planting

Set out more young plants today. Cumin:

Nepitella:

Fenugreek- some in the ground

and a few in a pot. Apprently it's sensitive to transplanting. Maybe next year I'll grow direct from seed, if these don't do well.

Sculpit I also planted one in the ground, one in a pot. I want to try its flavor; it grows the best foliage in rich garden soil, but will make the curious balloon-shaped flowers that are highly attractive to pollinators if in lean soil. So I did both. If the potted one does bloom and draw in swarms of bees, I'll move that pot to sit in the garden area!

More garden stuff: my beets have come up! both golden and red:

It looks like one sage plant I moved is going to revive. The other shows no growth, I might discard it and transplant a few in

Lavender has more new leaves!

Borage is sprouting here and there, too- none in a very convenient place to let grow full size, yet.

Squirrel completely dug out the one deck box I hadn't planted yet. All the dirt was scooped out of the middle. It must've been searching hard for a buried nut- one I probably found and tossed already. I refilled the box, and scattered clippings of rue to deter.

So far the squirrels have been more or less staying out of the garden, and not digging at all where I laid down the thick bamboo mulch. I wonder if the texture of it feels so unlike dirt on their paws, they don't consider digging?

I have to be careful using the rue, though. Last week, a day after moving the rue plant, scattered red marks all across my forearm. I washed my hands after, but didn't think to wash my arm. The oil in the plant is phototoxic. Sun on it burns your skin. Mine didn't hurt or blister, but it did leave dark marks that are only now just starting to fade. I'm concerned it could turn into a worse reaction next time. I'm still reluctant to get rid of the plant, it's so pretty- and if it's really keeping the japanese beetles away, invaluable to me. (When I turned over the garden this spring, I only found three beetle grubs. Compare to last year!) I put disposable gloves on and only handled the plant with the clippers.

I still miss the mayapple I gave away because of its possible toxicity. When I went to cut bamboo, there was mayapple and spring beauty growing all around there on the edge of the woods. It was so pretty.