Garden Awakening

The garden explodes in spring.

There is a lot happening in the garden right now. I’ve managed to divide the liriope, daylily, and coreopsis. About half of the cleanup is done.

The daffodils,

mini iris,

glories of snow,

hellebores are blooming and

I have a load of mulch in the driveway.

As lemon thyme, bleeding heart, mums, coreopsis, lupine, columbine turn green, I’ve got a lot of mulch to move.

Garden 2007

Winners

The soil tests were easy to do. (see September 29, 2007 post) The results for the lilac/shade garden bed) were the most interesting. Calcium and Magnesium are way above optimum. Soil pH, Phosphate and Potash are below optimum. Recommended fertilization: “Apply 3.5 lbs. per 100 square feet of 5-10-10 and 0.5 lbs. per 100 square feet of 0-46-0.” I will continue to add compost and mulch to this bed and fertilize in spring. Hopefully, this will make a difference since this garden is starting to look a little sad. Now I know where to start.

The “Circle Garden”, put in to enhance the shape of the steps from the deck, is beginning to fill in. I like the plan this year – outside edge line Elijah blue fescue; next line grey Dusty Miller; then euonymus and an inside row of sweet alyssum. (see April 15, 2007 post). In another few years it should be perfect. Photos below compare the garden from August 2006 to July 2007. Gardening surely takes patience.

I shared some plants this year with community gardens, herb society, and with friends. It is very satisfying to find a use for surplus plants.

Old reliable winners

I have heard some gardeners say they get tired of their old plants. I will never tire of these old, reliable inhabitants in my garden.

Crocus - energizing a new season --- Azalea – riot of color

Columbine – simple and prolific --- Roses - fragrance and bloom

Coleus – a bright spot wherever they are

Columbine, Lilacs and Cardinals

As the last of the tulips fade, the columbine, lilac, dogwood, azalea, lily of the valley, rhododendron, sweet shrub, dead nettle, iris, bridal wreath, sweet woodruff and silver dollar plant all come into boom filling the air with sweet aroma and bright colors. There are buds on the roses and dianthus.

Re-seeding cleome, snow-on-the-mountain, forget-me-not, cosmos, sweet alyssum, and snapdragon are beginning to pop out of the soil.

Weeding and planting continue. The top of the soil is dry which makes weeding difficult. I need more mulch. I would be happy for a soaking rain right now. The cucumber and pole beans have germinated in their pots. I’ve started to plant cuttings – only 70 more to go. I need to get the canna and tuberose in the ground. I need to shop for a few annuals. I finished fertilizing the bulbs with bone meal, tidied and fed the roses. All the soaker hoses are in place.

Blumenplatz planting has begun. (see April 21 post) The “Garden of Serenity” is in good shape with Saturday morning mulching completed by a happy and energetic group of volunteers. The Miller House Garden cleanup is almost complete. Planting is set for May 24.

There is an endless parade of stimulation and work in the May garden.

But, the most exciting occurrence this spring - three cardinal baby birds live in a holly bush outside our living room window. It’s a magnificent opportunity to watch them hatch, feed and grow.