Wasn’t is just a couple of weeks ago that we were coming out of our winter slumber? That in between period of the end of winter and the beginning of spring is sort of a weird one. I didn’t know if I should be happy the weather was warming up and the ground was beginning to thaw, or to mourn the late mornings and lounging around in my pj’s {almost} all day because it was too cold to go outside.
Cabin fever, it never hit me. I absolutely loved this past winter, but now that spring is in full bloom, I feel like if I’m not outside working in the yard by 8 am, I’m slacking off. Seasons, they have a funny way of messing with your mind, don’t you think?
Orange daylilies. My nemesis. They like to play mind tricks on me too.
If only I could train the chickens to hunt out all the orange daylilies and destroy them, my gardening to-do list would be cut in half.
The new and improved main vegetable garden, it’s coming along. I figure by the time I’m ready to sow the pumpkins seeds {3 weeks!} I’ll have everything prepped and the beds will be in tip top shape. After that, the yard will be on maintenance mode.
The grass is starting to spring back! And the strawberry crowns I planted a few weeks ago and leafing out.
These are the ones I plan to sell at the little veggie stand in a few weeks.
Just a few days to do until the cherry trees are in full bloom.
Daffodils! Back in when we lived in Western Washington these would typically be in bloom around St. Patrick’s Day. But here, they’re just getting started.
The pink tulips we planted last fall.
And the artichoke plants I started from seed? I planted those in the herb garden yesterday. I just love the way the plants look and I needed a little height in that space.
I also planted my teeny tiny lavender seedlings along the back of the house under the kitchen window.
I marked the areas where I planted the seedlings with the terra cotta garden markers I made this past winter so I wouldn’t forget what I had planted {and so the HH didn’t think they were weeds and pull them up!}. 😉
When we first moved in, there was a giant Normandy spruce along the fence, sedum {which I moved just to the left of the bed} and a couple of azalea bushes scattered about. But I think a bunch of neat and tidy rows of herbs will be a better fit, especially during the summer months when I’ll be able to step outside and clip some herbs to add whatever it is I’m {or the HH is} cooking for dinner.
Making a home {and garden} your own, can be a little hard at first, but now that we’ve been here for about a year, I think I’m starting to finally figure things out.
Gardening, it’s pretty RAD. 🙂
Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone, enjoy the sunshine.
~Mavis
Laura says
Have you thought about doing a Victorian style herb garden, with beds and little pea gravel paths. I think that would look so nice in that space and would allow you unfettered access to your herbs. Just a thought!
Terri says
I’m not a fan of “ditch lilies”, but I have seen some gorgeous daylilies! I imagine you’ll be thrilled to get rid of those orange weeds 😉
G says
I think they look so pretty in ditches and on the edges of properties, but they jump! And invade so much!
Brenda says
Any free flower is a beauty!
Kim says
Things are looking quite spiffy in your garden. I will be interested to learn more about how your artichokes do. I want to plant some just for the beautiful flowers they make. I have read that they can be invasive. Your thoughts?
Mavis Butterfield says
Mrs. HB and I both like to grow our artichokes for the flowers. 🙂 I had artichokes in the old neighborhood {with Mrs. HB for 5 years and they never really spread} so mabe it depends on your gardening zone? I don’t know for sure though.
Bonnie says
You should sell those day lilies at your roadside stand! Some people like them.. and one thing you can say for them is that they are hardy lol.
Jamie says
I hope you’ll do a before and after post with pictures of your different garden beds after everything is done!
Mavis Butterfield says
I will! 🙂
Rebecca in MD says
Love seeing pictures of your garden. I agree with Bonnie that you should sell your orange daylilies at your farm stand – – – one person’s trash is another person’s treasure…….. The herb garden is a wonderful idea. Every year I grow basil, parsley, and thyme. What I can’t use I dry in my dehydrator to use all winter long. I put my herbs in a container garden on the deck to keep them super handy. I tried to add rosemary and oregano this year, but my seeds didn’t germinate. I am going to try again, though. If you have any tips on rosemary or oregano seeds, would love your advice.
I planted my tomatoes this week and have begun hardening off the peppers and herbs, which will get planted next week. Soooooooo much to do this time of year 🙂
Mel says
I also just planted tomatoes, peppers, and herbs here in Southern MD. One of my cherry tomatoes is already forming fruit!
I have trouble growing some herbs from seed, so I bought seedlings for rosemary and oregano. They are about $1 apiece at our farmers market.
How do you dry herbs without them losing flavor? I’ve tried a few times in our dehydrator, and they’ve never turned out for me.
Rita says
Looking good Mavis! All of your & hh hard work is really paying off. Can you tell me what your preferred seed starting mix is?
Mavis Butterfield says
Miracle-Gro Seed Starting Potting Mix, 8 qt. I’ve been using it for at least 10 years now.
Gina says
The chicken coup looks like it has always been there!
Mavis Butterfield says
We love it!! 🙂
Gee says
The yard’s looking good, Mavis. Love those pink tulips. I had to give up on tulips, because moles love to eat the bulbs – and we had moles. The tulips would bloom beautifully the first year, but each year there would be less and less flowers until they just disappeared.
I know you have a great mole catcher (love that girl!) but I heard that the way to save your bulbs was to plant them in a can with the bottom and top cut off. I guess the moles eat from the side? I never tried it, but I always thought it sounded like a good idea. Me? I just gave up on tulips and planted more daffodils. The moles don’t touch them, and neither do the deer.
Joan Sullivan says
I don’t know about you but I’m seacoast NH and my last frost date is May 15, two weeks earlier than the last few years.
Also dandelions are up and I haven’t seen any honey bees. I lost my hives to bears last year, but there are still many beekeepers here, yet I haven’t seen one bee. They are usually out and about before the dandelions… Around mid April.
#climatechange
Carolina Cooper says
At just 10 miles inland from seacoast NH we are still going with Memorial Day as the for sure no more frost date. And yes, the bee population is very scant so far this year.
Debbie - MountainMama says
Wow, you have done so much in such a short time!! Everything looks great, and your seedlings, holy smokes! My lavender seedlings didn’t do well at all, not sure why…most of the others did ok though. You’re right, it’s like we go from winter hibernation to full on garden madness in a heartbeat….and I’ll be ready to pack it in come the end of October and settle back into winter mode, with a full freezer!
Vicki in Birmingham says
Normally our tastes run along the same lines…but when it comes to the orange day lilies…they differ about 180 degrees! I love those things! I call them Roadside lilies because when I was a kid going to my grandparents house in the country, there were miles of those things lining the old country road and that splash of color always made me happy! I wish I lived close to you and I would come and not only pick them up, but dig them up too! I am trying to find some here to line about 90 feet along my fence.
You new and final property looks wonderful…it has a peace about it and it feels loved…just like sweet Lucy! It makes me wonder if I could give up this Southern weather and try it out myself!
Think of me when you are tossing those lilies! 🙂
Margaret @ Live Like No One Else says
I used to love the ditch Lilly’s also. I adored them when we moved into our property about 12 years ago. But since then they have taken over so much. Over the years I’ve slowly been taking them out. I’m actually in the process now of pulling out about 100 foot long edge of our property with the orange daylilies. I do love them because when they are in bloom it does remind me of the country are used to always see them in the country and I figured out I had a little bit of the country in my own property. But they are thugs and they do take over.
I just actually read recently that they are an invasive here in Chicago. So double check your area to see if they are invasive. I have been cutting off the green parts and composting that and getting rid of the roots. I have tried to just throw them in the compost but then they end up growing and taking over the compost pile. lol
ryvir says
My mom planted a dozen daylilies the other day and it made me think of this blog. lol
She has a deer overpopulation problem so she rarely gets to see them anyway.
Teresa M says
I love the pic of the tulips! The deer ate mine this year 🙁