters and planted 2 different tomatoes, one determinate, and one indeterminate, one called Beefsteak and the other called 'Sweet 100.' They will like this warm sunny spot. With the concrete and stone walls holding in the heat they should do well if we can keep the water up to them.

Lots of little tasks completed in different beds will all come together at some stage to start looking like we are making progress in implementing 'The Plan'.