Final Touches...and DONE!

Mother's Day was chilly outside, but sunny.  Even though I couldn't plant flowers for fear of overnight frost, I just couldn't stay inside all day, so I weeded and mulched the flowerbed on the west side of the driveway where I have two straw bales next to the garage.  My lilac bush in the flowerbed dominates everything there, but it is lovely...at least for a few weeks of the spring.

A Lilac Bouquet

Monday, I did some work outside:  planted 15 geraniums next to the front yard sidewalk, then raked and weeded next to the east side of the house.  I have low shrubs, hostas, and other shade-loving perennials there...and I put in three kale seedlings.  There are several more, but they need to grow a little more before transplanting. That area will get 4-6 hours of sun, but not the afternoon heat that (I read) would make kale (a "winter crop") bitter.  I want lots of kale, so I'm happy to make that east planting area productive, instead of just pretty.

Tuesday was fertilizer day.  We hadn't applied any fertilizer since the end of the bale cooking/conditioning process...that was April 20th.  But now that all the veggies and herbs are planted, it's time to give them a nutrient boost.  Because I'm trying to keep everything organic, I'm using fish emulsion -- 2 Tb.+/- with each gallon of water.  If I thought there was an "ick" factor using Dad's pee as our high-nitrogen, organic fertilizer when we were first cooking the straw bales, that was NOTHING compared to the sludge that is fish emulsion...charcoal grey goo that smells AWFUL!!!  I gave up measuring it.  I just shook up the container, poured some goo into our pee jug, and Dad filled it with water from the hose.  I used at least a jug on each bale.  It even smelled worse when it was diffused with the water.  We'll fertilize with it every two weeks...if I can stand it. 

Dinner Plate Hibiscus
(last summer)

Wednesday was another flower-planting day.  I put the remaining geraniums I had, plus some dianthus and celosia, in front of my lilac bush.  I have three dinner plate hibiscus -- one on each side of the lilac bush and one in front of it -- that will start sending up bushy stalks in a few weeks, so I planted in front of them.  The huge hibiscus blooms won't pop, though, until mid-late July/August.  There are lilies, coneflowers, yarrow, and other perennials throughout the flowerbed -- plus the newly-planted annuals -- that will be providing color long before the hibiscus. 

Thursday morning, I cut holes in the front side of the straw bale by our front porch and put the same dianthus/begonia rows there.  

And you know what?  WE'RE DONE!!!

West-Side Front Flowerbed and Straw Bales -- DONE!
Woody hibiscus stalks from last year poking through.

Dianthus and Begonias Decorate Front of Straw Bales 
They're a little droopy right now, but should perk up in a day or two.

Front (next to porch) Flowerbed and Straw Bales  -- DONE! 
Memory stone in front of bird bath was given to me after Mom died in August, 2011.
I have three "extra" tomato plants in front of the birdbath,
and moved the "extra" summer squash to the west-side bale
(one over there didn't make it...frost maybe?)
Stonecrop and lilies of the valley line the sidewalk behind the flowerbed.

Dianthus and Begonias Decorate Front and Sides of Straw Bales

Straw Bales Behind Shrubs in Largest Front Flowerbed -- DONE!
I think of all my straw bales, I'm most excited about these.
Maybe it's because they're my "secret straw bales" (hidden from view from the street)
or because I love what's planted there -- with the exception of two eggplants,
it's all tomatoes, peppers, and herbs.  SALSA just waiting to be canned!  YUM!!!

Back Yard Straw Bales -- DONE!
Six acorn sqaush planted in sides of bales. 
As we've been doing "spring clean-up" raking, we've piled leaves
around the straw bales to cushion the eggplant and squash vines.

 Now it's time to watch everything grow!