I went out to transplant some forget-me-nots this afternoon that I had already transplanted from a window box where the alyssum was smothering them to nursery trays (six-pack, deep plug kind) and although dry, the soil I planted twelve bunches in was workable because I had spaded that earlier in the spring, gave the new plants a good watering. It is overcast today and that is the best time to transplant but now the sun is out which is not so good so soon.

When I went to plant a bigger pot in the ground behind the garage, I couldn't even get the little kid's spade I have to use in it. I have watered the few individual plants back there, but the area is as hard as a rock. Same thing everywhere else that hasn't been spaded. I decided not to try to spade behind the garage and back in May it could be dug although there were a lot of vines and roots to fight. Did have somebody rototill two spaces bordering the front sidewalk but am waiting for fall to plant that.

I don't remember the ground ever being so hard and dry like this. Maybe it is normal for this time of year. I'm going to have to use a hammer and spike or my electric drill with an augur to do that last pot of forget me nots. They like shade. The hose won't reach that far and I have to carry the sprinkling can to water. I'm not doing any more today.

I have mulched some areas, but it takes a lot and you have to reapply periodically. We should have spaded that area behind the garage because now we have had to do spot weed killing it is that bad. I was hoping the plants would take over if I kept the weeds down. All that are there now are 3 hostas, one fern and one malva, watered every 3 days or so and doing very well, covered them with double grocery bags when my son sprayed for weeds and took them off the next morning.

Some spots by the house and on the terrace are bare and rock hard on the west, even weeds won't grow in it, one enormous rose is flourishing on the east side with no care, but the soil is dry and some weeds do grow there I have to deal with. I planted 12 lily bulbs and water them regularly, but they are leaning too much and think I'm going to have to move them later.

I found out I'm going to have to do the heavy gardening in the spring and fall and during the hot, humid months confine my efforts to keeping weeds down and watering.

Are we having drought conditions? It seems we got quite a bit of rain a month or so ago. I have quite a few trees, one huge one and a couple others quite large. Could they be taking what moisture there is out of the soil?