Plan

April 07, 2021

We were expecting rain today, so my plan was to get out this morning to do some yard work.  I had spread the weed and feed yesterday evening and wanted to get in some weeding, along with my first “official” mow.  I say official because the two previous mows were at the highest setting and then only done to mulch the weeds I had pulled from the beds.  I decided to rake the leaves that had collected along my fence from last fall into the yard and mow them as well.  After I had mowed the weeds, leaves, and grass I stepped back to admire my handiwork.  My lawn does not need to be immaculate, just better than my neighbor’s (ha ha).

I also planned to start the process of preparing the containers.  Last year I had toyed with a container garden and have decided to try my luck again.  I say toyed because while some of the plants did well, most were a flop.  I pulled out the weeds that had begun to grow in the pots, turned the soil, and added more soil to the containers.  Three of the buckets were so old and brittle that they shattered when I tried to pick them up.  That meant I had extra soil to fill the other pots.  My plan this year is to put more soil in the pots and to keep them fertilized.  I also moved them away from the bird feeders I had installed last summer.  The seed the birds have been throwing out of the feeders was getting into the containers.  I would prefer to not grow a crop of millet.

My plan had been to tear out the strawberries I planted twice along the back patio.  The first time all three plants died.  When I replanted three more plants, I did get several flowers, but only two or three berries, and those never ripened.  I put straw around the plants last year but basically abandoned them after they failed to produce.  Over the winter my plants not only survived but began to thrive.  They spread out over much of the planter bed and are now covered with flowers and the beginnings of small berries.  I had intended to plant the whole bed with the potatoes that did do well.  I guess I will give the strawberries another chance.

Thoughts:  It turned out my plan worked well.  When I finished with the yard and planters, I went to the dentist to get my new cap.  It started raining while I was being worked on.  That means the weed and feed will get rinsed into the soil and start to work.  It also clears any debris and gives the lawn a fresh look.   I always like it when my plan works.  The current administration had a modest plan for vaccine distribution of 1 million shots a day.  The 1 million shots a day were reached by the end of January, and last Saturday vaccinations hit a seven-day average of over 3 million a day.  It seems to work better when you have a plan for both distribution and vaccinations.  Now we need to make sure the shots are getting to the essential workers who keep us going.  Follow the science.  Do the work.  Change is coming and it starts with you.