Mid-September

The main work of deck construction is finished!

Jim has mentioned possibly putting a roof over it, but for now has turned his attention to tinkering several of his tractors.

There are steps off the right hand edge--where I thought a ramp might be built. That may happen later as well. 

The 'beds' for the outdoor cats remain tucked against the left hand rail of the original porch, an eyesore, but the two old cats, Willis and Sally, are accustomed to them.

I'm hoping to see brick pavers laid along the front edge of the deck, but have been told that the ground there is packed so hard it would take some vigorous work with a shovel, a layer of weed barrier, and sand to provide a stable base for the bricks.

We drove to Glasgow on Monday thinking that Rural King or Lowes might have patio furniture. The websites of both stores showed a selection in stock and on sale. When we got there we were told that the furniture had all been removed from the sales floors in early August.

I admit to being annoyed--if an item isn't for sale, remove the details from the stores' websites!

For our first morning using the deck we dragged out some folding camp chairs; on the second day Jim carried out our Amish-made bentwood rockers, purchased when we were living at the Amish farmhouse with its large wrap-around porch.  These have been in the east sunroom. Unless/until there is a roof over the deck we'll be hauling the chairs inside during rainy weather. [Rain would be a novelty at this point! We are back in drought mode.]

We seem to have collected an assortment of chairs: a pair of faux wicker cushioned armchairs that live in the west sunroom [seldom used] a very comfortable wicker rocker with cushion presented by our niece, and a huge wooden Cracker Barrel rocker donated by her daughter. 

Jim quite regularly decides he isn't comfortable with the chair in his room where he watches TV, so there is a grand shuffling of furniture. The wicker rocker has moved to the east sunroom, as has the Cracker Barrel rocker. A dilapidated leather rocker/recliner is now back in Jim's space.

The resident cats enjoy checking out these changes !

New retaining wall for the sloping area below the porch. I debated how I wanted to handle this; there is no depth of decent soil there, nor is the 'bed' wide enough to allow for shrubs, even of a dwarf variety. I thought of dwarf hydrangeas or such in large tubs, but a discussion with the owner of my favorite nursery discouraged that. 

Jim laid some of the extra pavers over the relocated 'dirt' and plunked the various planters there. The plants in them have struggled during the prolonged heat and drought, with little in the way of bloom to show at the end of the season. 

This is the area where my Lauren's Grape poppies have self-sown each year. Hopefully those which have sprung up the past two seasons around the side door to the shop will do so in the spring and I will have seeds to scatter elsewhere.

I need to grub out some iris and invasive lemon balm which have tangled in the space below the downstairs window--always another job to consider, another area to refurbish and maintain.

 I bought 8 pansy plants at my favorite nursery last Friday, potted them up last evening.

Persian Carpet zinnias raised from seed. They've grown lanky in their container but have survived this arduous summer.

I had no idea the Michaelmas daisies /wild asters would be as invasive as they've become. 

They are so aggressive that some have to be weeded out, but the variety of purple, lavender, rose and dusty pink means that some of each color are keepers.

Monarda Lemon Bergamot, raised from seed is a winner.

I gave a plant or two to daughter Gina for her color-coordinated raised beds and she now has a thriving clump of it.

Bees and butterflies are much attracted to it.

Ragged cosmos in the raised bed along the greenhouse wall. Limited watering there, but they have survived, pushing through the branches of buddleia.

Cosmos in the newest raised bed.

The soil mix purchased for that bed hasn't been really satisfactory--it has settled and compacted, not enough humous to retain moisture.

Poor germination of the achillea seeds purchased this spring. They were designated as 'shades of red.' 

Six seedlings made it to the transplanting stage--one languished and died. The remaining five are thriving in one of the black bin-beds and this lovely blossom is rewarding. 

No break in the heat forecast until next week--and still no rain!