The waiting game.

Patience is not one of my virtues. I've been working on it, but it's still a struggle. I just don't like going nowhere. I feel like things need to progress, things need to get done, and then you can move on to the next. Yes, I am also an avid list maker. I'm also finding that if something doesn't keep my attention, I will move on to something that does. This doesn't help the waiting game, and is the root of my many started, few finished projects. I am dangerously close to the edge when it comes to my garden and am hoping progress is around the corner.

I haven't seen much change in awhile, but I was thinking tonight about all the little changes I've seen recently as well as what I've decided to do differently next year.

This is my one zinnia so far. After the first batch that I attempted to start inside, Papa gave me some seeds. These are planted next to the driveway in a spot that gets the least amount of water in the yard. Go figure. I do have some others that started growing in the garden, but they all became snacks for the slugs and are now skeletons. So, #1 on the list to do next year will be to start zinnia, marigolds, and allysum again, but this time it will be a bunch of seeds in a bigger planter instead of individual peat pods. And, I'm crossing my fingers I can save some of the seeds of the bloom on the left.

Tip #2: Do not believe the lady at the garden center when she tells you that blueberry bushes can handle full sun all afternoon. Not true. Our blueberry bushes are in the garden. It gets sun, but is shaded by trees by 3 or 4 in the afternoon. They started out great this year, but when the temps started hitting in the upper 80's, we (ok, by we, I mean my wonderful husband) had to put shade up. They did this last year, but I thought it was because we'd put them in too late. While I got a handful of delicious berries, most of them have now whithered up. I am praying that they will make it through the rest of the heat so I can relocate them to whiskey barrel pots in the fall.

#3: I also do not want to forget to relocate my peonies. They are in the grass. I think they got a fungus because of this and did not bloom. I do however have half a dozen new chicks shooting off from my hens!! I am plotting their re homing, but have yet to decide where. A pot, by the driveway, by the steps, oh the possibilities!

I saw an article somewhere about cardboard composting. A couple had moved into a new house with weeds everywhere. They took all their cardboard from moving, flattened it out, and laid it in the areas where the weeds needed controlling. They then topped the garden areas off with top soil and mulch. It kept the weeds down, and was an easy barrier to poke a hole in when planting. In the very least, this fall I want to make mulch out of all our fallen leaves. (#4)

My tomatoes are growing in number every day. Each plant has at least a few on them; the romas are going berserk. I just keep willing them every day to start turning red! And last but not least, I did make a new discovery tonight:

. . .my little cucumber.