The Front Beds are Planted

Memorial Day Weekend was definitely not restful!  I rented a rototiller to prepare the new front beds.  The dirt was rock-hard, so it took great effort to work through the dead grass and break the soil surface.  I got that part completed on Sunday but still had all the plants to put in on Monday. 

The hard packed soil made digging the planting holes equally challenging.  The plants are in and the beds look great!  All the plants fit, which was a major concern.  I got a little over-zealous when I was shopping.  I was very careful with the spacing so everyone has room to achieve mature size.

Mother Nature smiled down upon her newly planted children and produced 2 1/2 inches of rain in the past couple of days.  As a result, the plants are well-watered and happy for now.

Tomorrow, I rent a trailer and fetch a couple of yards of mulch.  The plants will need the insulation to survive the heat of summer.

The aforementioned rain also made a big dent in filling my rain barrels.  I think one is totally full, and the other (which got connected to the downspout last night) is about a quarter full.  Once I get the third rain barrel hooked up, I'll have capacity for 180 gallons of rainwater.

It's going to be another busy weekend in the garden!