Maintenance projects in Millie’s garden

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Oh what a difference a year can make.  Last year was a year full of planting, planting, and more planting.  Which meant watering, watering, and more watering.  

This year, we have resolved to make a couple of strategic plantings and invest our time in maintaining and observing the garden before making any additions.  We want to be intentional in what we add.  We want to pay attention to the details in order to help us inform future plantings.

It has been so wonderful to watch the spring bulbs emerge and bloom, and to watch in anticipation to see other plants reemerge after a winter’s hibernation.  On our daily walks, there’s always something new to find and discover.  Some new things haven’t sprouted, but have been surprise maintenance projects that Chou Chou has done while we’ve been out.  It started with a planting of about 20 hydrangea bulbs and “cookies” around the beds.

“Cookies”

For at least the first ten times Chou Chou or Mon Cœur mentioned cookies, I headed for the kitchen. I thought, “Great idea!  I would love a glass of milk and cookies!” only to remember that they were referring to wooden discs.

For the next few days, Chou Chou would cut the cookies and we would all arrange them around the raised beds. We moved on to the other beds of the garden and are still working on surrounding each rose, tree, or plant that is in the garden.

I love the definition it gives to the beds and that it marks other flowers throughout the garden so that they do not get mowed over by any well meaning helpers.

Mulch

After the cookies were in, Chou Chou got a truck load of mulch. Between weather and work schedules, MC and I were the first to get to the mulch and begin spreading. I have never been so excited to spread mulch.

I really didn’t want to spend the money on mulch, but it was so cheap, and…did you see the before and after?… This was definitely a worthwhile investment. One could argue it does or doesn’t look professional, but I think we can all agree that with mulch looks so much better than without!

Decorative additions

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Other surprises we’ve found in the garden are cut cedar logs for seats at MC’s tea party table, and a bird bath.  The bird bath is a perfect addition to help attract all manner of winged creatures.  We have already spent a great deal of time at MC’s table – drinking our morning coffee, reading, or just enjoying a break in the shade of the cedar tree.

A work in progress

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Above are some other photos from the garden – tulips, bugle carpet, and narcissus in bloom right now.  

Sometimes I look at the images I take in the garden and wonder, “Should I post these? Do I need to retake this? Maybe I just shouldn’t share? Look at all those rocks and dirt…”

I’m no professional photographer or stylist. This isn’t a professional blog.  This is me and my family, living our lives.  And these are raw pictures depicting the same.  They show the progress and growth of a garden which symbolizes both our daughter/sister that we won’t meet until God knows when and the abundance of love we have for her.

I’ll leave you with this image that Chou Chou shared with me a couple of days ago – a moment he captured while working out in the garden…Millie, enjoying the phlox.  We have seen many of these Tiger swallowtail butterflies, as well as smaller butterflies, and we have greeted each with the same greeting, “Hello, Millie!”  In fact, as I was preparing this post, MC said, “Mommy may I see Millie again?” She was talking about this picture…

What butterflies have you spotted this spring?

For previous garden updates, check out the links below:

• You can read about three early spring addition to Millie’s garden here;
• Early spring updates here;
• Summer updates here;
• Spring and summer additions here;
• Our nursery haul here;
• December additions here;
• Fall additions here;
• The end of week one progress here;
• Check out the grotto in progress here;
• Read about the chopping of our cherry tree here;
• and see what we started with in our before pictures here.

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