leder legends

  Last year I extended a flowerbed but did not finish adding the last 2 layers recommended - top soil and mulch.  I did put a few plants in that area and they are thriving.   Top soil required for this space is costly so I pick up what I can for free. Yesterday, I got 9 buckets of soil and 9 buckets of old cow manure .... a drop in the bucket as it were - lol! I’ll need so much more but what a lot of work! Sheet or lasagna mulching worked for me! Manure... well cured and not smelly! Dirt...not sure if it’s too good but free is good! I got the soil and then dumped them so I would be able to use the buckets again! The manure is still in the buckets because I ran out of steam !!! I can’t believe I went to bed at 9:30 and got over 8 hrs of sleep! Crazy...for me! Surprisingly,  I am not terribly stiff this morning.  The reason why I need the manure! That big one is call Liberty!

  “And we get to live here”  Tulip Time is celebrated for 2 weeks every year in Holland, MI which is about 40 minutes from Grand Rapids! It’s a BIG deal! Millions of tulips are planted every year-  in parks and businesses and yards AND curbside for blocks and blocks! It’s beautiful!  I live close by and never go! So dumb!   It was a wonderfully warm and sunny day and we needed a break, so t wo friends and I finally went a few days ago. We started off with brunch at Holland’s only Dutch restaurant, De Boer”s ,  and I enjoyed a sampler- pea or mustard soup, sausage roll., croquette, bread , good Dutch cheese and krackelen.  A great cup of coffee is served there as well! It brought back memories of my childhood! Then we headed off to see the tulips.   Window on the Waterfront was our first stop and it did not disappoint! So many tulips, so many colors, not too terribly crowded and parking was close by.  We then headed down Tulip Lane - cur...

   Today, I put up a board with oranges and a few hours later we got a visitor! A few minutes later we saw another visitor.  This one was not invited! A nice fat one!

  At a rental yesterday, a tree lost a large branch.  It landed beside the house blocking the side porch and covering the sidewalk along the side of the house and also into the neighbor’s yard.  I went there with a small hand clippers and a 3ft pair of clippers.   I was able to cut off all the smaller parts, drag them to the back and filled my SVU.   I took my full vehicle to the city yard waste dump and got rid of it all right away!  It took me about 3 hours... not too bad! The trouble is that I don't even think it's my tree! My son is coming with a chain saw tomorrow!

  We had glorious spring weather 3 weeks ago and I was quite certain that I would see lots of pips ... hosta pips... leafing out by now. But alas, it’s been slow because of the unseasonably cold weather. They are slowly filling the pots so I will have to be patient.  The forecast is for warm weather AFTER today!  We have been blessed with spring rains but I have no idea how much. I so carefully put away the rain gauge last fall so that it would not freeze and crack like in previous years and of course, I have not been able to find it!   

  Our local conservation district had a tree sale but they are basically twigs !! The trees came in bundles of 5 minimum and were not cheap.  I bought 3 bundles- flowering dogwood, highbush cranberry and 5 linden trees. I spent $90 plus tax -so about $6 for each twig.  I guess that’s a bargain IF they all survive!  One highbush cranberry of a decent size costs about $30 at local nurseries. HIGHBUSH CRANBERRY- I just read that it takes about 5 years for one to start blooming so I’m hopeful...haha... that’ll I’ll live to see it!  ... what I want... ...what I have... FLOWERING DOGWOOD-Flowering dogwood also takes five to seven years to blossom! I should have done my homework...haha! I’m still hopeful!  ...what I want... ...what I have... AMERICAN LINDEN- I heard that the linden tree can be fast growing which attracted me to it.  My large maple shade tree is half dead and will need to be replaced by this linden BUT today I read that aphids and other leaf e...