gardening

We used to take the truck and get a load of leaf mulch and compost from the city 5 or 6 times a year. The girls and I would unload it bucket by bucket and it was pure misery. That truck bed never seemed to get empty. Not pleasant memories there except for the miraculous effect that stuff had on the plants. It kept weeds down, and kept water in, and looked so incredible once we had it all spread out.

Since I'm learning how to do gardening in a downsized way, I decided to take cabrio extraordinnaire to the city leaf mulch site and see what i could do. The cab and I felt so tiny sandwiched in between the big daddy trucks in line to load up on the natural fertilizer. When it was my turn to pull up to the pay window, the man just looked at me like, "What are you doing here? He sounded like he was joking when he asked me what I wanted.

" I'd like a load of mulch and one of compost, please."
He looked at my car and said, " Do you want us to drop a bucket of each in there? or do you want to bag it yourself?" smartie pants compost man.
" I'll bag it myself, thanks." I carried a load of kitchen trash bags with me. For 7$ today, I got 8 bags full of leaf mulch stuffed delicately in the front and back seat and as many half full of compost in the trunk of my car. Last week, a fine friend and I filled up her van with twice that and only spent $11. A car load for me is rarely more than $5.00. unbelievable. I can't wait to work it in. This stuff is expensive when you buy it retail.

Hopefully, the rainbarrel will find a new home today, too. I've been using a bucket that catches the gutter water, but it overfills in a hot minute. I can't wait to see how this barrel really works.

Truth be told, I have room for maybe 10 plants or 15 total. But it feels so good working the soil again, that I've been begging friends to let me just spend time in their yards. My work buddy graciously let her son and I mulch her front flower bed, and another friend who is interested in trying a garden, has let me play landscaper at her house. i bartered with my cranio-sacral therapist for a sessions/mulch and got some for my daughter. Call me crazy. Too late-

I'm increasing the plants in my office, too- come by soon and see the changes. The philodendron has made it almost all the way around the room, and a kind volunteer put up 3 plant hangers for me so I can add more plants at the window. I finally got a hummingbird feeder, so I think we have most birds covered, now. I hope to have the new items up next week at work. My office is my "other" home besides home church. I want visitors to feel at home when they come see me at Grand Central Station/ office.

Not much meat to this entry, but a lot of gusto!