How I manage to work in the heat

Part of our yard does not get enough sunlight because of all of the trees. There is one area in particular that I would like to see plants growing. I have some plants that will grow in the shade. I’ve been meaning to make another flower bed there and just never got around to it. I decided yesterday I was going to make one then. Yesterday morning and this morning my wife and I went somewhere so I needed to do it in the afternoon. The biggest trouble was the heat. It got to 106 in the afternoon.

I would to have to dig soil from somewhere else and bring it in to level the ground. The soil I decided to use was that from some pea beds. The pea vines were dying. I would have to pull up the pea vines. I’ll replace the soil in the pea beds with compost and chicken fertilizer. I needed to get some bricks from out of the shed in the dog pen and haul them to the location and then place them for use as a border. Then I’ll fill the beds with more soil and plant the flowers.

I’m not going to recommend this to anyone else. I’ve heard it is not good for you to keep getting hot and then cool. The only way I could stand it in the heat is to work for fifteen or twenty minutes and then go inside and stand in front of the air conditioner for five or ten minutes. This worked fine for me.

To me it is well worth the effort. The feeling of satisfaction at accomplishing something is good. Also I know that when I’m through my place will look better.

I published a photo of the bed as it is now. It needs some more work. I was too hot to really take the time to get it right. I’ll do a little work on it and add the soil tomorrow. Then all that will be needed is the planting.

The photo of the bed as it is now can be seen by clicking on the link below.

http://www.gather.com/viewImage.jsp?fileId=3096224744319660&memberId=67122