Early Tomatoes

Baby tomatoes

My tomato plants are flowering, and some have little green tomatoes.  Can't wait for them to ripen, so I can enjoy that wonderful home-grown taste!

Dog's Allergies

Theo

 

Every summer my dog, Theo, suffers from allergies.  He constantly licks and chews on his feet, and scratches himself.  His skin is horribly red and irritated.  This starts in May and doesn't end until the first frosts of fall.

Setting up the Garden Fountain

Last evening I got my little outdoor fountain out of winter storage and set it up for the summer.  I love the sound of splashing water, and it attracts lots of birds to a garden.  My fountain spends its summer bubbling away beside the front porch, where I can enjoy it when I sit outside there, or as I come and go from the front door.

Anticipation Fulfilled

Wisteria covering south fence

Last week I wrote about some of the things in the garden which give me such a delightful sense of anticipation, and shared photos of some of the budding flowers from my garden.  Already several of those budded plants are now in full flower. 

This is the third year for my wisteria vine, and the first time when it has put on such a wonderful display of flowers.  Last year it only had a half dozen blossoms.

Memorial Day

White peonies

Today is Memorial Day here in the United States; a day to remember those who have died while serving the the armed services, defending our country. Graves of those who gave their lives are decorated with flags and flowers. For many of us, it is also a time when we visit the graves of family members with flowers, and a time of family reunions.

Getting a Start on Vertical Gardening

When a garden has only limited space, one way to make the most of every inch is to support vining plants to grow up rather than to sprawl across the ground. I've learned so much from the the wonderful Square Foot Gardening books by Mel Bartholomew.  He has some great suggestions for making the most of small garden areas, and the close placement of plants in a series of small beds.

Eggshells for the Garden

Another of the things from my kitchen that I save for use in the garden is eggshells.  I rinse them well, and save them in a plastic bag until I have enough to bother with (or feel the need for them). Then I use a rolling pin to crush them while they're still in the bag.  You want them crushed pretty well to a powder. You could also put the shells in a plastic bucket and grind them with the bottom of a glass jar or another hard object as a make-shift mortar and pestle.

First Compost of the Year

I've checked on my two compost tumblers occasionally the last several weeks. The last time I filled them was in the fall.  Over the winter, cold weather brings the composting process to a halt.  This  spring I resumed turning them about every day, and waited for the compost to be done.  Once you can no longer recognize what the original materials were, and it just looks and smells like a nice, dark garden soil, it's ready to use.

Edible Garden Update

Strawberries in stacking planter

This morning I picked six strawberries. There are lots more that should be ripe in the next several days.  I don't have a large strawberry bed; just one small area along the driveway, and the stacking planter described in a recent post.  But it's enough to give me a handful of tasty berries day after day here in the spring; and since those planted in the stacking planter are an ever-bearing variety, I get a few along throughout the summer. Even a few strawberries are great on cereal or salads.

Anticipation

Wisteria bud

One of the parts of gardening that I enjoy most is the sense of anticipation.  I love going around the garden and looking at all the plants that are budding; savoring the thought of what is about to open into full flower.  It's a bit like a child gazing at the wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree--I know something wonderful is in there, and pretty soon I'll get to see it.

Tornado Season in Kansas

Hosta flattened by heavy rain

Yesterday afternoon southcentral Kansas was visited by one of its most infamous and unwelcome annual guests: a tornado.  We were blessed; Wichita got off with practically no damage, and no injuries.  Our neighbor state to the south, Oklahoma, was less fortunate.  April-June are the months with the greatest likelihood of a tornado here, though they can happen any time.

First Peonies of the Year

Tree Peony

Here is the very first peony to bloom in my garden this year.  Tree peonies generally bloom a couple of weeks before the more common herbaceous peonies.  Anything that extends the blooming season of peonies is great! I chose this particular cultivar because of the wonderful lavender color, which I had not seen in peonies before.

Summer Garden Re-Runs

Moss rose seedlings

When I know certain annuals are likely to re-seed themselves, I try to watch when weeding that area the following spring, so that I don't pull up all the seedlings by mistake.

For example, I was working in the flower bed out front by the street last evening.  Moss rose, or portulaca, was growing there last year, and I know it reseeds.  I kept a careful eye out as I pulled out grass and weeds, and sure enough, there were the tiny little seedlings of the moss rose, just starting to grow.

War on Weeds: Chickweed

Chickweed

 

Chickweed is a low-growing, somewhat succulent winter annual of Eurasian origins. It thrives in cool, moist conditions. Chickweed forms a dense mat of stems that creep along the ground, and may root at the nodes of the stems, which makes it harder to remove.  It has a shallow, fibrous root system and tiny white flowers. It invades lawns and gardens and can be a reservoir for insect pests and plant viruses.  The thick mats can crowd out the plants you want.

Results on Overwintering Plants

Pop-up greenhouse

Last fall I moved a number of plants indoors for the winter, and others into my little pop-up greenhouse.  Those I cherished most, or were most in need of warmth, like the lemon tree, geraniums and  the jasmine, ended up in the house.  Other plants that went into the greenhouse for the winter included one pot of mint, a potted patio tomato, the papyrus plant from the pond, petunias, rosemary, basil, parsley, and the stacking planter of strawberries.

This greenhouse is just a layer of heavy plastic, and is unheated, so it has been an interesting experiment to see what difference it could make in helping plants survive the winter.

War on Weeds: Prickly Lettuce

Prickly lettuce (large plant in center)

Prickly lettuce is an annual or biennial weed with prickly leaves. When it is cut or broken, it emits a milky sap. It is found throughout the US, though it originally came from the Mediterranean area. Other names for it are horse thistle, milk thistle, and wild lettuce. The leaves have prickles along the leaf margins and along the midvein on the lower leaf surface. It can reach up to six feet in height.

Happy Mother's Day!

Love you, Mom!

Lilacs

Fruit Peels for the Garden

Fresh fruit -- good for me, and for my garden
 

Every morning I eat a banana.  Then I take my garden shears and the banana peel outside, and stroll around, chopping the peel into small pieces and dropping them into the flower beds and around rose bushes. The small pieces are not noticeable, and can then begin to slowly break down into the soil to feed the flowers.  Bananas are rich in both potassium and phosphorus, which can help your plants grow and bloom better.   Banana peels encourage earthworms, which adds yet more fertilizer.

I could also put the chopped peels into the compost bin, or the worm bin, but I enjoy this relaxed moment among the flowers.

Just Starting to Bloom

Bearded iris beginning to bloom

Over the last week, I noticed that the iris were beginning to bud out.  Today the first blossoms were beginning to open. I have a row of iris that extends all the way across the front yard, just behind a bed of catmint, evening primrose, creeping phlox, and other shorter plants.  The iris are a mix of white, blues, and purples. By the time they bloom, the curving row of white daffodils underplanted with grape hyacinths is over.

Favorite Flowers: Creeping Phlox

Creeping phlox

Allergy Index Scale:  4
Perennial, zones 3-9
Full sun to light shade, 2-6" tall

One of the flowers that adds so much color to the spring garden is creeping phlox, also known as moss pinks.  In the spring, when it blooms, it is literally covered with small flowers for several weeks.  When grouped together or allowed to spread as a groundcover, this mass of color is stunning. Creeping phlox blooms in pink, rose, lavendar, blue, white or variegated. Even when the flowering is over, the  needle-like foliage, evergreen in milder climates, makes a nice thick ground cover.

War on Weeds: Henbit

Henbit

Henbit is an annual cool-season weed.  It's the weed that around here in the spring turns lawns purple with their tiny flowers. Its nectar and pollen are useful to bees.

Henbit prefers cool, moist soil, so it flourishes in the spring.  It usually grows to about 6 inches tall. Its seeds germinate in the fall, live through the winter, and then grow and flower in the spring.  As temperatures start to rise, it dies, leaves lots of seeds for fall.  Henbit spreads primarily by seed, though the stems can root where they touch the soil.

Winter Sowing Update

Parsley seedlings grown outdoors in a milk jug

Earlier this year, I posted about trying winter sowing, starting seeds in mini-greenhouses made from gallon milk jugs.  I had read about this last year, and was simply itching to try it for myself.  I've started seeds indoors for several years, and had dealt with watering, watching out to see if seed trays are too wet or dry, damping off, fungus gnats, and all the many trays perched on every conceivable surface in the house. Then there's the taking the trays in and outside to harden off the seedlings before they can be planted. Winter sowing as described would simplify all of that.

Snow in May

Snow on the daffodils

This morning the weather here in southcentral Kansas couldn't decide whether to rain, sleet or snow, so it went for a light mixture of all three.  The cold front came in yesterday about the time I got off work, and all night we heard blustery winds.  Even though the ground is warm enough that the snow doesn't accumulate, it's still extraordinary to have snow in May! 

May Day

Flowering plum tree with hyacinths

The earth laughs in flowers

E.E. Cummings