The Dwarf Mexican Petunias Arrived

I was outside most of yesterday—the DWARF Mexican Petunia plants came, and I had to dig TWENTY holes, amend them, plant them, and water them.  I know you know that with the clay here, digging and amending involved the shovel, the Maddox, two bags of sand, 1 1/2 bags of compost/manure, bone meal, my heavy boots (to support my formerly sprained ankle which does get sore with the hard digging), the hose, yada, yada…. Each plant is healthy, but tiny, but I basically had to dig a trench down the front of the front bed to get the holes deep enough to amend them properly.  Then I had to put back the pine straw and fussy it back around the plants.  They look perky this morning.  

I think the front azaleas are struggling with the heat. They are, again, a pale color. I don’t want to fertilize them in this heat, but will spend more time watering them I think. The ones on the side of the house are a rich green color.

While the hose was out I spot watered the now dry patches in the grass and all the shrubs.  And went on to do the far side of the house and then went around back to water as well.  I kind of like the Zen of these watering moments—and walking neighbors stop to visit.

I started outside in the fairly early morning—having discovered while having my morning coffee that the plants had been on my doorstep since yesterday afternoon late.  I took them to the hose and soaked them.  They were beautifully packed for shipping.  It was HOT, so after an hour of digging, I was totally soaked with sweat and feeling the heat.  Likely temps had reached 90+.  The sun is on that front bed until mid-afternoon—so I went inside and showered to cool off.  I went back when the sun was on the back of the house so the front was shady.  There was still hard work to do, but there was shade and a strong breeze.  Coastal rain clouds raced by, but none stopped to give us some much-needed rain. 

A friend sent me a post this morning that described a huge solar spot/flare on the sun right now. Very huge–bigger than Earth. Apparently sun flares can impact our weather in negative and unpredictable ways.

I have not sewed upstairs for two days now, what with one thing and another. BUT, the third border is now on “the quilt from hell,” and the darker border is making that quilt sing. One more side to go.