Yesterday a neighbor brought me a bouquet of “May Flowers”. How sweet was that? She collects the flowers from a secret patch in the wild. 😉
The tulips we planted last fall in front of the fence, on the side of the house and in buckets are looking pretty good. What’s not looking good are all those glorious tulips that bloomed last spring.
Apparently the varieties we planted weren’t hardy enough to last past the first season. I was in denial {maybe they’re just late this year?} but the HH dug up the soil and sure enough… No bulbs.
What a disappointment! I’m super bummed because I had HIGH hopes of selling boatloads of tulips on my garden cart this spring.
I’ll have to do some research this summer to see what varieties are super hardy. The daffodils are back though.
We have so many seedlings right now. It’s bananas! I’m still bringing the lavender seedlings in at night.
But the chives are outside full time now. All 10 million of them.
Things are getting kind of crowded inside too. Every windowsill is filled with rhubarb. And I have {2} 8 foot benches with pepper and tomato seedlings on top of them.
The tomatoes and peppers won’t be planted outside until the end of May. So things are going to get really crazy here in a few weeks.
Rhubarb seedlings!
Peppers!
Tomatoes!
It has been less than a week since I planted the first round of Shasta daisy seeds and they’re already up! It’s hard to believe that in just 6 weeks it will be time to start planting beans and zucchini in the garden.
Summer. It sure sneaks up on you. But you know what? I am ready! How about YOU? What are you growing in your garden right now?
Anyone harvesting anything exciting yet? Curious minds want to know.
~Mavis
Jamie says
The bouquet is lovely! I am two/threes weeks out from planting tomatoes and peppers, and my tomatoes are over a foot tall now! I am hoping for warm enough weather so I can get them out early. We are harvesting lots of herbs right now: parsley, lovage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. My anise hyssop and mountain mint are starting to come up too, so I should be able do a first round of harvesting of those next week and dry for teas.
Toni Wood says
Hubby planted our “garden” last week, two tomato plants and two bell peppers. They are in large pots on wheeled bases so they can rolled into the garage if it turns off cold. Middle TN.
Mavis Butterfield says
Pots on wheeled bases is a great idea!!
Erin says
I’m growing petunias from seed for the first time. They’re blooming in their little starter pots, & I can’t wait to put them in my hanging baskets. We planted turnips, carrots, spinach & arugula in one of the raised beds yesterday. It’s our first time planting from seed in Maine, so we have a lot to learn. Fingers crossed they do okay! We have tons of seedlings in the basement, set up with grow lights & a fan. They’re doing well, but the peppers are yellowing. The light may be too strong. We’ve been devouring the lettuces & spinach we started indoors. I love having fresh salads! I’m growing a bunch of lavender & other flowers for the first time. I think I’ve had more fun starting flowers from seed than all the veggie varieties I have usually started. I’m also trying to propagate the lilac & blueberries in our yard. We hate the placement of them, but they’re too big to safely move without killing them. Hopefully some of the cuttings root well & we can start fresh.
Katy @ Practical Walk says
I love your garden posts! I’m trying to learn from your amazing skills! Although here in Texas it is a very different climate! I have tomatoes, peppers, corn, Zucchini, bissap (roselle hibiscus), squash, onions…some from seeds, some from plants, some in containers, some in raised beds, some square foot gardening….it’s all crazy eclectic!
The only thing I’ve harvested yet is green onions and basil.
Margo says
I’ve already harvested a few cherry tomatoes, but almost all the starts I planted from seed are in the garden now. Peppers, tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, squash, and green beans seems to be doing well right now. I enjoy just walking through it in the quiet of the mornings, or really anytime I can. It’s so peaceful out there.
Diana says
Just harvested the last papaya and avocados so I am sad! They are so delicious. Getting lots of bananas, mulberries, loquats, carrots, onions, beets, radishes, chard, and lots of greens, I take veggies to the pool I swim at to share each week. I used to freeze and can the excess, but with only two people and a huge garden we never use it all, so it is much more fun to share. That way we can just eat fresh food throughout the year.
Mavis Butterfield says
It is fun to share and I have never known anyone who has grown papayas. That is so cool Diana!
Sue in SoCal says
I didn’t plant any new things this year. With a bad knee it’s just too hard getting up and down on the ground. I did harvest a couple artichokes from my plant that is in its 4th year. More are coming which I love to share. I cull the ones which share a stem so the main one will get bigger. Spring has definitely sprung here.
Liz M says
I’ve picked a few meals’ worth of asparagus and one small batch of rhubarb so far. Yesterday was my first ‘harvest’ of some herbs – lemon balm, catnip, catmint, sage, and a couple stray sprigs of mint. Instead of drying for tea, I’ve got them in some water to try to propagate some new plants for bed expansions, plus a few replacements. Harsh cold winds and sub-zero temperatures were too much for my mint, oregano, and mugwort plants – all known for being extra hardy and impossible to kill, but somehow I managed it lol.
Pat says
Are you sure something didn’t eat those tulips?
Charlotte says
No garden yet here in Ohio, but our 50-100 year old asparagus patch is going crazy! We’ve been sharing with family and last night made asparagus, mushroom and shrimp stir fry. So yummy! Happy Gardening everyone!
Nancy D says
Sorry about your tulips!
Vy in Seattle says
My first round of seedlings were hardier flowers, those are now outside 100% and I’ve started planting them. Next were peppers, tomatillo, and tomatoes, those are being hardened gradually, and those will go out first week in May. I just started all my pumpkins and other squash, the seeds were up 48 hours later, they’re sure ready! Those will go out once I finally build my garden beds on my slope (hope 3rd week in May). Things that I’ve already planted: onions, beets, cilantro, dill, parsley, potatoes, peas, strawberries, leeks, fava beans. Things I will start out straight in the garden with seeds: beans, corn, zinnias. My artichokes, rhubarb, some brassicas, and oregano made it through the winter just fine. There’s probably more I’m forgetting. Getting laid off (grr, tech industry) may be hell on my bank account but it’s sure glorious for my garden!
Laura says
The Color Blends for bulbs! They are in Bridgeport, CT and quite knowledgeable and friendly. Sell all kinds of bulbs. Tulips aren’t as hardy in the long run as daffodils. They have many, many varieties of daffodils.
Good luck!
Laura says
Try Color Blends. Not The Color Blends.
Amber from Ontario, Canada says
Mavis, you need heirloom tulip varieties that come back every year, and multiply. I have them in yellow and red, no problems! I bought mine at a garage sale. It was more like an estate sale out in the country. The house had been sold, and the owner passed away. The family were emptying the house. Some customers noticed the large garden, and asked if they could buy plants. In no time the man in charge was selling box after box of tulips and daffodils at 5.00 for a box. I think I got 4 or 5 plants, so it was a good buy. I knew the daffodils were wonderful large King Alfreds. My favourite, and I had to wait for the tulips to bloom, but there were a few in bloom at the sale, so I had a pretty good idea they were red and yellow with a black center, very pretty, and tall. I love them. Sometimes it is best to get things from neighbours, or at a local horticultural society plant sale. If you ask members of the hort. soc. they can likely help you obtain the good old heirloom varieties that always come back. Naturally nurseries just want to sell the ones you have to replace every year. I am sorry that happened to you, but there is a good solution.
JB says
Mavis, I’m so sorry for your tulip disappointment! An important fact to know is that all tulips that are grown for cut flowers perform best when treated as annuals-you must replant new bulbs each spring. Otherwise, 2nd year growth doesn’t happen or is substantially smaller & less vigorous than the first season. If the size of bloom is not a priority, you can select naturilizing varieties for landscaping-sometimes they are hardier when reblooming. For all tulips, when they start to fade on the plant, always leave at least 2 sets of leaves when deadheading/trimming back. This will leave the bulb some energy to regenerate for next year. Using an organic bulb fertilizer at planting & after spring bloom is also beneficial. Hope these tips might help!
Mavis Butterfield says
Thank you JB.