Out In The Garden...

Ah, the garden! Modest though it is, it warms my heart and spirit to be in it. I broke down and bought an A-frame for the porch swing, so now I can sit and watch the tomatoes grow and the moon rise.

The tomatoes are, indeed, looking fine. The stems are getting strong, they are about 18” tall, and getting lots of blossoms. Maybe this is the year I pick one before my mother does! I started Better Boys and Yellow Pears from seed, and Pineapple (although late, as the seed was backordered; I ended up buying a few plants). From Dana’s I got Cherokee Purple and Green Zebra (and way too much other stuff!). Also in the vegetable garden, starting to eat salads; cukes, cabbage, onions, and kale are all doing well.

The bulbs are a mixed bag. I was seduced by the good prices at Costco and bought too many (surprise, surprise!). The dahlias are coming up, about 6 or 8 of them, and the glads; out of a couple dozen Asiatic lilies, maybe 5? And none of the Caladiums; perhaps I planted them upside down or something. And the Chocolate Cosmos I ordered special from Wayside is nowhere to be found. Ugh.

I thought I had lost the fig, but there is green growth from the base. The branches though, are producing nothing. I’m wondering if I should prune them off and let it take over from the bottom. Thoughts? So much for cold-hardy.

The rest of the perennial border is in nice second-year shape. Achillea and salvia are blooming, Petrovski is looking strong (and smelling wonderful!); rudbeckia, bergamot, and the santolinas are looking good. Of the old (pre-me) plants, the roses, irises, and tulips are bloomed out; the hollyhock is getting ready to bloom; the yucca has not yet sent up its spikes.

Oh, very important! I planted a blueberry hedge as a divider and entrance-way to the lower garden room; eight plants. That should be exciting next year, and more so the year after.

This morning, after last night’s wonderful storms, was perfect for weeding. I pulled a good 5-gallon bucket full and then some…after my morning coffee on the swing.

Needless to say, with planting (even though it is modest by any standards) and general clean-up, the patio project has gone nowhere. I’m out of excuses now, so I’ll have to get started on it again.

Meantime, we can still use more rain…