Checking things off the list!

What a productive 36 hours I have had -the weather has turned to cool, and I couldn't be happier! Windows open today, high of 75, sweatshirt in the morning, does wonders for uplifting my spirits!

I have officially started the fall cleanup and plantings, and have a self-imposed deadline of Sep 23rd to get it ALL done! I am hosting our squadron's Family Support Group "Halfway Party" at the end of the month and want the yard to reflect the endless work I seem to put into it, LOL, although usually you can't tell! We are celebrating making it halfway through our spouses' deployments with our sanity semi-intact!

First on "the List" was to get rid of those stupid jalapenos, check!

Next up was to wrap 25 "auction" boxes for our sailors on the boat - although the actual "packing" part of it was pretty pleasant since I had a few of the Gypsy girls over to help:

There's us not packing the boxes.... oh and look there we are again - not packing boxes, LOL

It's amazing that things got done at all :) We were able, however, to figure out how to put away 4 bottles of wine!

Another big check on the list was turning over responsibility for these seedlings! These were grown for the Master Gardener Fall Plant Sale, and were taking up too much space and I was afraid they were going to start getting eaten by critters out there at night.

Today was the first day I really got the full effect of both kids being in school - I got SO much done in the garden! Without having to look for the kids, make sure they weren't setting fires or inviting the neighborhood kids in to trash the house, etc I am amazed at how pleasant it was out there, and the beautiful weather didn't hurt, either.

Below: I got the entire left side of the fence weeded, look, there is actually a mulched bed in there underneath all the grass that had grown over it

Another shot further down the left side of the fenceline, got all the beds on this side of the yard cleaned out - not sure what's going in there yet. I could plant it all, but I really should be cover cropping these beds as I think they are a little deficient in "things".

The main fenced garden was cleared last week and got planted today. Piracicaba Broccoli, Waltham Broccoli, Snowball Cauliflower, Scallions and Parsley seedlings I started went in, and I sowed Olympia Spinach, Tango Lettuce, Mizuna Greens, Gourmet Mix Greens as well as dropped some Scarlet Runner Beans in on the old tomato PVC tower "just to see". It was too hot for them this summer, but now we may have day length issues, but you never know until you try, right? Insert "Shade Corn" flashback here...

Front Side of Zinnia/to be Pea bed

Oh Zinnias, where have you been all my life?

Still blooming like mad, couldn't bear to rip them out even though my peas need to get planted here. I erected a sort of background "wall" for them so they wouldn't flop all over the bed and I think they can share space with the peas now. I'm hoping they will help screen the little pea shoots from the birds as well.

Back side of new "wall" to keep the zinnias off of the peas.

Tomorrow I hope get out there and string my pea fence between the rebar in the bed and plant the seeds!

Still on the list, weed right side of fenceline, prune the berry canes and weed in there, weed & prune the graveled perennial area, burn Mt. Everest of berry canes and old cosmos, and "start to think about" weeding the area by the sheds aka the "asparagus bed" HA!

And a HUGE BONUS - hubby called today! Only the second time we have gotten a phone call in 4 months so we were very happy to hear his voice. They are in port in Dubai for a few days, then it's back out on the high seas again.

And oh yeah, I promised to fit some FUN into my list for us too... I better go figure out what that is going to be :)