Progressive Tackle: Flowerbed around the mailbox

This tackle began over 3 weeks ago, when hubby sprayed grass and weed killer around the base of my mailbox per my request. Ok, nagging.

The weed/grass killer did not quite do the trick, so I sprayed straight white vinegar on it about a week ago. This past Saturday, after yet more begging, hubby tilled the patch using his Mom & Dad's Mantis:


So this morning, as the sun peeked out, y'all know I became rather stir crazy. I had to give Bear a bath to get her finger paint off of both of her forearms and hands. I did not wash her hair, knowing full well that we would be headed outside and another bath would be inevitable.

First I donned my trusty garden gloves which were a stocking stuffer from my parents at Christmas. Next, I dumped a previously purchased bag of compost over the area and roughed it up with a hand cultivator (rake-looking hand tool, for the non-gardeners). I pulled out clumps of grass/roots as I could, using the weed poker tool thingy (long pointy tool with two short fork-like prongs on the ends). I also chucked rocks onto the sidewalk as I encountered them.

Yesterday, a dear woman at our church who had taken us young Moms under her wing decorated our Mom's fellowship with flowers (along with the decorating coordinator for next year, I believe). I was able to take 11 impatien plants home, and they were the first flowers to be put into the flowerbed. I lined the street and driveway with them. Next, I dug up 3 of the acidanthera bulbs that I planted a few weeks ago. I had decided I did not like where they were placed. So I transplanted them to a new home around the mailbox, and planted the remaining 5 bulbs nearby. I also transplanted 4 or 5 daffodil bulbs, with greenery still attached to feed the bulbs with sunlight. I hope they take well. They were at LEAST 2 inches in diameter!!!! After the daffodils, I planted the iris rhizomes which a neighbor had dug up from her flowerbed well over a week ago.

By this point, Bear had grown tired of being outside and was not listening to anything I said. She picked off all the pansy flowers (thankfully they'll rebloom).

She kept playing hide and seek by running to the back patio. She refused to obey when I asked her to clean up her chalk that she had dumped all over the sidewalk. I tried a time out on the front porch, where her reflection occupied her for a bit. She finally helped me pick up the chalk, but then she refused to carry the box back to the garage where it belonged. So I stuck her inside the house, cleaned up as much of my mess as I could, and went inside to deal with a hungry little Bear. I put some Dora chicken noodle soup to simmer on the stove, then convinced Bear to help me water the newly planted flowers. I'm not sure if any of the water from her watering can made it to the flowerbed, but she was happy to "help", and stayed out of my way.

After lunch, Bear took another bath and got ready for nap time. I turned on her piano music CD (Jim Brickman), and she settled right down.

So back outside I went. I had one last little task. Well, three tasks, I guess. First, I planted some cosmos seeds in between the irises. I marked the seed locations with wooden toothpicks. Next, I planted a row of shasta daisy seeds along the sidewalk. I marked those with toothpicks as well. FINALLY, I sprinkled the remaining top soil (which I had mixed in with every plant, bulb, and rhizome I planted) over the flowerbed, mixed a final batch of fertilizer into my watering can, and watered my newly planted bed. The only thing left to do is mulch. If the HOA complains that it's not mulched yet, I'll ask them when they plan to have the landscapers mulch the front entrance to our neighborhood.

I really hope the irises are not planted too deep, and all the vinegar is out of the soil by now. It would be a shame to kill my plants after all this hard work. Hopefully the almost 80 lbs I added of compost and top soil will make up for any bad dirt.

The highlight of my day? While I was outside with Bear, a neighbor stopped by and asked if I wanted anything from her husband's deli across town. She gave me a few options, and I chose.
As I was planting the seeds after lunch (if Dora chicken noodle soup counts as a valid lunch, anyway), enjoying not having a toddler under foot, she returned with my order.... a chicken caesar wrap in a Spinach tortilla and a mango smoothie. I asked how much I owed her. "Nothing. You're our best neighbor." Now that's a way to make a pregnant woman cry. And I did not even have to share my smoothie with Bear!!!