Cold and Rainy

I knew it was going to pour rain today. That is why I transplanted 3 things in my front flower bed late yesterday afternoon. What I was not expecting was the very cool temperatures that are here. I thought this week was really going to warm up with hot humid conditions. How cool is cool? Well, it is presently 17 degrees Celsius, or 63 F. degrees  more like early Spring temperatures) So I dug up the pink lupines from the back garden bed that I plan to turn back into lawn this summer, and moved them into a bare spot in the front garden that used to have way too many globe thistle but from which I removed most of them this Spring. Lupines will seed themselves but once established, really don't like to be moved. I cut back the now finished flower stalks and removed all the grass roots. I watered well, but this day of rain is just what it needs. Another tricky thing to move is my blue flax. One of my clumps had jumped the rock border so yesterday I dug it out of the gravel and put it up close to the house where I also hope it will take root. The third plant is the pot of mums I received on Mother's Day. Amazingly it has been in bloom until just recently, so I just planted it the way it is, right into the garden in front of the "dead looking" lupines. I will cut the flowers back eventually and then hopefully they will give a second bloom in the Fall.

My To-Do list for this week was just basically to vacuum through the house.  It was on my list but I really didn't feel like doing it. So Monday and Tuesday I spent my working hours outside in the gorgeous sunny weather and did some much needed weeding. I thought I would take care of the sunny cooler weather to work outdoors before it got much hotter later this week. I am still hopeful. I pulled weeds from the three flower beds out front and also pulled weeds from the gravel driveway. I also tidied the beds by cutting back the spent perennials like bleeding heart, columbine and allium. The tall dead flower stalks detract from the rest of the flowers, and now there is room for the plants that are flowering now and a little later in the summer. I made two gallons of weed killer and used it all up. All the comings and goings into the house did not seem to deter the robins from nest building. They continued all day Monday until the nest was finished, and then.....I have not seen them since. I am thinking something must have happened to the female robin late Monday. I do not understand how she could be so persistent just to abandon the nest at the end. When I came inside for the day she was sitting quite comfortably in the nest singing her heart out. Now the nest lays empty. It is really kind of sad. 

 With the allium and bleeding heart pruned back, it is time for the primrose and bee balm to bloom.

 Rose Campion is prolific in both the front and back gardens where the Forget-me-nots used to bloom., and now are done. Rose Campion is another plant I need to dig out so it doesn't take over.  In the background you will see that the Snow in Summer is finished. I will find time soon to thin this out drastically by ripping it out by the wheel barrow full.

Because it rained today, I did some vacuuming finally; but just the downstairs rooms. I didn't want to over extend myself. Ha. I gathered the trash throughout the house for collection tomorrow morning and gathered up the papers and cardboard for Recycling. I gathered up the scatter mats and have them soaking in the washer in cold water. I will wash them after 7 o'clock tonight. Lunch was two bowls of my chicken vegetable soup I made Monday morning, and dinner tonight is roasted veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, burgundy beans, carrot coins, spinach and mushrooms) and pork chops in a sour cream sauce with garlic. Lately I have just been making it up as I go with what I have in my fridge and freezer. I am going to have to go grocery shopping again tomorrow. Holy Moly! I eat a lot of veggies each week.