Weekend at the Farm February 4 - 5, 2017

This is the bed at the top of the Boardwalk where I planted the Philippine Violets and the Ajuga.

Arrived Friday evening after work.  Bert was already here.  Cold.

• I've started buying my spring plants.  I like getting them in the ground now, while it's still cold.  They have time to get established before the extreme heat, and it's certainly easier on me physically to do the work when it's not so hot.  I bought two more Nikko Blue hydrangeas to plant on the other side of the path where I planted three last weekend.  I also bought a Strawberry Bush and a Mexican Honeysuckle.  And I bought three white Philippine Violets and a half flat of Bronzed Beauty Bugleweed (ajuga).
• Saturday morning.  I cut back my spindly Bayse's Blueberry rose by about half.  Hopefully this year it will do something.  It has under-performed so far by my standards.
• I watered a few of my transplants in the Star Garden that I moved last weekend.
• Did a little watering in the Rose Garden to keep my transplants going.
• I raked out the beds in the Medicine Garden where I wanted to plant my Nikko Blues and my Strawberry Bush.  Hauled over a big pile of my compost and turned over the soil.  Planted two Nikko Blues and the Strawberry Bush.
• Loaded the cub cadet with mulch and mulched the hydrangeas, Strawberry Bush and the surrounding areas.
• Next I raked out the area at the top of the Boardwalk closest to the house.  Hauled over a big pile of compost, spread it and turned over the soil.  Planted three Philippine Violet (which grow to be large and shrubby) and 7 Bronzed Beauty Ajuga.  
• Loaded the cub with mulch and spread it over that area.
• I filled the plastic pots with compost that my ajuga and Philippine Violets came in and carried them over to the Rose Garden.  I have lots and lots of Homestead Purple Verbena that is growing over the edges of the flowerbeds but has not taken root.  So I laid stem across the pots and weighted them down with bog rocks.  They will take root, and I'll transfer them to flowerbeds.
• I cut back my Madame Antoine Mari rose in the Long Border and trimmed back my Caldwell Pink rose int he Rose Garden.  I'm not planning to do a lot of rose pruning this year, at least nothing drastic.  I'm planning only to cut them back so they are more neat-looking.
• Sunday.  I dug up the China Chiffon Althea in the Long Border and moved it into the Rose Garden in a narrow flowerbed that I made last weekend.  Mulched around it.
• I planted the Mexican Honeysuckle that I bought last week in the spot where I dug up the althea.  Added compost to the hole and mulched around it.
• Watered here and there.
• Loaded the cub cadet with a load of mulch and finished a few spots in the Medicine Garden that I didn't get yesterday.  I used the rest around the Mojito Colocasias along the Boardwalk.  I didn't get finished there, so that's were I'll start next time.
• I set the sprinklers in the Rose Garden to some new spots that would cover the new plantings.