Sharon's Flower of the Day: What's up in the garden for the week of May 17-23

This is a recap of what happened from May 17-23.

Garden tasks tackled

Monday -After I got home from work today I decided to clean up the area I've used as my dumping ground for supplies. I got my rocks, bricks and wood mostly cleared out of the area and then outlined a garden bed with some of the quarry rock (got it from Craigslist last year). I'll bring in some soil to even it out and to enrich what's there and then I'll plant the red twig dogwood that I removed from the chicken compound (because they were eating its leaves) and an unknown bush that my friend Janet gave me. The bushes will help screen the view of the boat, they won't hide it but will hopefully stop the eye short of noticing the boat first off.
As you can see in the photo the work has just begun! We used to have a temporary carport for the boat but it got demolished in the February 2014 storm, luckily not causing any damage to the boat.

I also planted up some annual morning glory vines that I started in my cold frame. I hope they survive the slugs and snails and make a nice show of purple blooms.

Finally want to do something with this "no man's land" in back.

Tuesday - I pulled out all my iris order forms and old catalogs and did the best I could at identifying most of the irises that I have in the garden. At least those that bloomed this year. Not all that I have purchased bloomed this year. I was thrilled to run across a "map" of the original iris bed that I planted; it helped tremendously. I want to be able to redo the iris bed this year so I want to know what's what. I then tagged the photos I've taken this year so I can keep track of them. This job actually took hours to complete but I am so glad to have done it. I plan to feature the iris in a blog post of their own in the near future when they are done blooming.

Original iris bed as seen from the sidewalk. Needs work.

Wednesday - Today I decided to build the second composting "bin" in the chicken compound. I'd like to be able to turn it from one bin to the other or at least have one for finished compost and one for materials that are still breaking down, especially since chicken manure goes in the compost and I don't want to put it on my plants when it is too "hot" for them. I just used some supplies I had here as well as a half pallet I brought home from the store. After getting that finished I decided to move the plastic bin into the chicken compound as well. It was quite a bit of work to empty it out, level a spot for it and then transfer most of the materials back into it. I was able to spread some into the new garden bed I am making and then leave some in place so I can now use that space for a little garden. It's great to NOT have the big black box next to the pot that holds the passionflower vine.

We got rain tonight, though not as much as I would have liked. Can hardly believe I am saying that; there was a time I really never wanted it to rain but now I realize it means less lugging hoses around or worrying about the state of the lawn and flowers.

Thursday - Today there was very little time to spend in the yard as I had a lengthy dentist appointment and then errands and I took time out to make a project at the Glass Fuser. Maybe I'll hang my artwork out in the garden. I did take time to make tags for the irises and got them put on. Some of the blooms are coming to and end and I wanted to get them tagged up before I couldn't remember which they were.
Cole moved most of the wood chips from the area where I want to develop the new garden bed.

Friday - Today was a day for decorating cookies. Some were for a baby shower (shown here) and others for my nephew's graduation next week.

Saturday - Today was another day that didn't afford much time in the garden as I had catch up work to do in the house.

What's blooming or growing this week

The Coral Sunset peony's solitary bloom continues to fade out from bright coral to ivory. The calla lilies and passionflower bloomed on Monday the 18th, as did the yellow coreopsis. More iris have bloomed and some are now finished. The white rhododendron is loaded with blooms, I don't remember it ever being so full.