First planting day

I got a rather slow start on Sunday, not getting outside to work until noon, but still put in a pretty full day and got a good start on planting my container gardens.

The dogs all helped, in varying degrees. 

I spent an absurd amount of time just picking up sticks that had fallen from the maple trees since fall. Once I had them broken up and stacked in the cart, they looked too valuable as kindling so I couldn't bring myself to just dump them on the brush pile in the pasture. Once the sticks were cleaned up I used a blower to remove leaves from the garden area and then chopped them up with the mower - very green if you ignore the petroleum I burned to reduce them to mulch using the mower. The time spent picking up sticks served another purpose, however, it gave me time to think, plan, and devise. 

I had made an early morning run to Lowe's for potting soil and fertilizer, and after the sticks and leaves were cleaned up I made a run to my local nursery, Plants-N-Things, in Fluvanna county. I loaded up five flats with plants in no time, then headed home to start planting. Every year I buy more plants than I need and this year I've resolved to cut back. I'll still fill everything around here that can hold soil, but I've come to realize at the end of the summer that I could have achieved the same full, lush look, with a lower plants per container ratio. In other words, I need to trust that things will grow. 

The dogs hung out with me as I planted. Tilly really wants to help with everything. She's still practically a pup and everything is new and exciting to her. Max was always nearby too, either chewing up a jolly ball or looking for a stick to carry. Maya spent some time in the pasture but then wanted to go back in the house to nap. Killian wanted to join her but I kept him outside for the most part. Della performed her supervisory role from the back of the open van, or after the trip to the plant store, from her bed in the driveway. 

It occurred to me last night that if anyone has started following this blog in the past two years, they might not know that Killian is one of the twelve puppies that Della blessed us with shortly after her arrival. He's a harlequin like Della, but he's much more laid back. He slept in the bedroom with us last night and Della was ok with that, although he wasn't allowed over on her side of the room. 

I kept Vger out in Daneland during the day again but brought him out after the other dogs had gone inside or back to the dog yard for dinner. We played ball for a while, but then he wanted back into Daneland, he really likes that space. I got it mowed this morning so it's easier for him to the find the balls when I throw them. He's been fine with both Maya and Della now. Tomorrow I'll try him with Tilly. 

Della keeping an eye on things from her bed in the back of the open van.

Killian

Killian helped himself to Della's bed while she was off doing farm dog stuff.

Max chewing a stick as I was planting in the flamingo garden.

Tilly was always nearby.

Here's a tight shot with everyone in it. 

Killian is taller, heavier, and he doesn't have Della's long black sleeve.

Vger loves me and his ball.