Too Muddy To Dig

After a week of rain, it is still to wet to do much.  Can't rototill the site for the new compost bin, can't mow the grass, can't walk on the soil around the flower beds to weed them.

So here is a picture of the meadow bed as seen from the house...

It is a joy to see every morning, a joy to see when the afternoon sun shines on the flowers, and wonderful to stand next to watching the cloud of happy pollinators visiting all the flowers. 

I am amazed at all the insects!  I have hummingbirds and large butterflies (I really should learn to identify them) but the number of small bees (neither Bumbles nor Honey) is amazing.  I knew OF them, just never saw them in any numbers before.  I think there are some I can encourage more.  Mason bees like nesting in straw-packed cluster.  I have straws.  Carpenter bees like 5/8" holes in scatterred blocks of wood, and I can make those.  Other minor bees and fly pollinators just need the flowers that are growing there. 

This may be the best use of some yard space I've ever done.  I'm generally organic.  This may be the best place they have for a mile around. 

My little neighborhood used to be surrounded by fallow farmland plots and wild fields.  It seems all developed now.  I may be their last good spot to live.  If I ever had a better reason not to move, that's it.

And if they also want to pollinate my veggies, Yay!

Busy As Bees We Is, Part 4

The last post in this series is the Hummingbird/Bee/Butterfly Garden.

I have this 10' diameter edged area I intended for one plant but it spreads through seeds elsewhere.  Lysymachia Firecracker is an EVIL plant!  I am seeking to kill it before it spreads further.  Herbicide is not out of the question though I try to stay organic.  It doesn't die being scraped off at ground level; apparently, I'll have to dig each and every one out deeply.

But that left the place it was intended for.  So I bought some individual hummingbird, butterfly and bee seed mixes.  The flowers can grow in the medium soil I have, but want a good soil for germinating.  And they do best without much weed competition.

I have a big rototiller.  But it doesn't work very well in small areas or with a lot of grass roots.  So last year, I bought a little electric tiller.  It won't get more than a few inches deep. but it is light and I can hold it in place over stubborn weeds to grind down below the roots.

I'm a few days behind the actual events, but a few days ago, I dragged it out and used it in the bed.  I went north/south once and east/west once.  Then I dragged it backwards along the inside edge of the plastic edging.  I raked out most of the rocks and dumped two 5 gallon buckets of rocks along the fenceline (well, they have to go "somewhere").

Then I spread 1/2" of 50/50 compost/topsoil mix on the raked surface.  After that, I spread the hummingbird, butterfly and bee seed mixes on the surface and added another 1/8" loose soil on top.  Moistened the whole area with a mister nozzle (to not move the seeds).

Can't wait to see what grows!