Yesterday...

Had to ask the muse to sit on her hands yesterday while I worked in the back yard. The process of planting some rose bushes turned out to be a little more complicated than I’d anticipated.

I bought Knock-Out roses for the flower beds. I was excited about them for several reasons, not the least of which was their tolerance for direct sunlight and drought resistance—both of which (sun and drought) we currently have in Central Florida.

Also, they’re adorable! The flower isn’t tightly furled like a hot-house rose, it’s more like a wild rose. They currently only come in a deep red color, but there are rumors that pink and yellow are on the way. Since I’m trying to attract hummingbirds to the yard, red is the perfect color for me.

I’d heard that Knock-Outs didn’t have thorns, but that’s not true. I have the scratches on my hands to prove it. Not sure yet whether they really do dead-head themselves, or bloom from spring to fall, but that just adds to the enjoyment when you are the most amateur of naturalists like me.

After I rounded up all my tools, kneeling pad, drop cloth to hold the mulch I raked off the beds, then went back into the house ten times to get water, pruners, etc., etc., I was ready to plant. Got the first three into the ground, watered them, moved the mulch into a non-grassy area so the landscapers wouldn’t run over it, then…

I stepped on a rusty nail.

It was a funky little nail, about an inch long attached to a flat metal plate about an inch square where the head should be. I’m guessing it’s a fugitive from the time my roof was replaced, about three years ago. I recently moved a piece of wood from the area where I picked it up and think it might have been hiding there.

Question? Do you know the date of your last tetanus shot? I didn’t. I changed doctors a couple of years ago, and they didn’t know either. So, the gardening stopped so that I could run over to the doctor to get the shot. Now I have a record of my most recent vaccination and a list of others (influenza, etc) for the next time I need to know.

Question? Did you know that the “new” tetanus shot is paired with a pertussis vaccine? Now, when you’re vaccinated, you not only avoid a nasty care of lockjaw, you won’t be a danger to little babies. That’s a plus for me, since my youngest great-nephew is only one year old.

The roses? I finished planting them this morning. I’d hoped to get to them early, since we’re expecting a high temp of 97 today. I stepped outside at 9:00am and it was already hot, but luckily, shady by the porch. They’re watered and waiting for the mulch to be replaced. I’ll have to do that later, maybe when the temp drops to a more manageable level—95 or so.

Till then, I’m enjoying the view.