English Emma Blooms

It’s another beautiful morning, and I’m looking forward to a full day in the garden. Yesterday, I spent time outside digging, trimming, and getting my hands dirty, and it was exactly what I needed. I  weeded a few beds, and soaked in the joy of watching everything thrive under the summer sun.

After a little walk with Peanut (who was already in full patrol mode), I dove straight into the front and side beds. There’s something about the rhythm of gardening that steadies me. I noticed which plants were thriving and which ones needed a bit more love—and I started dreaming about where I might tuck in some late-summer blooms.

As I worked in the garden, a chipmunk darted out and then back again—just a flash of curiosity. Peanut, however, was not amused. He stood his ground when a truly giant dog passed by, barking with all the confidence of a dog ten times his size. He’s small, but he sees himself as the guardian of our green kingdom.

Later in the day, I went to Connie’s to help with her garden. She has a lovely space, but there was quite a bit of poison ivy. I told her right away—I don’t do ivy! Sure enough, I brushed against some, so I washed up with Dawn dish soap before heading back into the dirt. Despite the scare, I ended up gardening for about an hour. It felt good to help a neighbor bring some order and beauty to her space.

Once I was home, I took a long, hot shower—my favorite reward after a full day of digging and pulling. That familiar, earned ache from being in the garden is one of my favorite feelings.

Here is the west part of my front yard. I have a bunch of columbines and Penstemon here that I want to move to the backyard.

This is the circle garden where the gardening started. I have lots of creeping Charlie here that I need to get rid of! I also need to move the plants around the Korean fir and put down boxes and mulch to cover where they were. I will do this when my next boxed Amazon shipments come. I am out of boxes at the moment.

This is where I am growing my Salvia. I want to move the Penstemon here and remove some of the black-eyed Susans. They crowd out everything else.

Here is my finished tree project. I think I will plant some flowers to the right of the tree so it is more balanced.

For June, I have decided to give up Facebook games and Instagram to focus on spending more time outdoors and improving my quality of life. My other challenge is to go swimming every day that I can, starting on June 8, after school ends on Thursday.

I also plan to dedicate time to gardening every day. Mornings offer more opportunities for outdoor activities, and I want to make the most of that time. I have been thinking about my garden and the bulbs I have. I have too many bluebells, which tend to fall over and suffocate other plants. I may need to deleaf them. Additionally, I have an excess of daylilies that I might sell at the yard sale. They could be popular if they bloom simultaneously. I will look for some decent pots to sell them in.

I have a lot of poison ivy in my garden. I plan to take a thick trash bag and uproot them carefully, similar to how I would pick up after a pet. It makes me nervous because I want to avoid coming into contact with the oil that causes itching.

In the mornings, I’ll make sure to enjoy the beauty of the garden and the time spent outdoors. Gardening is an essential part of my routine, and I’m excited to continue nurturing my plants.

 Yesterday for gardening, I planted some more clover and ground cover. I dug up some poison ivy and moved another salvia. I have five in a row now. My next challenge is preparing the soil and the patch for the new wildflowers I am going to plant. Maybe sunflowers? Actually, I think I will focus on weeding this week because I will be gone for the weekend. It was supposed to rain next weekend, but now it is not, so I can't really plant anything new. Oh! I can plant the Canna and the elephant ear. They don't need to be watered daily. I have to figure out where to put them.

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.