--- layout: post title: Blood, Sweat, and Soil date: 2002-10-04 tags: ["General"] --- When we last left our intrepid hero, the bed had been laid out, and the soil needed to be prepared. Beaten into submission is more like it. Last Saturday, after we had lain out the bed, the Fedex man came by and deliverd our [bulb planting tool](http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/search.asp?keyword=981698) from [White Flower Farms](http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/). This is a tool that is basically a pipe with a handle that you push into the ground (with helpfull foot pedals if needed) and then make a nice round hole perfect for planting bulbs. After gleefully unwrapping the bright red instrument of destruction, I went out to try it out. I placed the end on the ground and stepped on the foot bar. It slid into the ground about 2 inches and stopped. Hmpf. So I stood on the bar and twisted; Nothing. I then went back to the garage to get my shovel and examined the soil some more. What I found was disheartening. At the bottom of the hill, there is 2 to 3 inches of topsoil; at the top of the hill, there is approxiamtely ½ inch of topsoil. And all this topsoil is carefully spread over wonderful, hard, red, Virginia clay. Great. Sunday we made a trip to [Mecca](http://www.lowes.com) and I returned with my latest implement of destruction, the pick-ax. Thus began the weeks struggle of turning all the soil. It is now Friday afternoon, and I have gone out every day after work except Monday (due to some blood in addition to the normal sweat and soil) and have completed ¾ of the soil in the bed. I should be able to finish tomorrow with two sessions. This is good because all of the [Daffodils and Daylilies](http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/search.asp?keyword=F983071) (two units of the collection, 200 bulbs, and 100 plants) arrived today. I wonder what exactely Elizabeth and I have gotten ourselves into here, but I shall keep you informed.