Sunday Garden Day...

Sunday was very humid, but cool.

And we had nothing planned going on…

So it was family out in the garden day.

Riley is finally big enough to get around on his own!

Slow start - looking over some of the pretty blooms.

Loving these Begonias that I got from Karen A. last year!

The Main Side Hill Garden is a complete overgrown mess!

Overgrown is one thing…

Overgrown with invasive Japanese Stilt Grass, Thistle,

And Butterfly Bushes yet to be pulled is another.

There is a sort of desperation feeling with the latter.

The Stilt grass is first to go.

Little by little, the "worm finder" and I get wheelbarrows full pulled out.

She helped "pick up piles" with the little plastic shrub rake for about 5 minutes before discovering the worms. And well, having a worm hunter with you in the garden - is a must!

I think this was 3 wheelbarrows full...

Then 4 or 5 as I move to the pathway mid-way down the hill...

Standing on the cleared pathway, looking up at where I started.

I'm such an ADHD weeder - all over the place!

Especially when there is so much to do, and there are two little kids running around, leading you to clearing paths for them so they can get through without toppling over from tripping from the overgrowth.

This would be the path before clearing…

Notice the green round Cats Mint up on the left in the above photo.

And after.

Now can you see the rounded Cats Mint?

See - there really is a path there!

Which, by the time it was all cleared,

The worm hunter had given up her gloves and was happily walking the path, sitting on the garden walls, picking seeds from pods that were splitting open - and singing!

A happy almost 4 year old singing made up songs in the garden is the best thing ever…

Well, maybe a big strong husband prepared with shovel and chainsaw is better…

Hmmm - maybe it was the combination of everyone being there that made it perfect!

Worm Hunter...

Shrub Rake Master (master at getting it stuck in anything)...

Foot Stomper helping dad dig up that holly that was half dead...

Seed gatherer…

Garden path and rock wall explorers...

There is still a ton of work to do.

But just about all the butterfly bush is gone.

Stilt grass and thistle are a plenty - a lot gone, a lot left to pull...

Once the upper bed is finished, the bottom bed can be cleaned up too.

Then I can pull the remaining cone flowers and any other plant showing signs of Aster Yellows Disease. I will replant clean cone flowers next season, so they ALL have to come out this year.

I have some plants that need to go in this year - goldenrod, little joe pyeweed, etc.

And Riley will be getting his first pair of crocs next summer so he can have nice clean shoes after that can be rinsed off with the hose.

Besides - who doesn't love the happy squeals of getting feet washed off with cold water?

Chloe's bad mood from having to go inside for lunch changed pretty quick after hearing me crack up and make a big to do about the cold water from the hose.

So now, I know what I was doing on the 10 year anniversary of September 11.

Sadly, this was also the day 4 years ago that the decision that my mom would be taken off of the ventilator in ICU would be happening on Sept. 12th.

Hard to believer that 4 years ago, we lost her.

4 years ago, pregnant with Chloe.

2 years ago, pregnant with Riley.

6 years ago we were fixing drainage issues with my dad in the garden…

I hope in two more years, we will be out enjoying the garden all together.

Maybe even having a cook out with family and friends.

I sure would like to have a back yard fire pit for roasting marshmallows…

Thanks for stopping by for a bit of garden hang time.

We'll see when I can get some of my MG friends out when it not so rainy, wet and cold...