a bit of work

Spreading the compost. Yesterday I used two buckets-worth (well, not quite full, they each had three shovelfuls) and fed the rhubarb and all plants on the first sideyard- black and blue salvias, lamb's ears, gladiolas, daylilies, joe pye weed, milkweed. Some of those are still hidden belowground. Pulled more of the vinca away from the salvia and daylilies. They're flowering now- little pale lavender-purple stars. I do find them pretty, but don't want them everywhere and it spreads so.

Today cleared out dead leaves (the huge ones from the neighbor's sycamore) from under the holly shrub and mulched with compost just that one spot- the beautyberry, heucherellas and some yellow salvias. Also pulled some weeds against the fence where I've let (what I think is) shiso grow tall the past year or so.

I'm glad to see the beautyberry is spreading- there's smaller shoots coming up on the sunny side of the shrub. I wasn't aware it would spread like this. I don't at all mind getting a bigger clump of it in this corner, and then maybe digging up pieces from the outskirts to transplant to other areas of the yard . . . 

Tired out, ready for a break again!