We survived last week’s frost warning and rain and made it to Easter! Though the day started out chilly and gray, the afternoon could not have been more beautiful. After I worked the early shift for the mission trip pancake breakfast, attended an excellent Easter service at The Ridge, and took a walk with my trusty Great Dane Clementine, I headed outside to spend a lovely day in the yard.
As I walked around making my mental to-do list, I saw it. My first peony blossom. I planted peonies two years ago, but they never bloomed. I think the cold winter encouraged the blossoms:
My First Peony Blossom
I also had a surprise amaryllis bloom. I usually dig up all the amaryllis bulbs in September so I can have them blooming for the holidays (seems like they always bloom right after the holidays), but I missed this one:
Surprise Amaryllis!
After I admired the flowers, I had to get to work. There was a lot to do! I spent most of yesterday afternoon pulling up pansies (and weeds) to make way for summer annuals. Today, I finally trimmed back the tea olive (I hated to cut them while they were blooming, so I just now got around to this task). Then I planted some zucchini and basil. Right. In. The. Front. Yard. Yes, people, I am a rebel. I figured 1) I’ve already got the tomato teepee, so I’m not destroying any fancy aesthetic by adding more veggies; 2) zucchini and basil are pretty; 3) there aren’t any draconian anti-vegetable restrictive covenants in my neighborhood (as far as I know); and 4) I was out of room in the raised beds.
I planted my dahlias right behind the zucchini and basil. I had dug up the dahlia tubers last fall and then started them in pots in March. I planted all of the ones that had shoots (only one didn’t—oh, well). I’m trying a new approach to weed maintenance: newspaper and pinestraw. That’s right. My Ledger-Enquirers will serve an important second purpose: weed barrier. I have tested this approach in several areas in the past, and it really does work for about a season. So I’ve decided to expand.
Why newspaper when the stores sell fancy weed barrier fabric? Friends, I’ve tried the fabric, and I’m here to tell you: don’t waste your money. Weeds are going to grow on top of the fabric after a year or two anyway. It’s a pain in the neck to cut holes when you want to plant something in the fabric covered area. And it’s expensive. Newspaper just lasts a season, but it’s easy to cut, and it’s free. If I want something a tad more durable–like for paths between my raised beds–I use cardboard or old towels and sheets that are too grungy for Goodwill.
A couple of pointers. The Ledger-Enquirer is so thin that I just lay out a whole section at a time. I find that it’s helpful to have a hose handy, particularly on a windy day. After I lay a few sections of newspaper, I wet them so they don’t blow away. Also, after experimenting with several different methods, I’ve determined that the best method is to cover the bed in newspaper and pinestraw, THEN plant the plants. Here is the finished product:
Zucchini, Basil, Dahlias, Knock-Outs, and Tomatoes
After I got the zucchini/basil/dahlia bed done, I used a similar approach with my strawberries and onions. I hope it works! I’ll keep you posted. Happy gardening.
Georgia Garden Girl 
Wow! What a beautiful surprise amaryllis!