Dear Fellow Gardeners,

As I write, many "Spring Wonders" are in full bloom and "Summer Delights" are on their way!  Today (May 6th) happens to be a rainy day, providing a much-needed deep watering to the ground and newly-planted containers. It also gives me a chance to stop working outside, sit on my enclosed porch looking out the windows, and take stock of what is in flower, what’s had it’s moment, and what is coming along. So here’s my report:

The Daffodils and Tulips along my driveway are totally spent, but what a dazzling show it was! As I may have said, I only plant tulips which are red/yellow blends, and I plant about 50 new bulbs each year. I also plant a long-trumpet daffodil mix, since I just can’t have too many of them to lift my spirits in spring (it can be “heavy lifting” but it works). Since my garden is along a busy street, many neighbors walk by and stop to enjoy the display - and since we gardeners are a show-offy bunch, it gives me a nice ego-boost, as you will all understand!. 

Forsythia are done, and lilacs are fading, but Spirea and Fothergilla (which I bought for its funny name) are lovely in their white profusion, and my new red-leaved Japanese maple absolutely glows when the sun shines through its leaves! My potted fig tree must have stayed indoors on my porch for too long and gotten totally confused, because it has produced two large figs way too soon and is looking stupidly proud of itself! I hope I get a normal crop in August.

I see big, fat buds on peony, clematis and allium, which will provide the next colorful show, and I am encouraged to see that many of the native perennials which I planted in the fall are putting out strong growth. I’ll be adding the new milkweed plants that I just purchased, and will of course be shopping for more wonderful perennials donated by our generous members at our Mega Mini Plant Sale during our May Members’ Meeting!

During the recent warm sunny days I  couldn’t resist making an early trip to my local garden center and came home with just a few annuals for the pots, planters, and window boxes on my patio. 

About 50 plants to be exact, but who’s counting?! And that was only round one! But oh the fun of planting everything in pots - so much easier than in the ground - and moving things around for the perfect effect! Sure, I left a few bucks, but the way I see it I have enough clothes, jewelry and furnishings to last me forever, and I drive an old car - but we can NEVER have enough flowers! 

The final parts of my garden preparation involve mail-order plants and seed-starting. I have placed an order for several mini rose plants, all with “single” rather than “double” flowers because I need them for flower-pressing and they are impossible to find in garden centers. I pot them up and put them on a plant stand in full sun. I also ordered a few low-growing Hostas to put in the shade along the pavers I am “planting” as a path to my compost bins. And (talk about no self control), I ordered several low-growing coreopsis varieties to grow in pots on the patio because these are also being hybridized in red/yellow combinations! Not natives, I know, but it’s a gift to myself.

As for the seedlings, my mini veggies are off to a slow start but I hope to put them out in pots in a couple of weeks, and maybe have an actual crop to enjoy! The viola seedlings are starting to flower and I hope the Rudbeckia Indian Summer will take off soon.

So that’s what I’ve been up to, and I’d love to hear about how your gardens grow!

I can’t wait to see you all at our exciting May meeting!

Happy Gardening,