English Emma Blooms

 Morning Reflection

It is a beautiful, misty English morning, and I love my backyard. It feels like an enchanted forest, filled with the sounds of birds and squirrels running around. It's just gorgeous.

Gardening Day

Today, I spent a lot of time writing in the morning. Later, I went to help Judy set up her new phone and loaded my car with items to bring back home.

In the late afternoon, I took Peanut out for a walk and did a lot of gardening. I planted purple and pink creeping thyme near the shed, along with clover and thyme all over the backyard. I’m excited as I’m expecting more seeds in the mail today and hope to find time to plant them!

Summer Enjoyment

I’m truly enjoying my summer break—spending time with friends, gardening, and having the chance to reflect.

I’m moving some flowers from the front bed to the side. Yesterday, I transplanted some Salvia and was amazed by how deep and long their roots were! They must have been there for a decade or more.

There is some poison ivy nearby that I need to remove. Additionally, there's poison ivy in the back that I can't treat with poison because Chewy seems to enjoy eating all the echinacea around it. I will have to dig it up and dispose of it that way. This is my new modus operandi—digging up the poison ivy. I might as well dig up the dandelions from the grass too, as I’m filling that area in with clover.

 On Sunday, I will have the entire day for gardening and relaxation. I’ll take care of business at Dr. Cho's and plant more clover, ensuring it gets five days of watering while I’m here.

 Yesterday, I did some gardening. I expanded the flower bed in the front garden little by little. First, I put down cardboard to cover the grass, and then I added mulch on top. Tomorrow, I plan to put down some seed, but I’m a little worried about the birds eating them. A few years ago, I planted hundreds of sunflower seeds, and none of them came up. To increase my chances of success, I think I will plant some directly in the soil and start others in a pot. This way, I will have two sources of the same plants. I will cover the pot with plastic wrap to keep the birds away and help it germinate.

Also yesterday, I watered the clover seeds and went into the alley behind the house to trim a tree. Unfortunately, I got locked out of the backyard when the gate shut. I had to run through the neighbor's yard to reach the street. As I crossed their yard, I jokingly said, "Please don't kill me," because their giant dogs went crazy, and I was a little worried I should have been more sneaky. Fortunately, one of the red-headed kids opened the gate and let me out.

 I want to expand the flower garden along the path to the back walkway. I will do this by moving some of the daylilies. I am also thinking of growing daylilies in pots. I can use the pile of leaf meal to put in the pots with some potting soil on top. GREAT IDEA!

Today, I planted some seeds in the backyard on some of the bald spots in the grass. The seeds are clover. Tomorrow, I have lots of gardening planned! I also weed-whacked the front and back. Now my body is recovering.