Our own Peter Cottontail:
Taken from my vantage point at the kitchen window. I seem to be doing a lot of that lately.
Signs of spring, though so much later this year than last: tiny little sugar maple leaves. Please get big and green before I have to leave.
When it hasn’t been raining, I’ve been grabbing whatever time I can to work in the garden. I’m under a deadline here and am frustrated by a combination of unseasonably cold weather and lots of rain. I put in a new garden bed on Sunday. Oh my aching back! And it might just be a silly thing to do since I am:
a. leaving for 7 weeks in a little over a week and a half
b. don’t have a lot of extra cash (in fact, none) to spend on plants
c. will have to rely on husband to water any new additions.
What was I thinking? I’ve had this idea in my head for over a year and, quite frankly, if I wait until a time where I’m actually here in the spring, it might never happen. So I did it. I used a method I’ve read about online and that you might find helpful. After figuring out the dimensions of the bed, I covered the entire area with stacks of newspapers (black and white – no color). Then I covered the newspapers with top soil. A little way into the process, I ran out of top soil and I didn’t want to stop to buy some more. So I used some leftover mulch. Then I used the garden hose and wet (wetted?) it all down. Fast forward about 2 weeks and I was able to easily remove the grass. It came right up. Quick and easy! Yesterday I added top soil.
I’ll have to put most of the plants in when I get back in mid-June. I still have to fill the planters and window boxes with impatiens, etc. And I have to mulch. The rest will have to wait until I get back.
Today is rainy. Big surprise. I guess I’ll have to start packing boxes to ship to Wisconsin.
Did I tell you I’m sick of packing?
You have no idea.
Oh dear, the last time I had to pack was when I had to MOVE, so thank your lucky stars it’s only for a trip to Wisconsin! (don’t know if this is a trip for business/pleasure/both, actually).. Anyways, LOVE your little Peter Cottontail! What a sweet surprise to find out your kitchen window! It’s been a little rainy and gloomy around here lately, but I’m just so glad that Spring is here and the snow is GONE, that I’ll TAKE it! ~tina
Little Peter Cottontails! Sure sign of Spring! I have used the newspaper method when starting any new gardens and it works just fine! The trick is using enough top soil on top of it and oh yeah…don’t do it on breezy day. If you do make sure you have a hose handy to wet it down to keep the newspaper from blowing away. Good luck and just think when you get back you will have a little garden with some flowers in it…hopefully. Have a safe trip! ~Hugs, Patti
Ah, look at your little Peter Cottontail. We had his cousin in our yard the other day. I get so thrilled when I see bunnies in our yard.
Good your you with your garden. It will be there waiting for you when you return, and I know your Don will help. You are an inspiration.
I wish that we had some bunnies around here! Enjoy every minute at home before your trip. I’ll be here to read all about your adventures in Wisconsin.
Lots of love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo
I love bunnies in the garden, except when they decide to munch on the flowers!
Good luck on that packing!
good for you! i want to plant a garden bad badly, but not sure if it will happen…
also, it snowed here yesterday, so that is not very inspiring!
hi claudia,
jeers to packing but cheers to little bunny. we have one of those who hops around our backyard, too. i call him clover and the boys say that i love him. :)
xo
elyse
said peter cottontail as he perused your garden…where is lunch?
xx
z
The way the weather is not cooperating planting when you get back will likely be ‘just the right time’.
– Joy
WELL……YOU MUST PLANT A MEAN GARDEN…
PETER RETURNED…HE KNOWS A GOOD GARDEN WHEN HE EATS IT. PETER IS ADORABLE, WAS HE WEARING HIS LITTLE BLUE JACKET….
SEVEN WEEKS, YOU ARE SOMETHING….SO BUSY AND ON THE RUN. HOPE YOUR PACKING GOES WELL, AND YOUR TRIP EVEN BETTER. LOVE READING YOUR POSTS WHILE YOU TRAVEL, GETS ME OUT OF THE HOUSE AS I TRAVEL ALONG WITH YOU. VERY INTERESTING,:)
RIZZI
I haven’t noticed any bunnies in the neighborhood yet this spring. Maybe they just all took cover when the big storm hit and ran into the forest never to come out again. Poor bunnies.
Di
what a little cutie that bunny is. We have them in my yard too- sometimes they like to eat my plants but it’s a small price to pay, right? You sound like me with the gardening- sometime I think to myself- what was I thinking with a garden this big? I love it so much though- the best part is sharing it all with nature. I love when you’ve been out there long enough that the birds and insects don’t even pay attention to you anymore. Heaven. I wish you didn’t have to pack up to leave Claudia- but glad that you have this wonderful job to go to. I wish you mostly sunny days until you have to leave ♥
love your bunny friend. and i never can make sense of half the things i do in my garden. i’m always doing things backwards and i’m v unorganized out there but you know what, i love it. i think your beds are a good thing. one day you’ll be there to enjoy them i just know it.
I’ll be very interested to know how the newspaper below the topsoil works for you, I’ve been given this tip too!….
No bunnies here yet, but chicks just arrived!!
Dear Claudia- I just know that feeling—having planned-and wished for-and decited–then it has to be–and NOW-
I hope it will be a succes ,also when you return in 7 weeks, –I think the newspaper, below, is a fantastic idea,-that will be a great adding to the soil-
See you before you leave, dear.
Hugs,Dorthe
HI CLAUDIA,
LOVE YOUR BUNNY, SO CUTE BUT USUALLY SO HUNGRY…YIKES. PLEASE REMEMBER TO POST ON YOUR BLOG WHILE AWAY, WE WANT TO FEEL AS IF WE ARE THERE ALSO:):):) WISHING SOME SUNSHINE FOR ALL OF US,SUSIE
I love the picture of the bunny. We don’t have bunnies here but have been fascinated with the wild turkeys running around. They are driving Max crazy.
Love and miss you,
Mere
That’s a technique that I’ve read about too, Claudia, and one that I might try this year in a couple of places. I’m going away at the worst possible time for my garden, to Maryland for a couple of weeks. I’m going to have so much to do when I get back.
I love bunnies. My son had a pet bunny when he was a little boy. She was a little white Holland Lop, and he named her magic. I quickly learned that bunnies love all the flowers that we do too!
xo
Your Peter Cottontail is so sweet. We had a resident bunny who slept under our lilac bushes, back in the days when we had our old yellow cat, who was too old to chase anything. But now we have two younger, frisky cats and the bunnies have taken a shine to our neighbor’s yard instead. I like your easy garden preparation. :-)
Claudia, it is terribly hard not to dig in the dirt and plant something! I am driven to do it every spring and I see you feel the same. I tell myself I cannot and will not buy another plant and then I see some half dead plant for one or two dollars and I rescue it and it thrives. Repeat that scenario times ten and that is my spring planting. Have a safe trip. ♥olive
Oh, the packing. I can’t imagine. How does one know what they might need for that length of time? Tell Don he’d better water those gardens.
Brenda
I think Peter’s cousins live in our yard, underneath our Rose of Sharon bush.
You have done lots of hard work!!! I need to do some in our yard, but I haven’t had the time or the inclination.
Oooh! I’m so jealous that your planter bed is ready to plant! I bought several plants over a week ago– spring was calling– but I still don’t have the planter soil ready. This has been a super busy month for me. So many creative things that I want to do… and so little time!
Looking forward to seeing your sweet garden grow…
Hugs,
Jill
I just saw a bunny out my window last night, too. Well. Edsel saw it first, then after I peeled him off the pane, I watched it for quite some time.
We share the same taste in everything. But sadly, we do not share photography skills. As in, one can actually see what you are photographing. Sigh.
I just saw a bunny out my window last night, too. Well. Edsel saw it first, then after I peeled him off the pane, I watched it for quite some time.
We share the same taste in everything. But sadly, we do not share photography skills. As in, one can actually see what you are photographing. Sigh.
Hi Claudia! Thanks for popping in to my blog! I miss coming here and just love your blog so much. I hope that you and that talented hubby are doing fine. Seven weeks you have to be away? Oh my! You are more courageous than me. I wouldn’t want to be away from Bobbie that long…but we do what we have to right? Love the photos and the bunny in your front yard! Wow! Rainy weather here too. It can be in the 50’s and warm one day and then…poof…this morning I awoke to hail and cold rain. It won’t be much longer until we will have warm days and nights. I love your idea regarding using newspapers in the garden. My friend Dawn does that too. I am seriously thinking of trying it in my vegetable garden. Take care my friend and have a safe trip to Wisconsin.
I was working in the garden yesterday too. I hope you don’t have to replant as I did. I pulled up my sad tomatoes and planted new ones. I was so anxious to have a garden that I planted them way back in February and the cold got them. I hope we both have gorgeous garden pictures to share later this summer! No bunnies here though!
Hi Claudia,
What a view you have from the kitchen window. I would love to see a peter cottontail from my kitchen window, but no, I only see the houses across the street, cars going by and doggies taking their people out on daily walks LOL.
I have been catching up with your posts, since I was away on vacation.
I enjoyed your post on the evolution of a blog.
I stared blogging as to share between blogging friends our crafts, needlework, recipes, decorating ideas and travel.
I do not follow a blog so someone will follow me back or list me on their side bar as one of their favorites. I follow because something they posted captured an interest in me in some way.
I’m not the best writer or speller and my photo’s may not be the best quality, but I hope anyone that reads my posts will find something to takeaway with them.
Have a blessed Easter and big hugs, Elizabeth
Hi Claudia,the little bunny is so cute. I have a lot of them in my yard, and they love my plants.Have a great easter.
Kathy
Now that is a bunny like I love to see them. Such cute big ears.
He and I love your new profile pic! So much better than the blue glasses.
We had the Peter Cottontail Reunion here this year…they dined on all my burning bushes!!!!
Cuteness can sometimes be very sassy!
Also loved your post on the Evolving Blog!…
xoxo~Kathy @
sweet Up-North Mornings…
Happy Easter claudia!
Cute Bunny. We had one but Max (our dog) mistook him for a squirrel. It sounds like you are really doing alot of work! I’m tired just reading about it! I have heard of putting down newspapers to inhibit growth of weeds too.
Claudia, Thank you so much for your sweet comment, and yes it was an unbelievable blessing to have all those women around me. Blessings, Joanne