Hello from Maine! Today the forecast calls for SUNSHINE and a high of 55 degrees. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be a whopping 66 degrees with more sunshine. Hot dog! I think summer has finally arrived here in the pine tree state.
The weather has been absolutely perfect for playing in the dirt and yesterday I worked outside from 7 am until 7 pm and now I am paying for it this morning. Oh well, nothing a few old lady pills can’t fix, right? 😉 Yesterday I planted brussels sprouts and broccoli between the newly planted raspberry and asparagus rows.
Since I won’t be able to harvest any asparagus this year {it takes a few years} and the raspberry plants {which are currently naked little canes} won’t produce but a collective handful of berries this year, I figured I could get away with planting a half dozen each of the brussels sprouts and broccoli in the space this year.
Who knows, I may even add in a few giant sunflowers to the mix. We’ll see.
On my project list for today is staining the outside of the garden boxes.
The baby lettuce blend I planted a few weeks ago is finally up!
And my two rows of spinach have their first set of true leaves!
The grass seed is even coming up!
The sugar snap peas are refusing to grab on to their trellis {weird!} but I suspect they’ll cave in and start to break away from the center here any day now.
Lucy’s strawberry plants are beginning to leaf out too!
And the rhubarb! Holy cow. And to think I was nervous about digging up and dividing the plant earlier this spring. It was a pretty good hack job and I wasn’t sure if I was going to destroy the mother plant or not.
Clearly I should have done more because mama rhubarb’s 6 rhubarb babies I planted along the back of the garage are doing so well. I think I’ll divide it in half again next year and sell the extra babies.
Cleaning up this bed is the HH’s project for today. I’ve decided to grow pumpkins in front of the hedges this summer {and then fill the space with spring flowering bulbs in the fall} but first, he is going to have to dig out the randomly placed hosta plants for me first {which I’ll then transplant to other places in the backyard}.
What do you see? 🙂
A garden project a day keeps the doctor away… that’s what I keep telling the HH but I don’t think he believes me.
Yesterday I had him use Manny to till up the hell strip {that awkward junky spot between the sidewalk and the curb} and prep the area for me so I could bedazzle the space with a colorful flower border. Gladys Kravitz supervised of course.
I chose petunias. I LOVE petunias!!!
I don’t know how long the strip is, 100 feet, maybe a little more? All I know is that in a month or two it’s going to look awesome once all those flowers have spread out and are in bloom.
And just look at those tulips! Mama Mia.
And last but not least, hanging basket season… it has arrived, and I couldn’t be happier. Gardening rules, doesn’t it? 🙂
Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone,
Keep Calm and Garden On.
~Mavis
Kim says
Those tulips take my breath away! Such magnificent progress in your garden and such a pleasure to see and read all about it.
Lynn from NC Outer Banks says
Mavis, your gardening skills are AMAZING! And those tulips?? SWOON. They are just beautiful. I have a small clump of tulips and this makes me know I need to add more-many more! I can’t believe how you have transformed your yard in such a short amount of time. You’re an inspiration! Thank for bringing us all along for the ride.
Mel says
Love all the flowers!
We are finally planting tomatoes today in Zone 7b Maryland. It took FOREVER to warm up this year. I think my green beans are doing okay since we started covering them at night, but they haven’t all sprouted yet, so time will tell. I also still need to plant some green onions, cucumbers, and peppers.
Maxine says
I planted out my tomatoes and peppers and everything I was able to germinate here in Maryland 7a. I’m so sore I hope Mavis has some old lady pills to share. Lol
Mavis, your garden still seems ahead of mine and I’m in a warmer zone. I’ve planted lettuce twice now and only one came up but very sparse. My spinach didn’t come up at all. 80’ on Friday so I don’t know if I’ll try again.Poor Mrs. Kravitz. I’m sure she would love to help!
Mama Cook says
It all looks so beautiful! I love your clean gardening style! Inspiring as always!!!
Yesterday I planted 7 rows of corn and some black-eyed peas (for dried beans). My wheat patch is sprouting!!!!!!! I confess I cried a little!
Diane says
Do you have to do a lot of deadheading and pinching back to keep the petunias looking nice? I’ve tried growing them before and they seemed high maintenance to do those things or else they got long and straggly. That would be a lot to keep up with in a 100’ strip. Or do you have tips to make it lower maintenance?
Also, do you yank out the tulips when done or do they comeback in your zone? If you do leave them, how will you hide the dying foliage so bed still looks nice? Your yard is really looking lovely!
Rita says
Yes, I wonder the same thing about deadheading petunias. And mine never like the rain. Does it rain in Maine in the summer?
Barbara from Oregon says
In the picture that you asked what do you see – I see a heart shape! Always love your gardens!!
Annette says
I love petunias also, but I have awful problems with bud worms. I tried Captain Jack’s Dead Bug and still had problems. Vowed never to plant petunias or geraniums again. Both are the favorite meal of the bud worm.
Kara says
I’m sharing my time between the garden and my new Etsy shop! https://www.etsy.com/shop/FabricSpeaks
Stop by and check out the story behind the name!
It’s pretty fun. Our first strawberry got eaten by birds. I have netting over them now. We have received much-needed rain the last 2 days.
Love the petunias!
Shannon H. says
When I grew sugar snap peas in Alaska, they were reluctant to grab onto the metal trellis. I think the metal was too cold at night and burned their little tendrils. As it warmed up they were fine.
Laura Z says
So beautiful!!! You should be so proud. Your garden boxes make me jealous!
Jill says
I second Annette! I would appreciate any helpful hints, because I love petunias and geraniums. The bud worms leave my ivy geraniums alone, but I can’t get a flower from petunias and zonal geraniums before the worms munch on them.
Karen says
Just beautiful!! Aren’t you happy to be out of high maintenance suburbia? You both have worked such wonders on this house and garden that you’ll have to stay! Enjoy, enjoy!
Linda Sand says
I see a heart. Which makes sense because you put so much of your heart into your gardens.
Nancy says
Wow everything looks great !! I would need to overdose on old lady pills if I did that many hours The tulips are absolutely gorgeous how many bulbs do you have to plant to get that many?? I thought I did a lot last fall but something eat the tops of most of them !!!!
Looking good Mavis keep up the great work
Mavis Butterfield says
400 daffodils 500 muscari. 🙂
sandra says
Like others I see a heart. I think you should leave it (move those little scoundrels that crept into the center). Then I’d plant tall flowers in the center.
Kippy says
I bet your neighbors really appreciate how much improved the gardens look after all of your planning and hard work!
Kris in Eastern OR says
I can’t wait to see your petunias filled in!!!! I don’t think i have ever seen that many. Please tell Miss Lucy her strawberries are looking good!
Nancy D says
Hi! I see a heart! I live in the Pacific Northwest ( close to where you moved from ). How does the soil compare with what you garden in now? It looks rockier there perhaps?
Mavis Butterfield says
The soil here has been wonderful, not rocky at all {maybe even sandy} we have been pleasantly surprised.
Mary3M says
Your tulips are gorgeous. The deer here LOVE tulips. So no tulips for me. And I love them. Mavis – I have to say that you seem so much happier here than in your other NE house. Don’t understand why – maybe because it’s so close to the ocean? That would make me very happy. Whoever built your last house did a bang up job recreating a colonial house for the modern times. And I understand that a Bounce dryer sheet on you works wonders for the hideous mosquitoes.
Robin Martin says
I see Mickey Mouse in the Hostas, Your flowers are gorgeous!