Seeds of Lauren's Grape poppy have tagged along in pots and tubs of plants as we've moved through several locations in the county. They are welcome wherever they pop up. Most winters the tiny seedlings emerge during a warm spell in February or March. They were so late this season in appearing that I felt they had been lost. I needn't have fretted! This one was the earliest, starting as a frail plant almost beneath the front porch overhang. I was surprised to see the first delicate bloom on 21st May after a dismal night of rain and thunder.
Poppies are beautiful at every stage of growth.
Seedlings have continued to appear--poking up in various plant pots and tubs, in the gravel just inside the barn door, a few, still small, among the foxgloves in the west wall garden.
Poppies pushing through the branches of a sprawling sage.
Poppies in the gravel walk-way of the barn.
I will never be without nigella--a reliable self-seeder.
Jim's potatoes are growing sturdily.
Peppers and tomatoes purchased from my favorite nursery in April were potted on and kept in the greenhouse until May 7th.
Tomatoes raised from seed in my little greenhouse went out this week, with 14 extra passed along to H.
Cukes, melons and butternut squash started in greenhouse set out on May 15th.
Jim has made successive plantings of sweet corn after the first [too early] planting failed to germinate in cold, wet weather.
Today he direct seeded more cukes and squash.
The pole beans are up and will soon need a fence to climb.
The pounding rain and high winds which resulted in horrendous tornado activity in areas an hour or more east of us, did little damage here. The electric was off for 12 hours, fallen branches and twigs had to be gathered up around the perimeter of the property.
Roses, clematis and foxglove at peak bloom were buffeted and tattered.
Clematis Jackmanii, a late bloomer, still looks good.
Near the lower end of the west meadow a maple much loved of the woodpeckers snapped off, the top crashing through an adjacent tree ; the broken section caught just above the power line and transformer.
Jim hitched onto this and hauled it free with the tractor. The stump has since been cut down, split into usable chunks and tidily piled in the woodshed.
I have been fretting that I need a raised bed 'herb garden'. On Friday Jim became tired of hearing this reiteration and after some discussion--exasperated on his part, insistent on mine--he roared out with tractor and rotovator to turn this strip along-side the one designated for my sunflowers.
I have been leaving gardening books and magazines open in strategic places--suggestive of what I have in mind. Gina got me interested in purchased raised bed assemblies which I then compared online at amazon. Jim, facing the inevitable, announced that he could construct raised beds!
I have no problem visualizing a finished garden such as I covet; I do have issues when it comes to dimensions, spaces, layout.
We will likely have some testy exchanges of opinion as the project goes forward!
However it turns out I'm feeling reassured that the various plants languishing in pots or tucked into unsuitable corners can become an attractive arrangement as well as an area that I can tend without the impossibility of crawling about on my aged knees.
The motley gathering of tubs at the front steps have been mostly arranged with flowers which Matt and Gina purchased at the Amish auctions as well as some that came home with me from two rather hurried greenhouse forays.
[Photos of those are on my phone--and I haven't solved the issues with uploading from that device to the blog.]
Cooler than usual May weather is much appreciated; each clear day is a blessing.
We are saddened by the destruction, injuries and loss of lives not far distant from where we live.
Weather impacts all of us, whether we are farmers, gardeners, or among those who must rely on food crops grown by others.
We sigh with relief when a storm moves off, thunder, wind and rain subsiding; yet there is always the sobering fact that as the turbulence veers away from our own dwelling, the homes of others lie in its terrible path.
Indeed, the weather has been filled with treachery for much of this country , starting in late March. It is not without gratitude that we drove home from NM unimpacted by any storms.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, my gardens appear to be thriving throughout this cold and wet spring. The deciduous azaleas, in particular, have held their blossoms for nearly two weeks; so lovely they are!
Good on you for insisting on some raised beds. My advice is to assure that they are tall enough and not too wide. Look at the dimensions of the VEGO beds for a bit of a guide.
Gorgeous clematis!
Mundi; The photos of your gardens show a much more thoughtful layout and planning than mine ever have done. I've looked at the dimensions available on several brands of beds, I've been out with a yardstick making comparisons. In the end, since Jim has decided to construct them I'll probably be having what he thinks is practical.
DeleteThe tornadoes were so terrible. One can never really prepare for that kind of devastation. Those poor families.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear that you will get your raised bed! I will look forward to photos of this project. I haven't ventured into raised beds yet, but I did try them years ago, in the 70s. My issue was the watering they needed, as we were on a spring so water was limited. These days, I do a lot of mulched gardens and like them very much. I never ever get on my knees though! Always working around that.
G.M. The need for watering in a dry season is a consideration, for sure. I'm hoping this will work as a way of growing specific plants without the now impossible crawling about on the ground. My desire for another garden is likely not practical, but my interest in experimenting is still unquenched.
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