I'll start with Steve. First, he's needing lower doses of pain meds. He had his post-surgery visit with our primary doc yesterday, and she's happy with his progress, though- as always - warning him about overusing pain meds, meaning narcotics. Tylenol is preferred of course, and both of us are using way less even of that. He hasn't had any Oxy today and he's walking more without the walker. Of course, belt and suspender style, while he walks independently through the house, he has me follow behind keeping his walker just a short distance away, just in case. It sure beats another 911 call after a fall. And wheee, I get exercise too. It's also a great excuse to hit the bathroom of course.
He goes into the kitchen to fix whatever meal appeals to him without his walker now, being a shorter distance, and knowing there is a wheeled office-style chair tucked under the island for whenever he feels either unsteady or tired. It's also very handy for sitting in front of the freezer when he unloads bagfuls of groceries into both freezer and fridge. The lack of pressure to do it speedily means he can keep to his organization plan and knows where, for example, which kind of cheese is. Or make sure the last of the old milk is either still fresh or to be tossed before the new one goes in. Pain isn't influencing his decisions anywhere near as much as even last week.
I'm back in the garden today, the first day in a long time under 90 degrees and/or no hazardous air outside. I had fancy iris delivered about 3 weeks ago now, and wet their packing material a bit and popped them in the fridge. No way was I going outside, partly because I was alone with no backup in case of a problem - in a yard with all kinds of tripping hazards - and partly because I was still shuttling back and forth to visit Steve every day. The plants could wait. Plus I was already tired enough from all the traveling to not even be interested in the gardens. Not even with my camera.
I did make one exception for the back garden, very fully in bloom for the first time after all the battling with rabbits and squirrels.
I had to shoot small segments at a time to get in something of all the colors - or at least close - because even with all the colors blended and scrambled, no single shot could catch it all. Both of these two photos don't get them all. Ask me next year. These are much fuller and taller than last year, so I'm wondering if they will improve even more then. Not to mention earlier and later varieties, extending the total bloom season. There isn't long enough yard to get that far away along that 28 foot wall. Five minutes of work for photos, including 100 feet total hike, was only just doable right then. Not everything was in bloom yet, but I wasn't going to go back and back and back to get THE picture. I can try again next year. The neighbors walked past on their way to get mail and enjoyed it, making a point of telling me while they stopped to see how we were doing, noting all the come-and-go including with ambulances. Just like we notice what's happening with our close neighbors.
Today was the day to for working with iris. Or else. Heat starts climbing again tomorrow - of course! I had squeezed a few minutes in last week to mark two daylily clumps to dig out after blooming is done, so I can be sure to get rid of the one variety I don't like... and others do. They're on a list. Call that ten minutes total, using string. It didn't count for gardening in my book.
I have been plucking spent daylily blooms the last few weeks for compost and to prevent seed pods. Let their energy go into roots for next year's flowers. Not every day, but some days a dozen and other days 50. Easy work, just short reaches in from outside the concrete blocks to keep the flowers fresh instead of mushy globs trying to stain everything. It's easier now that Steve is home, though I used to try to get it in either to or from visits to his rehab. Still not really gardening work, just a bit of fussiness as I pass.
This morning was watering in two beds, weed pulling in one since the other one was too crowded for weeds to survive anyway, and beginning planting both the new iris and replanting iris from where they were too crowded by daylilies to bloom, all going into a bed currently only half bereft of rhubarb with proper room and sun for them. I'm doing it in short stages because even now the sun is too hot, requiring me to change beds and work load following the shade, such as it is. One more stint in an hour and the iris dug earlier, now sitting in a water bucket while I recoup energy, will go in the ground with a little extra dirt around them, watered one last time... for today. Job half done for the season. The heat will be rising again, so more watering. The best part is the farthest bed in this project is just past the end of a single hose, instead of requiring a second one to pull all over, wind. unwind, rewind. That happens when the back lily bed needs water, and will have to when the rhubarb is replaced by the last iris. A thumb over the end and the water reaches everything worked with right now. One day of interspersed labor, then a second planting later next month, and all the iris have their own, sunnier home. Color theme, like all the lilies, or the spring daffodils or crocus, is kaleidoscope.
After that, somebody please remind me to stop buying that next new irresistible iris plant. Please!!!!!
My reward for today's work will be a shower tonight and visions of beauty coming next spring. My reward for many days of planting is my balance has improved. Not sure about stamina yet though. My punishment will be a lot more work later. All to be followed by what I hope is a final dead foliage pull after the inevitable frost, This is the year I learned it's supposed to come out, instead of hanging around to fertilize the next year's plants. Instead they give the plant pests a home. Oops. Next spring will be the test of my success or failure in the project, but either way I still get to dream success all winter before any dreams are dashed. I will keep a final bag of rhubarb stalks in the freezer to protect new Asiatic shoots next spring. Since my son gets one of the rhubarb plants I'm hoping for a small emergency supply if needed the following year after the rhubarb takes good hold in its new home. It depends on how much he needs for jellies.
But now I have to go before the skeeters wake up so when I collapse for the night I don't have to go out again. The bad part of that is I cleaned out the ice cream supply last night and have no inclination to hit a store for more for a few days. Oh well, Greek yogurt and .... I'll come up with something: berries, chopped pecans, coconut, maybe cocoa powder..... combined of course.You can dream up your own supper. We can compare notes on whose is yummier another time.
No comments:
Post a Comment