Transplant day

Today was GORGEOUS outside: temps in the low 70's, sunny, a light breeze. Just perfect, which worked out well for me and my outdoor plans: transplant ALL the plants I started inside that had not yet felt real dirt on their toes.

The nighttime temps are supposed to stay above 50 (except for one possible 48 degree night midweek), so I transplanted the tomatoes and peppers. I also discovered I cannot count - I needed 12 Roma plants, but somehow grew 14. Actually, I grew more than that, have given those extras away already, so I gifted the extra 2 to my next door neighbor (while standing in a sea of thistle - I'm a good neighbor/bad neighbor).

The cukes, zukes, pumpkins, and squash I started inside all found new homes. For the first time ever, I did NOT plant them in hills. In the past, I would always dig a hole, fill it with uncomposted this or that, build a hill over it, and plant seeds in that hill. While the plant roots worked their way down to the garbage, worms converted it into castings, and you could literally see the difference when the roots reached that black gold. But now my garden beds are full of horse manure, so I don't see the advantage of my previous method. We'll see how *that* turns out.

Quite a few, but not all, the marigolds made it to the garden. I also planted sweet corn, with the idea of later planting pole beans to climb the corn stalks. We'll see how *that* turns out, too.

With the transplants out of the way, I filled up most of the holes in the cement blocks that surround the new asparagus and strawberry beds (ran out of potting soil). I'll let the soil settle a bit before planting, although I did start some zinnias in pots for later transplanting. And I weeded that sea of thistle I was standing in earlier, uncovering some hostas and columbine.

And then I pooped out, which is why this post is barely coherent.

(BTW, the Rose of Sharon is *finally* leafing out, but the butterfly bush looks kaput.)