line decor
  
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Fifteen Months in the Life of a New Lily Bed
in Jonathan's Backyard,
Iowa City, IA

Click any image to see a larger picture:

  

Fall 2008
November 2008 - The "jungle" of bushes at the far end of our yard were removed, and....
...the new bed slowly began to take shape.
  

But Winter was on its way, and.......
....by the next morning (November 28), it looked like this!
Snow covered the site for the next two and a
half months! (You've got to like living in Iowa!)

  

What a mess!


Fast forward to March 2009 - over a ton of
 Anamosa limestone is delivered, but how to
get it to the backyard?
A fortuitous late snowstorm on March 29 (and a
sled) solved the problem! (photo taken at 8 AM)		  

11 AM on the same day!
3 PM on the same day!
Brother-in-law Tim builds the wall in 6 hours!
  

Note the raised beds in our neighbor's yard.

  



The bed was filled with soil, and....
....the surrounding area was prepared for seeding

  



Covers promoted grass seed germination.
 

A few weeks later, ...
... the bed was prepared for seedling planting.

 

Removing the covers revealed the new grass.

475 seedlings grown since December
under lights

  




Planting begins!
 





 

Susie begins work on the upper bed, watched
by Scooter, our Yorkie.
200 seedlings were planted in the lower bed.
 



By May 28, the task is complete!
Time to finish planting the top bed!

  

100 seedlings fill the top bed.
June 12
June 22
  

July 7
July 9
July 19

  

July 19
July 19
July 19
  

July 19
July 19
July 19
  

July 27
August 11
August 15

  


September 1
September 23
October 7


October 10 - A small taste of things to come!
October 24
October 24


October 24
October 24 - The new seedlings die back more
slowly than the mature plants.
October 31


November 7
Susie puts in a request.......
.......and, on December 12, it was granted!		  




Maybe she should have asked for a little less!		  


December 27 - Snow keeps coming!




January 7- No end in sight!
Enough's enough, .....
....forget the daylilies for a while,
let's play ham radio!