It’s National Gardening Day, and I am grumpy. The weather is acting like June (80 degrees yesterday!) and I only have one rain barrel half full of water – we last had rain on March 31 in my neck of the woods. My pansies turn tortured and accusing faces toward me, as if to ask why I set them out only to boil under the sun? I sadly cannot change the weather, but I thought I would share some thoughts and images from my garden. Despite the dry and windy conditions, there is always joy to be had in the unfurling of perennials and the planting process.
The shade garden is especially nice this time of year – ignore the hula hoop. We are not growing those (yet anyway).
Last year, well after planting time, I managed to secure two rhubarb plants and two managed to make it over the winter and are now thriving. Since this is really their first spring, I am not harvesting any of the stalks, but just watching them grow. (But do I need to cut the blooms off? They look like bolting plants.)
I planted them where we had to take a hemlock tree down during the Pandemic, and I have no idea what the soil is like, but I tend to be a survival of the fittest type of gardener.
One of the two vigorous rhubarb plants.
In addition to the rhubarb, I set out three asparagus crowns last year, because asparagus beds need time to mature and produce well. All three (purple) plants made it, and I put out five more (Jersey series) crowns on Tuesday night. Now I need to apply my most attractive blend of mulch – cardboard and newspapers – to control the all-too healthy weeds.
See? A lovely purple asparagus stalk. I am not cutting any of it this year – the three spears wouldn’t go far.
Our one mature apple tree is blooming! We had a very poor crop last fall, so I hope production is better this year. We have two young apple trees that we grafted and that desperately need to be moved from their holding bed, and one other apple tree growing wild by the creek closest to the house.
That creek is the source of my blackhaw viburnums – I’ve dug three up and transplanted them around the house. Now to see if they make it! I am already watering one sycamore tree and one white pine that I planted in March.
I love the apple tree blossoms.
While on the subject of trees, my husband planted 20 (maybe more?) trees yesterday while I was out gallivanting around in Bourbon County, exploring a wonderful Greek Revival house. Persimmons, swamp oak, and some white pines are now awaiting some much hoped for rain.
Some of the persimmon trees.
The Iris are about ready to make a showy, wonderfully scented display – and I really want to get some more rhizomes planted.
One of my heirloom iris. They smell so good!
On the other side of things, if chickweed ever proves to have some sort of valuable pharmaceutical qualities, I shall prosper and become quite wealthy. It is more likely that if I ever stumble and fall down in the garden, the chickweed will quickly clamor over my prone body and I shall never be seen again. Best wishes to all you gardeners out there, and if you have some rain to spare, please send it my way!
Wow! I am in awe of all you have done. Yes, my understanding is that you must cut the flowers off the rhubarb. (bolting) Like many other plants, it promotes the plant putting its energy into the plant and not reproduction.
PS- I saved some lots of cleome seeds in my refrigerator.
Love your rhubarb………….Grandma Shewmaker made the best rhubarb pie I ever had………..revise that – the only rhubarb pie I ever had but it was very good!!