I’m pleased with how the plants have been growing in my perennial border this spring. We’ve had a very wet spring making the plants green and lush.
The bed you’re looking at has been weeded three times and edged twice. Plants have been added, subtracted and transplanted.
Gardening takes work.
I’m not trying to dissuade you from gardening. I want you to know gardening isn’t a once and done thing. People with beautiful yards spend a lot of time keeping those yards looking that way and love every minute they spend out there. I know I do.
The pink flowers are some kind of Poppy. I wish I could tell you more but I can’t.
A little up and to the right of the pink flowers are Mountain Bluet (Centaurea montana). I lost all but one of my Mountain Bluet over the winter. I suspect the cause of death was wet soil in the Fall, Winter or Spring. I got replacements at the grocery store this spring. If they don’t make it this time I’ll try something different.
You’d be amazed by how different the bed looks through the season depending on what is in bloom.
If you look over the fence you can see my Weber grill. It’s been in that spot for 19 years and counting. I enjoy peeking over the fence while grilling hot dogs in the Summer.
Click on the picture below for a larger version.
A closeup of the Poppies is below. Lauren, see below in comments, thinks it’s Papaver Orientale. I agree!
Yesterday while working in the yard I almost stepped on this little fellah or little girl. This is officially the first toad I’ve seen this year. The local toad population must be loving all the rain.
First Shade Day is the first day you can see shade from the trees each spring. May 5 was First Shade Day this year; though it was raining when I made the observation.
First Shade Day signifies the unofficial beginning of spring. I know the cold, damp gloomy days are over.
John Holden
Below are some observations of the yard on First Shade Day 2019.
Shade Garden Ideas
Below is the Hosta Garden leafing out. This garden has a lot of significance for a couple of reasons.
First, the root flare of the Sugar Maple to the left that’s 100 to 125 years old.
Second, when we bought our house this area was half moss and half weeds. It was a mess! Over the years I placed the stepping stones, spread compost, and planted the Hosta to get it to where it is today.
Sulphureum Barrenwort (Epimedium × versicolor ‘Sulphureum’) in full bloom growing in dry shade and looking great! Barrenwort dies back to the ground in the fall but reliably returns each spring. It’s a very slow spreader that works better as a grouping than as a ground cover.
Japanese Crabapple in full bloom. When we moved into the house 20 years ago the tree was a stick 6 to 8 feet tall.
Over the coming weeks, the petals will litter the plantings and lawn beneath the tree. Following that leaves will slowly drop through the summer. When the leaves drop in the fall they are thick and leathery and don’t ‘grind up’ with the lawnmower easily.
While I’m not a fan of Japanese Crabapples; few trees can compete with their beauty in full bloom. Here’s a great list of Japanese Crabapple Cultivars .
If you can identify the cultivar of Japanese Crabapple from the flowers please let me know.
Square Foot Gardening
Last year I started a square foot garden. I planted lettuce seedlings a couple of weeks ago. I only covered the plants once to protect them from frost so far.
In my other bed I planted onion sets, broccoli and peas.
When I was a kid I visited a friend whose father was growing peas early in the season. I remember watching the peas growing in the muddy, cold soil and wondering why anyone would plant so early.
I’ve learned that peas like cold, muddy soil. These seedlings were planted mid-April and they’re thriving.
Seasonal Color Ideas
My wife came back from Target with this cool bucket. She poked holes in the bottom with a nail for drainage, filled the container with potting soil and planted some pansies from the local grocery store. Voila!
German or Bearded Iris
This picture is the bed of German Iris I made a video about years ago. In the video, I mention weeding around the iris. I decided to keep the leaves in the bed to shade the soil and see if it keeps the weeds down.
Earlier in the week a client asked for a quote to spread soil around their new drive. I’m disappointed in myself because I almost spent more time contemplating the job than doing it. I believe the term is analysis paralysis.
Let me explain.
When talking with the client I said I can do the job but I’d like to look at it first.
New drives are usually 2-3 inches above grade and knowing the size of their drive it was going to take a decent amount of soil.
The client said, “Go ahead and do the job, no need to give a quote.” I appreciated the trust but I don’t like to work jobs without a quote. It’s easy for a client and I to be on different pages.
The job was going to take 3 yards of topsoil. Further, the soil had to be pushed uphill from the street. I wasn’t going to park my 24,000 pound truck on a new drive to save steps. That’s asking for tire marks and a dirty drive.
I called a friend for a reality check. During the call I hemmed and hawed about the work involved and whether I’d get the job or not. My friend assured me I wasn’t crazy.
My fear, based on the way business has been the last few years, was that my client was going to decline the work.
That night I called my customer, told him the investment and promptly received a go ahead.
Yesterday my wife and I took the family to get Halloween pumpkins. While walking through the field it occurred to me that some people may not know how pumpkins grow.
How Pumpkins Grow
Pumpkin plants are Monoecious, they have both male and female flowers on the same plant.
The female flower has a small ball beneath the flower. When pollinated the small ball grows into a pumpkin. Female flowers are shorter and closer to the stem than male flowers.
Male flowers grow on long stalks. There are many more male flowers on a pumpkin vine than female flowers.
Pumpkin flowers open for one day. If a female pumpkin flower doesn’t get pollinated that day no pumpkin will grow.
Sometimes a female flower that’s not pollinated will grow larger, perhaps to the size of a golf ball, and then stop and turn yellow.
Bees fly through the pumpkin patch collecting pollen and accidentally carry pollen from male to female flowers, thus pollinating the flowers and creating pumpkins.
Once pollinated, a pumpkin grows at an exponential rate. The worlds largest pumpkin grew to over 2000 lbs. The most popular seed for growing giant pumpkins is Dill’s Atlantic Giant.
Pumpkins start green and turn orange when they’re ripe. There are many varieties of pumpkins depending what size and type of pumpkin you’re looking for.
While you’re walking through the pumpkin patch this Fall remember how much work it takes to grow a pumpkin, let alone select the perfect one.
Next time you’re near Michael’s walk in and have a look around. You never know what you’ll walk out with.
I got this cool magnet to prank my wife while at Michael’s too. What woman doesn’t want a testament to her cat plastered on her car? It ended up on my truck after a day.
I wonder if they sell Pink Flamingos at Michael’s?
This toad reminded me yet again what amazing camouflage toads have. Compare the color of this toad to the others in the blog and you’ll see how much their color varies to match their surroundings. What amazing creatures!
The same guy from the top. It may take you a moment to find him.
A toad jumped in front of me today. It blended perfectly with the bluestone coping on the retaining wall.
Once or twice a year I stumble on a toad on a rock and almost step on it because they’re camouflaged so well. It doesn’t matter what color the rock toads finds a way to match it.
In school we’re all taught about the chameleon and how it can change color. Why aren’t we taught about the local toad instead? Their skills match any chameleon on the planet.
For perspective the boards in the photo below are 2 x 6’s.
