At the Farm During Coronavirus April 13 - 19, 2020

This is Beverly rose.  The blooms are very large and smell wonderful.  Beverly is one of my best smelling roses.

• Monday.  Worked.  
• Sowed zinnia seeds in one spot between 2 La Marne roses in the Star Garden.
• Pulled up a few poppy plants that had ripened seed heads.  Spread the poppy seed across beds in the Star Garden.
• Watered the pots around the pool and in the Star Garden.
• Watered various beds here and there.
• And, of course, did some weeding.
• Tuesday.  Worked.
• Put chicken wire around some of my seed beds to try and keep the damned armadillos out.
• Wednesday.  Worked
• The two spots that I did not put chicken wire around or over were turned upside down by armadillos last night.  Almost all my seedlings were either pulled up or buried.  I hate those animals.  
• I re-seeded the beds and spread some chicken wire over it, hammered it down with stakes.  Before the seeds have sprouted I can stake the chicken wire right down on top of the mulch.  After they gotten a little bigger I have to basically put a cage around them.  
• I seeded two more spots in the Star Garden - one right by the front arbor and one spot next to the red cannas.
• Tied up some poppies that were leaning over.
• Dug up a red canna that was growing into the path and planted it nearby in the canna bed. 
• I seeded one more spot in the Star Garden after I pulled up some scraggly poppies.  Covered it with chicken wire. 
• Bert bought a roll of chicken wire for me, and I surrounded the bed in the Rose Garden at the corner where there are no roses planted.
• Thursday.  Worked.
• During lunch I went to town and bought more bamboo stakes at the hardware store.  Went to the grocery store for a few things since the boys are coming to stay with me this weekend.
• After work I pulled some spent Lazy Daisy and various small wildflower seedlings (that aren't going to do anything because they are too small and spindly) in the front bed near the arbor and seeded it with Purple Prince zinnia seeds.  Mulched.  Surrounded the area with chicken wire.  Watered.
• The reason I sow so many zinnias is because they are extremely attractive to butterflies.  In the summer the amount of butterfly activity I have is no less than astounding.  It is memorable, entertaining, fascinating.  And they are pretty.  So it is a win all the way around.  I have tried to plant cosmos through the years, but I don't have much luck with them.  And they are so spindly.  I finally just gave up on that seed.  
• Bert and I walked out to the front at dusk.  We saw a copperhead, so Bert went back to the house for his gun.  But by the time he came back the snake had slithered into the yaupon.  Walking back, we saw another one.  Bert shot it.  When we go to the house moments later, there was one on the porch!  He killed it with the shovel.  Yuck  Apparently dusk is a very active time for snakes.
• Friday.  Up early.  Watered the pots by the pool, set out a sprinkler in a dry area.  Inspected my seed beds for armadillo activity, saw none. The boys arrived about 3:00.