Good Morning Fellow Gardeners of any and everything! We welcome you and those who are interested in nature, how things grow, and who enjoy the photos posted from all over. I hope we offer a respite in these times. Please pop in a Comment and say hello, wherever you are! Today it’s a “patchwork” of things going on and an open thread. PLEASE post any questions you have that some among us might answer. What’s sprouting or not? Do you have favorite garden tools? Post a photo if you like. Stories from family who gardened. How about garden themed books, both non-fiction and fiction. I’ve seen mystery series with gardening/farming as the main character’s work. Any outdoor photos from a trip you took? Please post if you like. We LOVE photos! Let’s just have some fun, tell some gardening stories, and share information.
It’s been a crazy spring weatherwise since my last diary in March where I laid out my plans for new (including some from folks here — THANKS) and saved seeds….
We got this….
And then THIS 3 weeks ago….rain deluge over one night. This photo is from my and the neighbor’s backyards. It took about 3 days for that “pond” to disappear. I did NOT photo my basement flood. 😳 That lead to a sump pump replacement and changing around of where the pipes discharge. I will NEVER have another basement flood EVER. The out pipe will now discharge water into my front flower garden. Big shout out to contractor friend! This was NOT fun. Gardening delayed.
As the weather warmed up way too much (80’s and over 90 one day), things started popping up in my yard and around the neighborhood.
Fritillaria from a neighbor just all of a sudden appeared. It doesn’t look like it should grow around here! This fellow has my favorite garden. He even plants the strip between the sidewalk and street with Sunflowers.
And some from my yard. Not really filled out and pretty, yet, but getting there.
This is a White Trillium. There is also the Red Trillium which I have not found for sale, yet, but am hoping. They are protected in NYS and other states so you have to buy them.
Heart-Shaped leaves are Canadian Wild Ginger. A small red, bell-shaped flower forms underneath at ground level. Japanese Painted Fern on the right. Lower left corner shows some of the White Anemones that will grow to about 12 inches in height and put out pretty white flowers.
And books! I found this below on my shelf of garden books. I’d forgotten I had it and don’t know if it was a gift or if I picked it out of one of the Little Free Library boxes around my neighborhood. It came out in 1995 but I think much of the information is relevant about creating a bird friendly yard, including a mini pond. And I have one! And if you like garden related fiction, check out Susan Wittig Albert's two series: the China Bayles Mysteries — former criminal lawyer who now owns an herb shop and The Darling Dahlias series — takes place during the Depression. There are gardens and great mysteries and recipes!
From September 2022….
I will be doing another diary the last Saturday in May. The plan for that is an update on my vegetable gardening. This year, I not only will have the in ground garden plot but a kitchen garden on the patio outside the kitchen door. The latter is planted and starting to sprout! Here’s a sample. The orange color is cayenne pepper. Seems to work to keep the squirrels from digging around. Spinach, lettuce, and arugula in there to create a salad mix. 🥗🌿
Come on along and let us know what’s happening in your part of the gardening world. House plants, too!