DMG . . . From the Ground UP

This is Dave's Memorial Garden, the silly name we call the dog run, and veggie beds. It is mostly trying to be grass, and had been the previous owner's failed blueberry, grape and fruit tree field. We dug all those plants out because they didn't do well, as the soil...what soil?  was all clay, and wet and had too many weeds, etc. When it comes to gardens, getting a good foundation makes all the difference, so we have learned.
 
In back of the grass at the base of the hill is a low spot that stays wet until July, from run off. But just in front of that area, we had moved some extra large hosta last fall and they returned, looking like they liked the spot. So today we are going lift those happy hostas, rake off the mulch, and add 20 bags of composted manure, tilling it in to make a good foundation.
It turns out that this spot is sunnier than I thought and the big hosta are getting a little sunburned, so they will get moved to the shade at the left, in this photo. But sunny means that I can have FLOWERS here, which have outgrown the other parts of the garden. Perennials like phlox, coneflowers, rudbeckia, daisies, day lilies, Asian lilies, iris and future delphiniums and foxgloves. O happy Mel.
This big hosta is four feet across and will take both of us to carry it and its root ball to its new home. Some of the shoulders of the leaves are getting burnt. Behind this one (can't remember its name) is a big Sum and Substance, which supposedly can take more sun, but it is moving too.

Another view from up the hill, down to the shady spot, soon to have twice as many hosta. It's good to have 'before' pictures.





 Chumley is standing where flowers will be transplanted later this season. At the end of this field is the pumphouse for the water tower up the hill from our land. Little Chester is way down there. He loves to run and explore.