Planting was anti-climactic

Let me begin with this disclaimer: I am a complete novice to gardening. I never really did it before. But I picked up the interest to read about it and research it like a mad man for the last six months. So I have been looking forward to spring for weeks and weeks. Finally, the temperature here in Pittsburgh became warm enough that I can dig into the soil without much trouble, although the nights still dropped into the 30's.

So I planted my tree. But the last two weeks have slightly derailed me. I planted my fern and flower planting on my front hill two weekends ago. Maybe it was the 40 degree weather. Maybe I didn't have the emotional excitement and support from my kids - it was too cold for them to be out for very long. Maybe . . . I don't know. . .

Well here goes. Two cinnamon ferns, one painted fern, twelve Dutch Irises, six Crocosmia Emily McKenzies, and six Foamflowers all came in the mail from Michigan Bulb Co. I cut out a hole in the burlap on my hill and began to plant. I used some of the dirt I had mixed up for my dogwood tree (one part dirt, one part compost using leaf mulch, one part worm castings - actually there were some worms as well). Then I covered the whole thing with leaf mulch. Ta..da..! Looks like a pile of leaves on top of my burlap on the hill. (Like I said, kind of anticlimactic...Oh well.)