Thank Goodness For a Desiccating Wind Storm!

Thursday morning, the pile and the gardener's energy both much diminished
 

Thank goodness for today's desiccating wind event.!  It forces me to stay indoors and rest.  Five yards of bulk mulch spread,  which is the equivalent of ninety 1.5 cubic foot bags of bagged mulch.   About eighteen more bags worth to distribute.  I am really tired.  Not super sore, thanks to a daily Advil, and lavender bubble baths.

Upon delivery Tuesday morning: 

 

Friday morning.  So tired, had trouble taking a picture:

Before mulch:

After:

What remains:


Besides that, some spring floral beauty.  

Cerinthe and Salvia 'Pavement Purple' play so well together:


Rosa 'Molineux':

First sweet pea of the year!

Let's add in the breathtaking spring foliage of Acer 'Emperor I':

 Mulch is one way I give myself a bit of a gardening ego boost.  The plants really are the ones that provide the beauty--I give them all the credit.  But mulch improving the look of a garden--that's because of me. 
What garden activities may you really, really, really tired?  How do you motivate yourself to get through them?  How do you reward yourself for doing them? 

Comments

  1. I haven't had a big mulch delivery like that in a couple of years now but that's still number one on my list of exhausting jobs - it's even more tiring that digging up all that sod years ago and screening it for rocks and weeds. You're a star to get most of that spread so quickly. And your garden looks as good as it always does because you take such great care of each and every plant.

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    1. Well, stardom hurts! ;^) You remind me I still don't miss lawn. Bet you don't, either!

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  2. I'm right behind you! Exhausted after five days of mulching, with a couple more days to go. I can only manage a few hours at a time, then it's indoors to collapse and stare at a pile of unfolded clothes. At least I got them washed...

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    1. Whew! It is exhausting. Good idea to do a few hours at a time, to avoid injury. We have to take care of ourselves, too.

      Clothes are supposed to be folded?!? Who knew? ;^)

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  3. I was prepared to spread mulch this week until I realized that my truck tailgate handle is broken and I can't get it to open. That will have to be fixed before I haul anything. I find mulch so satisfying.

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    1. Mulch is about the most satisfying gardening thing, (except maybe for babying a plant along for years and finally seeing it thrive), but it is also the most arduous chore. Good luck with your tailgate issue. The mulch is waiting!

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  4. Wow, that is some pile of mulch to spread! Good work! I do a lot of my own trimming and I am always so tired when I get done. I want to do it myself because I feel I know better than anyone what I need to trim. I don't want them just chopped down! After I come in the house, have a big glass of water and relax with my iPad before I take a nice shower!

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    1. I agree about trimming. If you really know your plants, how they grow, when they grow, how they react to weather and trimming, you are the most skilled kind of gardener.

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  5. Wow, that's a lot of mulch moving! Let's see really tiring garden activities... 100's of trips up and down the stairs hauling sometimes heavy containers to get the basement garden back outside again. That one gets the legs and the arms and back exhausted. Oh and cleaning out the stock tank pond. Hauling buckets of water around the garden to empty the tank, then scooping out the wet heavy gunk (fallen leaves and needles, as well as soil and roots from containers the damn raccoons thrashed last fall) and finally bending over at an awkward angle to scrub the walls. My reward? A garden!

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    1. Wow that is a heck of a chore getting all your tender plants back out for the growing season. Be very careful on those stairs.

      I recommend a small "trash pump" ("trash" means the pump can handle dirty water) for your stock tank pond. I use mine to move collected rain water to plants, empty the fountains, and it saves a lot of effort better spent shopping for new plants, ha ha! Water is HEAVY.

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  6. Hello, first I have followed your wonderful/informative Blog since I found it 3 years ago. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and beautiful garden.
    What type of mulch do you use for your garden? Does it include organic compost? I have searched for the the past year for the best mulch for the succulent and water wise garde in California.
    Any suggestions? Thanks

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    1. Hello, GME! Thanks for your kind complement!

      I use mulch from a local company that delivers it in bulk. It is shredded tree trimmings that have been composted. This particular company composts to US Composting Council certification standards to be rich in nutrient levels and free of seeds, weeds, and pathogens. They also screen out broken glass and about 99% of plastic garbage fragments. I still found a few bits of plastic in 6 cubic yards, so it's about as clean as can be expected.

      Mulch is basically going to be a local product, so you are best off looking to see if there are any producers nearby that have a good reputation. Also your particular climate (California is a big place with many different climates) will determine what is going to be available and what is best for your garden.

      I would say IMO avoid the mulch that is chopped up shipping pallets dyed to an orangey, brown or black color, and is sold at the big box home improvement stores. The shipping pallets may have been contaminated with toxic chemicals and the material is dyed, not composted--it's not good for fire-prone areas.

      Does that help?

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  7. I need to do this chore too. Scares me seeing it all in a big pile like this. Ha...
    Beautiful blooms.

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    1. And I'm still tired!

      Hope you have some help with a big pile of mulch, if nothing else.

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  8. That is quite a workout, so I am glad you got some rest. Oh my-- I am obsessed with Japanese maples and yours is quite stunning.

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    1. I love JMs, though this is not their ideal climate. Arctostaphylos are a decent substitute for this region, so I planted a few of them, too.

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  9. That is a L-O-T of mulch! This task would wear anyone out!

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    1. I'm finally mostly recovered, two weeks later. Whew!

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