Notes to Self: For Next Year

Dear Self,

Next year when you are ordering seeds, please refer to this picture. The sunny part of the berm bed, doesn't have much room. When it is this full in May and some of the perennials haven't even emerged yet, you are dreaming when your plans include eight tomatoes for this space.

Speaking of the berm, please refer to picture two. You will note that both the Japanese Maple and the apple tree have grown. This means that your plans for three kinds of cucumbers in front of the woodpile might have a problem. Not enough sun. The big oak on the left, throws a fair amount of shade. The reason it seems so sunny in winter? NO LEAVES!

On to more sensitive subjects. "Thing". The name you gave this ugly horror is appropriate. Stop kidding yourself that it is hiding the air conditioner. Thing is uglier than the air conditioner. Thing makes grubs look good. You need to hack this abomination out and either put a rain barrel there or replace it with a nice fragrant something. Something that is not orange and definitely something that doesn't smell like wet hockey socks.

Ah smell. Remember when the center bed used to perfume the air with lavender? Please reboot your memory. The lavender is dead. You killed it two years ago when you chopped it down to get fuller growth, the day before the drought started. It ain't coming back and you need to replace it. Also, fix the soil. The giant ant mound is not decorative and the forsythia hates you. Putting the soil improvement off for last every year means that this bed hasn't been improved since Richie was a toddler. Additional reminders to self. That pole thing has important wires coming out of it. Wires that cause drama when severed. Expensive drama.

Do remember to buy more Heucherella 'Stoplight'. It likes the shade and looks cool, though a wee bit odd next to Mrs. Moon.

Don't buy tarragon seeds again. They are probably Russian tarragon, aka tasteless. Next time French Tarragon or nothing.

Do use row cover early, it's a great bambi barrier.

Don't plant tomatoes in February or in May they will be pot bound and suffering for it.

Don't put peas in the ground until the soil warms up. Tolerating cold and thriving in it are not the same thing.

Do keep feeding the worms, that tea they make is magical.

Don't expect those four feet tomato cages to hold heirloms. Heirloms smirk at those things. Remember how atttractive the yellow rope was strung tree to tree last year and how well it didn't work keeping the tomatoes up? Next time, bigger and stronger. Six feet bigger. Neighbors turn green with envy when you have to use a ladder to pick your tomatoes. Heh.

PS: Put a new camera on the x-mas list. One that doesn't take blurry pictures. : )