31 March 2021

moving things again

Dug up and moved some salvia from around the newly-cut-down tree stump to further back behind the hydrangeas, as now I expect they will get too much sun. Then dug and moved most of the turtlehead- which are just sprouting- from around the old stump by the garden to flank the new stump instead.
While doing that, found the hosta crown- just barely showing. 
The chrysanthemum I recently planted was too close to it- so I dug and moved that one forward six inches too. Pricked out of the garden root bed a lot of borage seedlings, and moved them into this area. There's quite a few nicotiana sprouting- it looks like they're regrowing from the base of last year's stems, but could be seed just fell so close.

better and better!

My camellia is blooming!
It is still small, not even my height yet, but so many flowers. I guess toughing it through the winter was fine.
Rhubarb is unfolding grand leaves. I gave it compost. Crossing fingers I've found a spot for it, where it can make it through the summer heat.
Something had been eating the young euonymus I transplanted few years ago. Deer, or rabbit. I fenced off the largest two, but the tips kept getting nipped off through the wire anyway. Then patched a loose board in the fence, and now there's new leaves everywhere. I suspect it was the rabbit.
Borage I stuck in a pot is forming buds
I wondered if the heartleaf brunnera I moved would do okay- as I kinda forced them into the holes which weren't dug quite deep enough. But they look fine. 
Two are even flowering!
Nice to see that the sweet woodruff perked up without any care from me at all- I haven't even watered it since patting onto the ground. 

30 March 2021

fourth sowing and planted

out the lettuces at the very end of the day- it's supposed to rain tomorrow morning. Quite a disparity in sizes- I think the lettuces don't like their roots getting crammed in the paper pots, but also some were started earlier than others.
Photo of the greens bed from above on the deck. That's the tokyo bekana (previously planted) bright across the middle (which my husband mistook for lettuce!) 
Sowed in trays indoors: amaranth calaloo, three kinds of basil, fenugreek, mexican tarragon, benne (sesame), four kinds of peppers, sunberry, summer savory, thyme, zebrina (hollyhock mallow) and more nasturtiums.

one more violet

tiny bitty leaves sprung up from the cutting- this one is 'lady in red'.
(now only three left under glass)

29 March 2021

the garden is moving

faster than I can, these days- my recent trays all sprouted- there's only one of the salad burnet came up but that will be plenty for me
Tithonia already showing their first set of true leaves
Cardinal climber delight me with their double-lobed triangular appearance. I have a new trellis to grow them on! (Not the one pictured before- my husband bought me a new, taller, sturdier one)
I noticed when the leaves first unfolded they were rather yellowish and I thought looked sickly- but they soon greened up fine
 I have plenty more plants large enough to go in the ground but waiting for milder night temperatures and an overcast day. Forsythia has bloomed- bright and bold this year in the far corner of the yard- so time to plant out the lettuces soon as I'm able.
 and then onward to start more seeds!

pathetic pink

Well, my cut crabapple stems did finally bloom indoors- and yes, ahead of the tree outside- but they're nothing great to look at. A few sparse flowers on each stem, the rest have withered. They do have a sweet scent if you put your nose right to the petals. I don't think I'll repeat this- unless I fitted them into a vase with other plants, as accent instead of feature.

25 March 2021

green life

New green on both clematis- the one that flowers pink
and the purple:
New plants! I bought a few from a fellow gardener who was dividing clumps- some old-fashioned chrysanthemums, which I put by the tree that's no longer there. Realized when I was done it's right where one of my hostas grows. (I didn't run into the hosta with the trowel). No matter- these hostas will have to be moved anyway once they show above ground.
and this groundcover called sweet woodruff. Looked at photos and I wonder if it's related to the sweet alyssum. She said to plant just lay pieces on the ground where you want it and toss good soil over, it will root. That sounds suspiciously easy to me- as in it could be an aggressive spreader. Looked more up- seems like it can become invasive in a sunny area, growing in shade tends to stay put. Which is where I've placed it.
I found a bit of the lady's mantle peeking out of the mulch- tiny leaves no bigger than the ball of my thumb. And I thought it was dead! Also nearby a few seedlings I think (hopefully) are from the stinkin' hellebore.
Last of all- in the house- a few new trays of seedlings sprouted. Tithonia
and cardinal climber looks like they're all coming up.

24 March 2021

into the ground

All my hardiest greens- here they are ready on the bench
Set into their bed
and planted out- I have a row of tokyo bekana across the middle
tatsoi around the edges
Collards are yellow cabbage, even star land race and alabama blue:
Later will fit in arugula and lettuces between things too

walked around

after planting stuff, to see what else was growing- no sign of the black and blue salvia yet, but I did find the yellow japanese ones sprouting
and the other dark blues-
More sedums are coming up, thicker
I'm very glad to see the lemon balm!
I did find the heartleaf brunnera starting to emerge, so I pushed back the mulch, dug them up and moved to the front bed. One was large enough I divided it. Now there are three.
Rhubarb unfolding its crinkled leaves
Borage I stuck in a pot still doing fine, in spite of a few holes
Took down the makeshift row cover. Ate some of the overwintered tokyo bekana, and left the three best ones to make seed. They're definitely bolting.