Gardening with dogs

Today was the day for planting my container garden. The day was open, the weather was suitable, and it was time. I was heading to my favorite local nursery, "Plants N Things" but learned that the Fluvanna high school was having a plant sale today so I stopped there first. I was glad I did. There is a greenhouse behind the school that I didn't know anything about, and apparently the students grow and sell bedding plants. I wish my high school had had such a thing. There was a saw mill back there too. They were very nice plants, particularly the portulaca. I left with two flats full of plants and then picked up six more at the nursery.

The two flats on the ground leaning up against the glider are
the ones I bought from the high school. I was much impressed.

I don't do fall clean up so I needed to pick up and rake before I could start planting. I use my utility cart to mix potting soil and fertilizer, dumping most of the pots and re-working the soil. Some of the heavier ones I didn't dump this year, I just pulled out any dead plants remaining, worked up the soil, and added in some fertilizer as I planted.

This is the "before" picture, still has last year's dead plants.

I had a variety of canine assistants throughout the day. I had Maya in a crate on the front porch for a while so she could be with me and watch what was going on. Theo spent quite a bit of time with me, but after he found a tennis ball he made a pest of himself wanting me to throw it all the time. Vince and Samantha came out, but Samantha thought it was dinner time. Gigi even came out for a while since I wasn't hanging out in the office which is where she expects me to be during the day.

Cookie wanted to be helpful, but she's
so in-your-face about it that she was
in the way. She finally found a nice
spot to lay down and just watch.

I got everything planted that I had bought and then went up to Lowe's to check out their selection. I'm not done yet, but I'm close enough that now I know what I need to finish up. We plan to hit Strange's Nursery over in Richmond on Sunday and I should be able to get everything else there. There are generally a few more pots to fill and a few more stops to make for the next several weeks, but the vast majority of it should be done by the end of this weekend.

Theo is very dependable about sticking around.

This is that pretty portulaca I got from the high school.
Good plants and lots of color.

Vince cruising by, supervising the other dogs.

Theo, Cookie, and Samantha on the front porch.

Gigi stopping by for a drink from the water
garden. A couple of the water plants made it
through the winter.

Samantha and Gigi

Gigi and Theo

After she realized I wasn't out there to feed, she
picked a spot and laid down for a while, It was hot
today, but we had shade and nice breeze.

It's not fully planted yet, but it's cleaned up
and looking much better now.