I love walking through the garden in May. There is always so much unfinished business...beds to plant, transplants to harden off, compost to mix, weeding to be done, mulch to be laid, bean twine to be staked - but every single day brings something new. With my back I cannot really do any of the big stuff except for the weekends when my husband can do the lifting. But I can weed and plan and water and watch...and dream!
red currant bush
The boys are just happy that it is sunny and warm, and love racing and running and playing in the new raised bed which is yet to be planted in. The discovery of insects, and the sounds of the birds as they visit our yard for the birdseed and birdbath...well, they become friends, and we can recognize many of the individual birds who visit us several times a day! The boys also love the bumblebees who are buzzing loudly around, chipper the chipmunk who is back after a long winter, the rabbits who eat the newly blooming dandelions (but always seem to leave my greens alone!), and the brazen vole who darts out from the back bushes and across the alley whenever little boys get too loud.
rhubarb
I find it amazing how much life is in our teeny yard in the middle of a full neighborhood. I know it is because we have so much more to offer than a flat expanse of plain grass. We have trees, bushes, veggies, fruit, no chemicals and rich earth.
golden raspberries
We have planted a few rounds of the spring veggies - carrots, peas, bunching onions, radishes, cabbage, kohlrabi, beets and more. We also have dozens of new raspberry shoots coming in, and a new row of gifted rhubarb from a friend. The lilacs are so close to blooming, and our mock orange is showing buds. The red currants are showing perfect tiny clusters of what will become tart red berries in a few months.
lilac
We have a box of gifted raspberry canes to plant and flats of beautiful wonderberries (garden huckleberry), peppers, and tomatoes hardening off to be planted in a few days. The herbs and squash have another week or so before they will be ready to go into the garden. The beans are started and will be planted in the next week.
pepper transplants hardening off
So much to do, but so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to. I can't wait to share more pix of our new beds and seedlings! Oh, and my garden challenge for the next year...coming soon! What is happening in your garden?
19 comments:
Your raspberries are looking fantastic!!
Happy days.
:)
I was just telling friends how much I missed our rhubarb. I say "our," but it was my neighbor's when we lived in Madison. She didn't know what to do with it, so I would harvest it and make pies, cobblers, cakes and more - and always doubled the recipe to take to her. I haven't seen any since we've been out in CA. Not even the frozen stuff at the grocery store! *sigh*
Oh you need captions for those all those photos! I think I could look at garden photos all day long...
Your garden looks wonderful! Ours is just sprouting. I should take pictures soon! We've got lots of citrus and peach and nectarines are getting bigger. I love spring's abudance! :)
Oh I could talk about my garden for hours! ;) I actually have plants that are still growing, that I planted from seed back in January of 2008! Those are tomatoes, green peppers, cilantro, and beans! Crazy, hu!? They have been producing this whole time, too (except July and August because it's too hot here in AZ and you are lucky just to keep plants alive through those months!). My zuchini, yellow squash, spinach, beans, carrots, lettuce, and green onions are all coming along. I planted all of it from seed as well. It's amazing that all these things can grow in AZ! Plus, I have no space! So most of it is growing up trellises to use up vertical space instead of ground space (which is nonexistant). I also am so excited about my strawberries that I got runners from my sister in law. Today she just harvested an armful of strawberries! I am so jealous! I will be planting my pumpkins soon, for Halloween. That's about the only plant that I wait to sew, all the rest have to be in by Feb or it'll be too hot here, by the time you have produce! I am most enjoying eating my tomatoes, and looking at my zuchini flowers. They are so beautiful. Though I've let one of my green onions grow a little long and I'm loving it's flower as well! sigh. Love gardens! Thanks for asking! ;)
Rebecca
RootsAndWingsCo.blogspot.com
The gardens are finally coming alive! It's refreshing to see, isn't it?
Can you really plant tomatoes and beans next week? I'm waiting until late May to plant mine. I think Madison is in a different zone though. I'm zone 4 (maybe a little 5).
The hummingbirds are back in action!
How wonderful! Your garden sounds lovely!
Sadly most of the seeds we started were started too early and they shriveled up and died :(
I'm thinking since we are novice gardeners we should scale back, do two small raised beds and hope for the best.
Your garden looks amazing!!! I need a garden guru LOL :0) !!!
Beautiful. I hope my garden does well this year. It's always hit or miss for me.
Your garden sounds absolutely amazing!
your garden photos- makes me wish it wasn't going to rain so I could plant something. Enjoy! xoxo
Your garden sounds like a "Peter Rabbit" garden. That's how my son describes a garden that includes rabbits...he wants one of those types of gardens. ;) The peas and spinach are coming up in my garden and might be ready to harvest in a few weeks.
What a fantastic garden. I really miss our garden. Well....hopefully our next house will have one. It´s good to have dreams. ;)
Oh, the rhubarb...yes please!!
Enjoy the garden a little more for me...someday!
:)
You capture the plants so beautifully with your camera. A joy to look at.
Love the peak into your garden.
It never feels like work, does it?
Just joyful participation in Life!
i love your garden updates! i'm living vicariously through your green thumb...for the moment.
it all looks so exciting!
Oh your garden looks wonderful! We have had so muc rain this past two weeks I am hoping that ours will survive. Blessings.
Denise, I have a new post on my blog that I would like your thoughts on if you have a moment.
Thanks.
www.fortysomethingmichelle.blogspot.com
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