With the return of early fall or spring-like temperatures, the garden was calling!

Last winter, I had covered a small area of lawn with a deep layer of mulch. to kill the vegetation, so that I could connect 4 small raised beds and create one large one. Saves time in trimming and edging. Plus, I have a number of plants, including a JM 'Shaina', several Hellebores, terrestrial Orchids(Calanthe), miniature Hostas and species Tulips that are planned for the addition.

After removing and hauling the mulch to one of my compost heaps, I decided to use a shovel, instead of dragging out the tiller. May have been an unwise decision!

Even though covered with a thick layer of mulch, the soil, which is mostly red clay, with a thin layer of compost deposited from my mulching mower over the years, is dry and almost as hard as adobe brick! A shovel handle was an early victim.

Guess that answers the question of why the Fescue did not thrive in that area. :-[

I can't spare any of my stored water to loosen up the soil, so I likely will have to wait until the monsoon returns, if and when it does. Just a few inches in a slow, gentle rainfall, during a week or so, will be fine. Please!

I'm not a weather prognosticator, but I have a bad feeling that the outdoor watering ban will be with us for for a long time. :-((