How to forget what's going on in the world...for a bit anyway.

My plan today was to take advantage of the nice weather and put down mulch in a couple of the badly neglected beds.  Tractor Supply to the rescue!

They are offering curbside/no contact service when you order online.  So, early this morning I ordered ten more bags of mulch and received the notification that it was ready for pick up.  When I got it home, The Husband unloaded it and scattered the bags around the areas that needed the mulch.

The very first area that I was ready to tackle first needed to have a VERY crowded hydrangea bush removed (I think whoever planted these items so close together; either didn't read the tags or didn't understand how big these things would get).  I knew it would be a job but I didn't expect it to be A JOB.

We toiled for hours to get that beast out of the ground - it didn't help to have the large camellia and the equally large other shrub right on top of us as we worked.  At some point, during this endeavor, The Husband remarked that at least this project was taking our minds off the pandemic - it's true, we were so focused on our task, we hadn't even thought about it or anything else for hours.

When I finally wrenched the final piece of the root ball out of the ground, I threw it down, glared at it, called it a bad name and said, "I won!"

The remains

Thanks to The Husband's brilliant idea of using a fulcrum to help lever that beast out of the ground.  If he hadn't thought of that, I'd still be out there wrestling with it.

Needless to say, this project exhausted me - and I know I'm going to feel it tomorrow - so the mulch will have to wait.

But since we are in the yard, let's see what is blooming, shall we?

I took most of these pictures a few days ago.  My peony is getting ready to burst into a riot of color.

Those rose bushes that I neglected to cut back this winter are overloaded but gorgeous.

That big bed in the back that I always mention - this is only half of it!

On Friday afternoon, I happened to look up from the computer and noticed that at least one of the peony buds had bloomed!  I raced outside with my clippers and brought one in to grace my "desk" and give me joy as I continued to work.

Yes, working in the yard can sometimes be exhausting but the fruits of your labor make it all worth while.

And when I do get back out to put down the mulch?  I will be VERY satisfied that the hydrangea bush is gone.