Midnight gardening...

It's still 73 degrees!!!!!!!!!!!  SIGH.

Earlier today (now yesterday), I brought the two rosemary bushes I wintered and the oregano plants I bought last month down from the solarium.  I had also bought dill, but only the oregano plants made it so long in the small containers.  I honestly do not understand why Menard's has herbs delivered in April if most Aprils are not months when herb plants can be put into the ground.  Lowe's however, did not have oregano (or rosemary for that matter) last year.  Just lots and lots and lots of basil and tomatoes (yes, I know tomatoes are not herbs). Okay, they had sage and thyme, which I hope to buy again this year.

Once I noticed that the dill was struggling to survive in the small temporary containers, I went ahead and harvested four bunches, which are now drying in the basement.  Since the oregano grew quite a bit, I also harvested one bunch from the two plants.  The dill plants were hedging my bet against the seeds my gardener extraordinaire friend sent me.  I don't doubt her seeds; I doubt my ability to grow anything from seeds.

So, all I had to do was to replant the two rosemary bushes, plant the two small oregano plants, dig up the thyme and sage that were supposed to survive the winter but didn't (okay, I didn't have to clean those spots up), and plant my dill seeds.  Thirty or so minutes of light gardening.

Thirty or so minutes of my systematically stripping down to my undershirt and bloomers not caring what the neighbors thought.
Thirty or so minutes of struggling not to faint.
Thirty or so minutes of dripping with sweat.

The weather is just going to be beastly for a while.  I think, perhaps, I should have gone ahead and put out the rosemary when it was nice and cool and hope it made it through those aberrant 40s overnight lows.  This is my fifth spring/summer here and it is altogether TOO STINKING HOT compared to the other four.

If I go by greenery, of the 15 garlic bulbs I planted, only four (maybe just two) are growing.  I do not believe I can declare myself to be a garlic maker.  I would like to try again next year with garlic that you buy specifically for planting.  Maybe.  I am a bit disheartened over my failure.

At least the first honeysuckle blossom began to open.  Isn't it a bit wild and curious and wondrous that they are pink on the outside but yellow on the inside?

For the rest of the day, I shall be sleeping, waking, eating, napping, and then sleeping again, in order to prepare for needing to go fetch the paint, the replacement bush (I did not buy it in last month's budget cycle), osmocote, play sand (for beneath my stepping stones that have sunk a bit, the stain and the disposable brushes for sealing (I am allowing myself the luxury of not having to clean up sealing brushes, plus the one I used for many years was rather expensive).  I have to go tomorrow (the 26th), because my $10 coupon expires that day.  I wanted to wait longer (until we have cool weather again), but I will at least wait until just before the store closes so it will be marginally cooler.  I don't have to buy the lilac bush if I don't like the selection (or thyme and sage), but I need to buy the paint and supplies to get the coupon savings.

I am bushwacked.
Sweaty.
Wishing I were not too tired to go upstairs and shower at this very moment.

And at least Amos still smells of lavender.  Apparently puppy dogs don't find monitoring their puppy mommas midnight gardening taxing enough to sweat.  I wish I were a puppy dog.