Already the end of July—Yikes! Where has this summer gone?

The rain has been absolutely wonderful, with more in the forecast! My question is…why don’t folks put their sprinkler systems on a ‘rain delay’? I was at a government type business a couple of days ago—taking care of a friend’s dog—the sidewalks were flooded and algae was growing. 

And then it poured cats and dogs on Wednesday night! Lo and behold, the sprinklers were on when I went back to walk the little dog on Thursday morning. Enough already—take a look at your sprinkler controls and check out the rain delay. You could probably leave it on for the next week, or more, if the forecast holds true.

In Mom’s Flower Garden, we have made great progress—with everything! The area between the sidewalk and the highway is almost totally weeded and I finally found time to treat the soil with Weed Impede. After you spray the WI, you have to water it in for around 30 minutes. I’m just telling you that, in case you saw me watering and wondered why I would be planting that area—I’m not. Only time will tell if the spraying keeps some of the weed seeds from germinating. Weed Impede is supposed to keep on working for four months so I’m hoping.

On Thursday I met a new friend, named Heather Scott—she is from Del Norte. She wanted to do some volunteer work, and Friday morning we got after it! We planted many perennials, and some ornamental cabbages and some dianthus, which are usually sold as annuals, but come back like perennials. After a little bit of rototilling, I will be planting some Russian Sages and some Butterfly Bushes. BB aren’t usually rated for our area, but since one came back at the First Southwest Bank I decided to try a few in a more open area. We also planted a number of tall Phlox, which I have never had before, but I loved the colors I had, and decided they reminded me of my Mom and Grandma. THANK YOU, HEATHER!

Oh…do you remember a year or so ago, I told you I had found a worm in this garden and how happy I was? Well yesterday, I was pretty ecstatic, because I am finding worms everywhere! Any gardener would understand how wonderful this is. Simple pleasures!

In the next few weeks I am hoping to get the next 20’ or so rototilled and the foundation plants in. One of the chores will be moving some of the rocks that were placed in the back of the garden to the front—trying to spread them out as much as I can. I had hoped to get the rocks from the City of Alamosa that were in the Monterrey Café area—(they bulldozed them)—but no luck with that—oh, well. It will be a little more work, but what else is new? I need the exercise.

If you would like to help with Mom’s Garden, please come by the Green Spot and we can set up a time that works for both of us. And Linda Cordova just might bring you a coffee—like she did for me! Thank you Linda, it was perfect—and glad the girls at Starbucks knew what I like.

Other than worms, I am also excited about the Society Hall billboard area on Sixth St. Behind the Green Spot (after investigating our burglary) I found these little concrete pillars buried under dirt and leaves. Using my little brain, I figured these would help me edge the area in front of the SH sign where earlier I had added Fox Farm Soil Conditioner and rototilled. I plan on planting either a couple of Sumacs, or a couple of Evergreens or maybe a Barberry or two and if there is room a Russian Sage and a few perennials. The concrete pillars are from 1982 and I have been told they are core samples from some project that was done at that time. Anyone have an idea? Who knows how Hank Oba ended up with them and I wonder what his plans were? Kind of nice to think of him as I was putting them in place—with the help of the one and only Dan McCann, who drove by and got out and weeded and shoveled.  Thanks Dan!

P.S. If you are not doing anything tonight (Saturday) there is going to be another great concert at the Hall. We are so blessed—come by and take a look/listen.