Diggin' It

A "To Do" list is a gardener's constant companion, particularly in early spring when chores are as numerous as slugs on a hosta. It's always fun, and sometimes inspiring, to hear what other gardeners are up to.. so please chime in with what's top of your list these days.

Here's what I'm working on this weekend:

 I'm finally planting the bulbs I bought from B&D Lilies at the F&G Show which were sprouting in their bags and desperate to get in the ground. I popped the double Oriental 'Lodewijk' (left) into pots on the deck to be seen and smelled close up; the half dozen Asiatic, June-blooming 'Kentucky' (below) went in along a new little evergreen hedge where I hope their melon color will shine.

 

I seeded a bunch of Dianna's purple poppy (P. somniferum 'Paeoniflorum') along the sides of my gravel driveway where the plan is it'll be happy enough in the sun and drought to re-seed itself. Yes, this is the opium poppy that put Dorothy and friends to sleep in "The Wizard of Oz',  a dark, ruffled beauty with gray-green foliage. I also tossed out seed given to me by friends for a giant pod poppy that is supposed to be great in flower arrangements....

More time consuming is pruning back my lavender hedges by nearly 2/3 to keep them from splaying and becoming woody. The bonus to this job is the intense, summer-redolent scent of the foliage as you clip it. I'm also pruning hydrangeas, cutting out about a third of the old canes on the mop heads (H. macrophylla), while cutting back the entire 'Annabelle' plant, since it blooms on new wood and tends to get leggy.

Most fun is planting baby lettuce starts,  sweet peas, purple-podded peas, 'Cascadia' snow peas, and herbs like lemon verbena, Greek oregano, cilantro and mint, safely secured in a pot to keep it from taking over the garden. 

All the promise of spring in a dozen sweet peas just starting to climb their cage, and plenty of colored little lettuces, arugula and spinach. The lettuce will be ready to start snipping in just a few weeks, and the sweet peas, with a little encouragement from the weather, should bloom by mid-June.

 

Comments

[philippines flower]

Pretty flowers! Seems your garden was so healthy. Wish I can have a healthy garden too. I'm been looking for interesting topic as this. Looking forward for your next post. Keep posting!

-pia-

[Jan LaFollette]

Bought your book and LOVE it! I have been trying to simplify inside and out. We took out our front lawn two years ago leaving most of the rhodys, trees and shrubs in place just trying now to tie them all together. Lost several plants in last
December's cold snap. You gave me a great idea today for planting my snap peas. I have half barrels (I want to replace with your galvenized feeders)and I'll plant the peas and make a tee pee with stakes for them to grow on. Enjoy your blog!

[Debra Davis]

Oh my. You are so far ahead over there, compared to us just east of the mountains. There was snow mixed in with the rain today. During better weather, I have been busy with cleaning up. Cutting the lavender plants way back is a good idea, and I will do that. I still need to cut the dead canes out of the raspberries, prune the roses (which have a lot of dead wood due to the cold in Dec.), dig up the baby strawberry plants from runners...I have lettuce and spinach started under a plastic tunnel over one of my raised beds. Also sweet peas--started them too early. In the house, pepper seedlings are ready to go into 4" pots, and the tomatoes are well on their way. It's time to start some basil. Decided not to plant peas yet because of snow in the forecast. Mostly what I am doing now is prowling around looking for sprouts and enjoying what's left of the crocus and snowdrops! I visit your blog almost daily, and enjoy seeing what has caught your eye.

[valerie Easton]

Oh not snow in the forecast! Sounds like you're way ahead of me with starting peppers and tomatoes....I just finished cutting back raspberry canes....it was very stormy, with thunder and hail today on this side of the mountains, so it feels like we're plunged back into winter....
Val