Still working on the cleanup

Ok, so I have about 680 iris clumps, say an anverage of 3 bloom stems per clump = 2,040  stems to cut off.  (I think that may be low, more like 5 probably ) No wonder it's taking me so long!!  I decided to let them finish blooming all they way and then clear the stems. There are actually still a few just opening, the later ones. The plants will now take off growing new leaves and roots and hopefully fattening up. We could use a little more rain. But no wind!

Now I will do some listing on ebay and on etsy. So you can choose your favorite place to shop, but my web site is quick and easy.  No auctions to bother with, cheaper shipping too. And all the iris are already listed, it will take me a couple weeks to get them up on the others. One thing I do like is the pics are larger on ebay and etsy.

Here is a pic of last year's dig results. I had this big idea that it would be easier on me all summer, if I just took ALL of my iris to a huge flea market (in Elkhorn WI) and sold them there. Well, I dug them all in 3 very lonnng 14 hour days, took me two days to trim them and sort. Then we packed up and went to set up. I had a great looking set up, but of course the weather decided to be nasty and the show was basically rained out. The few people who did come had nothing but great comments, and we sold quite a bit to those few. But no where near enough.  So, if it had been a nice day, it would have been very hard work, but worth it. I won't chance it again until I have a crew to help.

Sunday I decided to till up one bed by the gazebo and plant my spindly zinnia seedlings. I had them in the greenhouse, I don't know why they are so flopsy. Maybe this is why we don't find them at the garden centers very often. And they are so brittle! I must have broken a couple dozen of them off!  Well.... of course the tiller decides it's NOT going to work on Sunday. So I ended up hand turning the entire bed. Ohhhhh my back! It took me all day but it's done. They better shape up and bloom real pretty now!!

I have etsy felt orders to catch up on too. Help! I need three of me! No wait, make that 4, one to just goof off all day!

We had fresh strawberries this week. Yummmmm  I love to pick them off the vine and eat them. Can't get any more fresh than that. :)  My raspberries are looking a bit ragged and flopsy. I think I should have cut them off and put in that fence to tie them on to. ......next year...