Plants From Janice

 Yesterday, Janice, a friend and former work colleague, generously gave and delivered two Purple Cone flowers and two unknown variety of Golden Rod. Beautiful full grown plants from her own garden. Janice lives on the east side of Madison.  We worked together before I retired from the Environmental Resources Center. Thanks, Janice.

The next three pictures are about the planting process. As I commented in a past post, the first step is to create a bed by removing rocks.  Lucky for me, this step was already completed since the previous occupant did not survive the winter. So my labor was less intense compared to when we first developed the Gardens.

Here's the selected bed. Notice all the rocks surrounding the bed; placed there to supposedly prevent erosion of the fairly steep slope.  I guess it works but the weed barrier underneath the rocks definitely does not prevent weeds. Our ongoing battle with weeds is a testimony to the tenacity and adaptability of  weeds.  Also, note that because of our recent efforts, the surrounding rocky area is relatively weed free. 

 

Then,of course, there is the digging of the hole. The challenge is to maintain balance and equilibrium since you are working on a steep slope. Last week when I weeded this area, I lost my balance when pulling on a weed and took a tumble down the rocky slope. First time that has ever happened to me. Nothing broken and the only remaining reminder of my loss of being mindful is a black and blue mark on my upper arm.  

Here's a Golden Rod in its new home.  I hope the plant likes the new location and the transplanted east sider continues to thrive here on the close west side. I mulched the bed and gave the plant a good drink using water from a neighbor. Tomorrow, we will once again be connected to city water through the nearby fire hydrant.

I planted one of the Purple Cones in a bed just above this Golden Rod. The other Purple Cone and the second Golden Rod found homes across the commuter path and in areas that are in the Regent neighborhood.  

I checked this morning and all four new
Garden residents were upright and healthy. No wilting or other signs of shock from moving to the close west side.