FORGOT HOW PUNISHING THIS GARDEN WORK IS

My boss and I both had a terrible case of spring fever on Friday, so we both called it a day around 3:00pm.  It was way too warm and sunny and I had way too much to do in the garden to spend all day inside on the computer!  First I had to get the new containers into place on the fresh stump.  We used rocks and sticks to level the pots, then we filled them 2/3 of the way with soil from last year's tomato containers so no one finds pretty new pots by the road and drives off with them.  My last comment is that these are going to be a bitch to plant up and I still don't know what will go in them, but it won't be high maintenance because I won't be climbing up there too often: 

Our kitchen table was a little overwhelmed with the rosemary, lavender, seedling tray, onion sets, and hyacinths so I decided it was warm enough outside for the herbs and into pots they went.  I also transplanted the tarragon into the new blue container on the left because the water running off the house (no gutters) really did a number on it:

 

I also transplanted those cute little strawberries that grew from runners in the fall into another new container and pulled the brown leaves off the others...they need a little new soil on top still, but overall, looking good:

 

VPH was a crucial part of the next work, I really don't think I could have done it without him and a tarp.  Remember the containers of perennials that needed more soil?  Well no one gave me any ideas for making it simpler than tipping over the pot, putting additional soil in the bottom and replacing the plants, so that's what I had to do.  We decided to start with the smallest one thinking it would be the easiest.  You can't really see it here, but there are a few fern fiddle-heads coming up, so I had to do this carefully:

Unfortunately, what you can't see is that the lip of the pot is slightly tapered in, so no matter what I did, the freaking contents would not flip out.  I finally had to sort of reach in and scoop it out.  It was messy, it was sloppy, but I think it will all survive.  I also added some soil to the top because the crowns of the ferns were a little exposed:

A slightly larger pot and I needed VPH to lift it up and turn it over carefully into my waiting hands.  See the hosta and astilbe coming up?  I was worried I'd snap them:

 

He then added soil to the bottom of the empty container and I flipped the plants back in safely, phew!  I added a little soil on top too:

No fiddle-heads from the Cinnamon fern yet, but the hosta was just poking up.  The heuchera's in awesome shape:

 

After a careful examination I decided this one only needed some soil on top.  Honestly, I just don't know how we could have turned it over without crushing that heuchera, though it could probably have taken the abuse:

I didn't grab a before shot of this container, but it has lamium, hosta, and astilbe coming up and it was in pretty good shape.  I just topped it off with some soil and tidied up the lamium: 

And we kept the biggest pain in the ass of the afternoon for last.  This large square container (at least 2 feet high and full of soil).  That's lamium trying to take over the entire container, but some creeping jenny's fighting for space, and beneath all of that I found a hosta and an astilbe:

VPH and I lifted it down together and carefully turned it upside down.  Nothing.  It must be tapered on top too because I could see through the finger-sized hole on the bottom of the pot that it had shifted down, but the container would not lift up off the contents.  I shook, I hit, I rocked, nothing worked.  In desperation I finally decided to shove soil into the overturned container through the drainage hole and used a metal plant stake to distribute it around.  It took a while, but it worked.  I also threw a bit on top:

 

I love my containers and I can't wait to see if wildflowers will grow around them: 

 

Saturday's big project is finally getting a floor into the shed.  Then we can move the shelves from the old pop-up shed to the real shed.  For some reason I'm the only one looking forward to this project.  I can't imagine why.

Comments

[keewee]

That was a lot of work. I love the color of your pots.

[Debbie]

Heather,

That does indeed look like a lot of work - but I'm sure the rewards are gorgeous. I'm looking foward to seing how all those beautiful pots look in bloom on your hillside. Where did you get those colorful containers?

[Tatyana]

Love all your blue pots!

[Melisa]

You've got it looking good, girl!

[Heather's Garden]

Keewee -- Thanks, I'm definitely partial to blue!

Debbie -- Thanks, it was hard work, but it was fun to be in the garden again. Ocean State Job Lots is my not-so-secret source for inexpensive durable pots.

Tayana -- Thanks, I love them too!

Melisa -- Thanks, I can't wait to see my babies grow!

[Patrice]

Definitely, that's a lot of work. Nice blue colored pots by the way.

[Heather's Garden]

Patrice -- Thanks! The pots really add some color to the garden year round.