Did someone shorten the days—like make them 18 hours rather than 24? Because it seems as if I have less time than ever and I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong. Work has been very busy lately, which has put a cap on the amount of time I can spend in the garden. But it is spring, after all, and some things just can’t wait.
The vegetable garden is mostly in. Now that he’s learned to use the chain saw, Harry is happily doing some small clearing along the edges of the driveway. He contributed three mimosa tree trunks that he dug in and I have strung with twine through eye hooks to serve as a trellis for the cucumbers. I think it’s rustic looking and rather like it. But a couple of weeks ago some workmen who were here asked me why I had planted those trees like that in my garden! Perhaps when the vines start to cover the twine it’ll be apparent that the trees are actually posts. Or maybe not. What do you think?
We widened the existing daylily border by the potager. The border is now home to some rampant columbines that threatened to take over the herb bed, supplemented with some alyssum, superbells and osteospermum. Over time I’ll add or relocate perennials to this border, but for now the annuals are providing some color.
In the front of the house, the hellebores are still blooming. They have seeded prolifically and I’ve been moving little baby hellebores to other shady parts of the yard.
Our strawberry patch has really taken off this year. Early this spring the patch was fairly crowded, as the daughters these ‘Jubilee’ strawberries had taken up residence. I dug and dug and gave away probably 50 or 75 of the plants. They’re probably still a little crowded, but they don’t seem to mind, as there is a bumper crop in progress. We eat strawberries constantly. As I write this the house is filled with the smell of strawberries. While I work today, the oven will slow cook the strawberries for ten hours on a very low heat. Later this evening, I’ll finish canning and processing them for strawberry jam.
I don’t have all the containers planted, but some are finished. The window boxes on the back deck are filled with pale yellow petunias, coleus ‘Inky Fingers,’ and asparagus fern. I know a lot of people dislike petunias—and they are terribly over-used—but I love the pale yellow color of these and appreciate how they bloom reliably all summer long. Daily deadheading is one of my favorite activities because I can just step outside the back door, snip, snip, snip and not even break a sweat. And what a difference it makes in the number of blooms!
And finally is this little closeup detail…just because I like it…
Robin
Every spring since I started gardening, I reach the point at least once when I feel so overwhelmed by what has to be done that I seriously think about sitting down for a nice, long boo-hoo.
There just isn’t enough time to clean it all up! I don’t have enough energy for all of this! Everything is asleep and it’s difficult to imagine a garden springing up from the ravages of winter.
Thankfully, Mother Nature usually kicks in about this time and starts presenting small gifts. The hellebores climb out of the rotting leaves and from under the snow with profusions of blooms.
Helleborus x hybridus 'Kingston Cardinal'
The daffodils poke their heads up and begin to bloom.
The tulips aren’t far behind.
Garlic that I planted back in the fall is growing. And it’s safe to put out the lettuce starts.
And it all begins to look hopeful and (Dare I say it?) pretty after all.
Robin
I set off quite a stir with my guest post at Garden Rant. I have a love for over-stating things and I suppose I over-stated one too many times. Boy, am I taking a beating!
I feel badly that so many people thought I was taking aim them for having some weeds in the garden. Heck, I have weeds in my garden! I have apologized for my smart-ass remark about being embarrassed by some “gardeners.” I do get a bit carried away.
But I stand by my point that gardens take work, need maintenance and can be improved overall with some attention to design. I’m baffled that people would take issue with this.
There is a whole range of maintenance (or lack thereof) between the finely manicured potagers you see in the magazines and the type of garden I was taking about in my guest post—the one that was planted and never given another thought. It sounds like most of us, myself included, fall somewhere in the middle along that spectrum. Unfortunately, people interpreted my post as criticism of anyone who isn’t “clutching at pearls in their potagers.” That’s not true. I’m talking about abandoned, ugly gardens that have had no care.
Our instant gratification society has led some of us to believe that any effort is a good effort and everything should be as easy as pushing a button. I believe we do a disservice to would-be gardeners by perpetuating the myth that they can grow luscious rows of bountiful vegetables without putting in some effort. Gardening (life!) isn’t a six-year-old soccer team where everyone wins a trophy for showing up. Gardening can be damn hard work and I think people should go into the endeavor with realistic expectations.
Do I want people to give gardening a try? Certainly. Will they make mistakes along the way? Absolutely. We all do. But do I think gardening is for everyone? No. If you don’t have the energy and the time to pull some weeds and water when there is a drought, you’ll probably be disappointed unless you modify your expectations and scale back to what you can care for.
Many of the people who took issue with my post criticized me for not being encouraging of new gardeners. I will probably get pilloried again for stating again that gardens take work.
Okay, that said, I apologize for offending so many people. But hey, if we really want people to connect with the earth and grow food, let’s all pull some weeds, create healthy gardens and inspire with our results—both beauty and bounty.
Robin
