Digging for gold

Good compost is considered gold in the garden.
Some people call it black gold.

Each spring I remove any uncomposted material from the top of the pile and there it is....
beautiful compost to top dress the garden beds.
And I never turned the pile once! HA!

All the twigs, leaves, grass, and plant trimmings go back on the pile, when I will dig again in the fall.
These are the rules I follow in building my compost piles:

Alternate carbon and nitrogen materials. ( Browns and greens basically)
Keep the pile filled with air. Hopefully it rains once in a while to keep it semi-moist.
Very large diameter twigs or branches on a separate pile.
Nothing with disease.

And that's it!
The lazy method of composting...it works for me.

On another subject, recently I posted about my new seating arrangement for the garden.
I would like to paint the garden bench...but am perplexed as to what color.

Does anyone have an idea?
Sage green, deep cobalt blue...maybe gloss black?

I'd LOVE opinions.

Back to Highland cattle and other things

A few posts ago I shared how I visited the cattle living down the street from me in the post titled
 " Poop Possibilities".
Love these silly cows!
Well, a few day later I went for another visit and brought my daughter with me.

                                                       I think they are getting to know us!

                                                         And are very comfortable with us!

                                                                     How cute is he!

                                                                    " I love me some grass!"

                              I think he actually rests his tongue on the fence waiting for the next mouth full!
              Thanks to Kalamazoo who left a comment letting me know the name of these beautiful beasts!

Okay, onto gardening "stuff"...

This year I had to throw out the lime green Adirondack chair that I use in the garden seating area, due to "rickityness". It could be a word.
So, this starts the creative process of coming up with a new seating area in the main garden with out having to spend money. Its a kin to rearranging the house furniture...fun but dangerous.
You know...change some curtains and you find yourself in the home improvement store looking at paint.
chips.

So, I stole the chairs from our out door dining set (we really don't have large dinner parties anymore) and they seem to be good here...and maybe we'll eat dinner in the garden!

Now...to decorate ;  )

Spring...glorious spring

                                                I have never been a huge fan of daffodils.
                    But somehow they always do bring joy to my heart after a dreary (but not awful) winter.

                                                                    'Globe master' Allium

                                              Chive blossoms bud at the feet of 'New Dawn' roses.

                                                                        Peonies in bud

                                             Simple pansies will give way to summer blooms.