a color story: more hostas?

The experiment worked. From a previous gardening session, I tried transplanting Hostas with the foliage already out. I assumed the worst but the late plant division didn't affect the Hosta's affinity for life.

I saw the raised garden bed recently weeded out. I had a small window to continue my Hosta division experiment. I knew that the weeds were going to come out regardless. Why not just add a different kind of green- one with potential ornament?

I worked with this dry soil before; it was probably acidic from the accumulating pine needles. Previous mini projects planting other things showed the repellant soil features. At the local nursery, I purchased "extra help" with 3 in 1 soil. The peat moss aspect added better drainage. But, quite frankly, I enjoyed grabbing the 3 in 1 mix- just the act of grabbing the soil with my hands was bliss. 

I got 9 bags of them, a new personal record. I knew I was never going to much of good soil; I wanted to save the extra trip anyways. I recalled a small conversation with a fellow nursery supporter, "are you going to take all of the soil". "Only if I could", I replied. I was still working on my brief small talk. I preferred the sound of silence; nonverbal communication or the act of the convenient nod was suffice in my opinion. 

Like a F1 driver walking out on the racetrack and taking notes on each turn before their race, I planned my gardening activities by visiting the garden beds without any tools. My aggressive gardening behaviors required more structure when I entered the flow. But due to the new circumstances with the freshly weeded acidic bed at the front, I prioritized onto dividing the strong but small Hostas that remained. I had a theory that if the original Hostas could grow under those conditions, it should continue to grow if I divide them in the same plot. The shock of division and transplant was already enough. Of course, I dug a hole, added the fertilized water, filled a hand full of the 3 in 1 mix, and placed a divided Hosta from the same plot. I repeated this process until I felt dizzy from dehydration-  a rookie mistake on my part. 

As I chugged through my water, I took notice of my garden bed project from afar. There was an uncanny resemblance between my divided transplanted Hostas and the weed infested garden bed (apparent not too long ago). Both appeared to be there with their subtle green impressions on the soil. I envisioned their impressions as so (pictured). I chuckled as my hard backbreaking work of mindless labor didn't meet any visual changes- this project required patience and maintenance to bear its esthetical fruits.  

Maybe I shouldn't have divided too sparsely. My patience wore thin as my thirst continued to linger. For now, I took a pause from that raised garden bed. Maybe I could redeem my Hosta divisions on a new bed.  The new transplants might not even survive the transplantation even with the aid of the 3 in 1 potting soil, fertilized water and the partial shade. The ghosts of my previous gardening projects working with the acidic consulted me to mitigate my gardening risk- time was always the enemy. 

The next morning, I looked out the window and the plants in question flopped less than before. Maybe they could survive the conditions. Or maybe the green foliage appeared heavily as I focused less on the soil. I shouldn't make that rookie mistake - eyes do fool. The plant was always the result of the soil after all.