Early summer update

Wow! Time flies when you're having fun, eh?

Before I went away for two weeks in May, I planted out the chile plants we ordered from Cross Country Nurseries, around May 10th or so. I thought it was a bit early, but C. remembered that last year we planted at about the same time and had great success. I think it was colder this year (we had nights in the low 40s where I was in Michigan!), but the plants are still alive and kicking. It's been quite hot the past few days, so I am hoping that they will really kick in the coming weeks. Here are the varieties we're growing this year:

Salmon, Szechwan, Jalapeno Early, Fire, Takatsume, Punjab Small Hot, Mirasol, Carmine, Lester Williams Red, Tasmanian, Chocolate Habanero, and Harold's St. Barts. I've also got seedlings that I grew myself, both on the windowsill and through winter sowing, using seeds that we saved from the previous year: White and Red Habanero, Island Hellfire, and a couple others whose names escape me at the moment. Those plants are going to have to go in pots as I've run out of room in the big garden plot I made last fall! (Laying down cardboard and shredded leaves in the fall to create a new a plot is a really easy, fool-proof approach!) I'm going out of town for the weekend, so I'll take care of those when I get back next week.

I had some success with my winter sowing, even though I had such a late start. I didn't get things planted until February and March! Here's what I ended up with this year, and what I planted in the ground yesterday, all tomatoes.

Black Cherry, Cherokee Purple, Accordion, Bonny Best, Fuzzy Peach, Coyote, Black Krim, Yellow Pear, Black Seaman, and... a mystery volunteer from last year.

In addition to all this, I planted in marigolds, and there are sunflowers, walking onions from my mom's place, strawberries (we just ate some this morning – YUM!), three varieties of garlic, two varieties of peas, Mexican cucumber. These were all winter sown. I also bought from a local nursery some Brussels sprouts plants and chives, as well as a couple hot cherry pepper plants (not that we needed them, really). I'll also be adding in some pansies to the main garden plot, and after doing some reading about companion planting would like to add some nasturtium and zinnia.

All in all, this has been a fun and successful planting. Now, the waiting – will things grow? Will they flourish?

One thing I am doing differently this year is using mulch – I know, duh. I've used grass clippings so far and they seem to be working well, but I also splurged and got some cedar mulch with a gift certificate I got on my last birthday. I have yet to put it down as I want to get everything in the garden first so I don't have to mess with it too much, but I am excited to see how it will look and whether it will make everything grow that much better. I'll definitely have to water less, and hopefully it will help with pests like slugs, too. Hey – I read today that kelp, seaweed, makes for great slug repellent mulch. Go figure! I wonder if the kind I can grab from Lake Ontario would fit the bill.

I will be getting some photos up next week. I'm pretty proud of my efforts this year!

Lists

List #1: The tomatoes and peppers I bought from Mater Mark
• Nicky Crain
• Earl of Edgecomb
• Berkeley Tie-Dye
• Sungold
• Stump of the World

• Yellow Peru
• Chocolate Brown Habanero
• Aconagua

List #2: Plants that are drought-tolerant that I want to put in the front garden
• Sedum (have some)
• Creeping phlox
• Snow-in-summer
• Hens & Chicks (have some)
• Common sage
• Lavender
• Common thyme
• Rosemary (have some, but need more)
• Iris (have some)
• Purple coneflower (have some)

List #3: Just plain want
• Black cohosh
• Trillium recurvatum coll. (Bloody Nose Trillium)
• Spiraea Magic Carpet
• Pink velour crepe myrtle tree

... among others

The Wonder of the Bloom

One of the things I simply adore about gardening is the endless surprise and amazement it provides. Maybe I am simple, but, I get really excited watching the progress of plants I've added to my beds. It's a miracle to me every single time I see something new poking its head out, or blooming for the first time, or spreading itself out to establish its place in the garden. I will never get tired of watching my little treasures, to the point where I am pretty sure that my neighbors probably think I'm a little crazy—I'm out there just about every day, sometimes taking photos, sometimes just looking. And looking again. What is it about gardens?

More tulips I couldn't resist sharing with you






I had a great day yesterday, celebrating Mother's Day with my mom's side of the family. My mom, my two aunts, and all my female cousins are all green thumbs and wondered where I came from until a couple years ago, when I finally got bit by the bug myself. With so many new things popping up in all of our gardens, and me asking for advice and plant ID by showing them photos on my digital camera, it was definitely a garden kind of day, even though the weather was cold and grey. My cousin Marianne, who was our hostess for the day and who gave me those irises last year, dug up a few things to send me away with: bleeding heart, 4 o'clock (more pondering on this later), gay feather, and something else that escapes me at the moment. I'm also hoping to get some of her lamb's ears on my next visit.

An unexpected early bloom of iris—just transplanted from last year!


After lunch, my mom and two aunts and I went to a nearby nursery because my mom wanted to treat me to some hens and chickens (hey! I'm not even a mom!) like the ones I'd been admiring in Aunt Dorothy's garden. So, I walked away with a nice, large plant that already has several "babies" dangling from it, which means I get to propagate more. In addition to that, I bought myself a few broccoli plants, some asparagus crowns (!) and more ice pansies, of which they had a great selection—so many pretty colors! I'm going to wait to plant my new additions until Wednesday, when hopefully the threats of frost we've been having the past couple days will have passed for good. Of course, the pansies will do fine regardless.

The ice pansies I've had since last season have really taken off! Also, a larger view with the Columbine that has just exploded, and the roses, and everything else.




On Saturday, I had a busy day and planted the last of the pachysandra (it lasted fine just sitting in a pot, no soil or anything, just a couple good rainy days), and dug out more of the backyard beds. I was so happy to find out that the pretty little flowers that I thought were weeds turned out to be forget-me-not. There's pink, blue, and white, and it's all over the place! To think that last year, I yanked all the foliage out before it blossomed, thinking it was a weed. (Yes, I know, a weed is in the eye's beholder. Or something.) I also noticed two volunteer tomato plants growing in one of the containers we used last year, and we're obviously hoping those will do well.

Doesn't look like much yet, but it will someday!


The nearby section I got cleared out for the most part—more work than it looks!


Forget-Me-Nots take over! I love it!




And speaking of tomatoes, next week we'll be anxiously awaiting the arrival of the many tomato and pepper plants C. ordered. That will keep us very busy, getting them settled in! Here are those volunteers I mentioned earlier.



Finally, I am pleased to announce: hostas and ferns imported from my dad's house in New Hampshire! Success! I love that I get to have a piece of where he lives, right in my backyard.







Other assorted lovelies:

The first centaurea bloom of the year!


The lilacs responded well to a pretty severe trim!


The light was lovely just before turning dark. Flowering quince among the as-yet untamed jungle.


And the weeping cherry.