About 2AM I was awakened by a light show and steadily rolling thunder. A bit later rain arrived, about 1 1/2" in the bottom of a bucket. I was back asleep for that part. For the wind as well. My first inkling was trying to put the dog out first thing in the morning. Dead stop at the door frame, total refusal to step out even though the sun was shining by then. While trying to coax her out (she had to be carried out later - hates anything wet tickling her belly) I noticed the milkweeds we leave in the yard in case a Monarch stops by to drop off some eggs were bent nearly horizontal. So were the 6' tall cup flowers, except for those which were now tangled in each other.
All this is just setting the scene for why it's so nice to be able to utilize a friend's teenage son for a couple hours this morning. My friend and I had made plans for her to get some of my double-blossom daylilies for her yard, as well as a bucket of raspberry plants which had been planted - aka neglected - in a 5 gallon nursery bucket for who knows how long. Without her having a car for the moment, I drove over to get her and her son.
I already knew we'd need assistance. The bucket of raspberries was so full of dirt that I had Paul bring it out next to the car last night from the back yard. I wouldn't have carried it even if I hadn't overdone my yard work yesterday, to the point where I'm still feeling it today. I hadn't counted on how heavy the rain made the bucket this morning. Even with Eli's hard work to get it into the car, it took extra help to get it up and in.
Even before that bucket, he was useful this morning. When I drove up their long driveway to get them both, I had to dodge tree branches downed by the storm. He went out and cleared the road of them before we left.
Once we'd gotten the raspberries into the car it was time to dig out a bunch of the daylilies. I had the perfect spot to clear them from. They had spread between the river birch trees and the driveway. In order for you to appreciate that task, understand that those trees had been planted in a clump about 2 feet from the driveway 30 years ago. They love that location! They have grown over 50 feet tall, and spread so wide that they've pushed the dirt up about 6 inches higher between their closest trunk and the edge of the driveway. Take into consideration that the dirt used to head downhill from the driveway and now heads uphill. Not only have the daylilies invaded, the elevating dirt has been filling up with new tree roots.
The job definitely needed young muscles!
I had to show him how to dig, first of all. He was completely prepared to chop them horizontally about a half inch below the soil level. There was also using the clippers to go through those tree roots which were now mixed with the lily roots which were mixed with each other. At least the storm had helped loosen the dirt so it no longer resembled concrete. Once we got the first lily clump out, the rest came easily, until, even after shaking dirt off, a 3-gallon pail was filled.
Back at their house, there was discussion of how far to spread them, how deep to dig, how deep to plant, how often to water. That was my contribution to the task, the discussion. She'd already picked a spot along a chain link fence with about a 4 feet wide dirt area and full sun. 15 holes were dug, a couple filled with small twin plants, one with the addition of all the little fat root "bulbs" which had broken off. It's been my experience when trying to eradicate these plants from one area to relocate them, even those little bits are perfectly capable of making new plants. The digging was again accomplished by Eli, with his mom contributing by planting and putting dirt back in the holes. Eli also pulled the hose over, first to fill the bucket about 6" deep before planting to soak the roots, and second to water the planted lilies.
I think my friend was disappointed. She had seen my batch of them, undisturbed and blooming. She'd been hoping for her yard to look the same after the end of the morning's work. Instead, not only had we avoided anything blooming, as those stalks would simply snap during the process, but many of the leaves of the transplants were bent or broken as well. I assured her that these were hardy plants, and so long as they continued to water them per directions, any new leaves would be straight, and next years growth, now that they had proper room and light in their new home, might very well produce several blooming stalks.
Let's hope she can be patient... enough.
Meanwhile the raspberries, being in dirt rather than bare root, will wait for planting tomorrow. Even marvelously helpful teenagers can use a little break. I heard swimming at Grandpa's had been planned for the afternoon.
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