THE MARTHA OF MULCH

Recently, I celebrated my 100th post. Now, however, I am gearing up for a more stellar celebration… my mother’s 90th birthday.

(the birthday girl is the one on the left)

Last week, The Prince William Purlers knitting club made her a gorgeous wall quilt. Each member made a knitted or crocheted flower, then several members created an amazing flower basket quilt. The member’s names were written on the fabric leaves. I had suggested the floral theme because Ruth loves flowers. It runs in the family.
This weekend, 80 friends and relatives will be arriving for what I hope will be a fabulous garden party.

In addition to all of my work commitments, the deadline for getting the house ready for the party is looming large! I have lists detailing the lists I've made!

Only four days to go… the redecorating is done, the guest rooms readied, the house cleaned, and the garden ready for presentation.I am also cooking most of the food. My father dabbled in catering, so shopping for and dishing up delectable edibles for a crowd doesn’t faze me. But it does take time—lots of it.So for those who have wondered why I haven’t been leaving comments on their blogs lately or answering e-mails, my apologies.
These bouquets from my garden are for you!
For the last 3 weeks, I’ve barely read a newspaper (I usually read three a day), cracked open a magazine (quite a sacrifice for me) or gone to the gym (lifting huge cans of crushed tomatoes counts as working out, right?)My garden “To Do” list is always long each spring, but this year it ran 6 pages.
Having a garden party puts more pressure on the gardener than being on a garden tour -- because you know all of the people.
And, it's far more work than getting ready for a garden photo shoot--because you can fake it on a shoot. Only the view being shot needs to be perfect, the rest can be a weedy mess.After weeks of pruning, weeding and planting, this week, it’s been much ado about mulch.Tote them bags, lift those them bales...
Belgium loves to watch me work and so do the chickens.
They find Barbara TV absolutely fascinating.
I'm a big fan of "fines" pine bark mulch for the paths. The rest of the flower beds and borders get black leave mulch (from the town dump.)
Even if it's too early for little more than asparagus, arugula, Egyptian walking onions, and some herbs to be visible in the veggie garden, nicely mulched paths make it look Martha-esque.
Notice anything different (above)?
Now if only the sun will RSVP "yes" for Saturday...