It might take normal people a weekend to get their mulch spread, but I went for the one week plan.  The biggest time drain was sprinkling the mulch down in between emerging  clumps and working the wheel barrow back into a bed that was filled with soft sprouts.  On top of that I was trying to stretch every mulch dollar by walking the fine line between too thin and too thick and trying to figure out just where exactly my limited mulch supply would go.  Oh, and did I mention the allergies and sinus infection?

The newly renovated front bed got a nice top coat, showing off the mix of tulips I put in last fall.  This is what a weak moment during Van Egelen’s fall clearance sale will get you. It’s the Scheeper’s mix, made up of all Scheeper hybrids.  Not sure if the color is a good choice for in front of the orange brick….. but oh well, colors don’t clash in May   🙂

The mulch looks so neat and tidy, and it does look better than before when dirt was splashing everywhere and weeds were popping up by the thousands.  Look how it sets off this “Isla Gold” Tansy.

The tansy is one of my favorites right now.  I’ll be the first to admit I’m going through an I-need-everything-with yellow-foliage phase, but the lacy foliage, the fresh color, and the fact it keeps this color all season are just a couple reasons for my smitten-ness.  Did I mention it even has little buttons of yellow blooms in late summer?  I bet it would look great then with a blue salvia.

Right now I could pair it with polemonium reptans which is in bloom.

The polemonium comes from my parent’s house.  The original planting was there when they first purchased the house over 40 years ago and has been going strong ever since, without dividing or anything.  You could trim it back after blooming if you want but I never get around to it.

Probably about half the beds are now covered, but in order to complete the job I’m guessing it will take another load.  Together the two loads will run about $660.  That really kills my garden budget for the year, but mulch costs are easy to pass by the boss.  I sometimes think that if our yard was just mulch beds, lawn expanses and a few rounded yews she’d be happy.

It’s May and tulips and daffodils are blooming all over the place.  There’s more to do than time to do it but I need to post a few tulip pictures.  They really rule the yard right now, and here’s a well mulched batch of “apricot impression” and some mixed lily flowered tulips.  After the tulips fade this bed will hit a lull for a couple weeks,  and I’m working on that, but usually hostas take over and a couple coleus find their way in.  So it all works out well enough.

There are more tulip pictures.  A lot more.  I’ll be catching up on those next.