Help!

This week, I finally got some help. This help came in several forms - the largest of which was J.W. realizing that my days are so packed with watering, dishes and housekeeping that there's been precious little time to finish planting the outdoor garden. Being the perfectionist that I am, I was starting to freak out about all the work I still had to do - and how I was ever going to find the time to get it done.

Previously to this week, my days (in June) looked like this:
-Cut produce and herbs from the greenhouse for Tony (7:30-8:15am-ish)
-Water Greenhouse and outdoor garden (finish by 9am)
-Water all of the flower baskets, window boxes, barrels and pots around the property (finish around 10:30am)
-Clean up breakfast for the guests, do all dishes, and clean up in lodge (10:30-11:30am)
-Set up for lunch (finish by noon)
-Lunch
-Clean up lunch and do dishes.... again, then pick up the mail and deliver it around ranch (finish by 2)
-Clean cabins & do ranch laundry OR work in greenhouse and garden OR deadhead flowers all over the ranch (2-4)
-Do dinner prep dishes and set the table for dinner and help Tony if he needs extra hands (4-5, sometimes 6pm)
-Dinner (6:30pm)
-Then do dishes for dinner every other night


As you can see, there was not much time for working in the garden once June hit. Unfortunately, when you're staring at a stack of pots, pans and plates, the garden tends to get pushed back on the priority list.

BUT - this week, Alice's 14 year-old nephew came to the ranch to work until mid-August. Add to that the fact that Elizabeth is back on the ranch, and J.W. assigned Savannah to be my extra set of hands, and I was finally able to get cooking in the outdoor garden. Truth be told, I was barely treading water. SO - Robbie waters all the flowers around the ranch for me in the mornings, and Elizabeth is doing breakfast cleanup and lunch dishes (unless there's a lot in which case, I help her!). Savannah got put to work weeding and transplanting pepper plants, and I was able to do the million other little things on my list.

It took us two full days out in the hot sun, but it's planted! All the seeds, all the transplants, everything!

Yee-haw! In another two weeks, after everything takes, it's gonna look pretty freaking awesome. :)

Just in time for my parents to arrive!

Right side of the garden, facing the greenhouse.

Left side of the garden, facing the greenhouse.