veggies

Yes, patience is a virtue… they say.

And this season as gardeners we have needed all the patience we can get as we deal with weather conditions. Weather dictates most everything we do.

As I write a gentle rain is falling, it looks and sounds beautiful. The birds are loving it but I’m practicing patience as I wait on sunshine. Much of the garden is sitting in water and rain predicted for all day tomorrow too. 😏 We gardeners surely do hate to complain about rain. However… GULP! GULP!

We are coming out of a very cold, dreary period … it has actually set records for lack of sunshine and for lowest temps. Funny thing about that, England is having their sunniest spring on record. I think I have their answer … my daughter is there. She always brings sunshine to my life.

We NEED a bit of sunshine. Our spirits need it. Our plants need it. Work on my new outdoor potting space needs it. My Sweet Bay Magnolias especially need it.

SWEET BAY MAGNOLIAS

We have three SB Magnolias and love them. Last year at this time they were leafing out so beautifully and getting ready to bloom. The freeze we experienced a couple of weeks ago nipped them good. All baby leaves turned black. We feared the worst. But, this week with the warming temps, we now see leaves! Whew, that was close. Can’t imagine losing them.

BLOOM THYME…

The warm temps are sure paying off… blooms (and veggies) are popping all over the garden!

Caution: Excessive images coming. Hope you like pink and purple.😳

Pretty little purple pincushions holding their own amoung all the green. (Scabiosa)

Oh, **Sweet William** how sweet you are![/caption
**Baptisia** getting started. Easy, Breezy, Beautiful.

**May Night Salvia** can’t be stopped. Power bloomer.

Not sure of the variety, but these alliums brought their “A” game this spring!

**The President** clematis has been bringing joy to my garden for years and years. It is usually the first of my clematis to bloom.

PEONIES…

Click on any picture to open the gallery feature.

VEGGIES…

Click on individual pics for additional information on varieties, etc.

🍅Tomatoes planted in containers last weekend by my son. 👨‍🌾 We always have garden days together for Mother’s Day but this year it had to be later and socially distanced. No hugs. 😭 TOMATOES: Summer Sandwich (formerly Steak Sandwich), Romas, Mr. Stripey and several cherry tomato varieties.

🌱Peas coming along nicely.

🌱Zucchini are growing in containers as we did last year. This year’s varieties are Romanesco and Rhonde de Nice (a round Zuc)

🥔Potatoes (Kennebecs) jumping up along with a “volunteer” Cosmos to the right side.

🥗Lettuce (Black Simpson) is being enjoyed by all!

ROSES…

So many roses are loaded with bud and just ready to burst!

And some ROSES are reaching their peak…

**Midnight in Paris** growing in a container on my deck.

Below is Ghislaine de Feligonde reaching for the sky over the Potting Shed.

She looks like she’s enjoying today’s gentle rain.

Ghislaine de Feligonde… this old-fashioned rambler forms a large shrub with few thorns. Fragrant bloom clusters open apricot, aging to pale yellow. Occasional repeat bloom. Canes can reach 6 to 10 feet. (Taken from High Country Roses website where I bought her 3 years ago.)

RAIN OR SHINE

If you need a rainy or sunny day activity … I think you will enjoy my recent interview with Mike Shoup of the Antique Rose Emporium. His talks should come with a warning, he makes it hard not to fall in love (or deeper in love) with roses — plants he calls THE ULTIMATE GARDEN PLANT. And, he uses them so beautifully. You can listen HERE.

Friends, spring is happening! Until next time be well, be safe, and be happy in the garden.

If you are local keep an umbrella handy too. 😉 ☔️

Oops! Where did those tomatoes go! They were just here a minute ago.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that several years ago Mr. G built gorgeous little raised beds for “his” tomatoes and other veggies. I say “his” even though, I have to plant them and water them but they ARE his. We have several things in our relationship like that.

Me and my roses have trellises. He built them. But I “control” them.

You get the picture. It works!

Back to the tomato and veggie beds…

He is very territorial about his raised beds. He even made a sign in the early days reminding me of something #noroses! WHAT! His point is well made and “usually” I am very respectful of his space.

Like I said I am ‘usually” very respectful. Well, this year I had extra nasturtiums and I hated to toss them so I asked Mr. G if it would be okay if I added a couple to his raised bed. He said fine! There appeared to be plenty of space as the tomatoes were tiny at the time. #whatwashethinking

Then I had a weak moment at Lowe’s where I bought a tiny little cucumber plant and thought it would do very well in Mr. G’s raised bed. I love cucumbers so much. He hates them. HATES them. But, when I asked, much to my surprise, he said yes. #whatwashethinking

It had been a while since I’ve planted cucumbers. OH MY WORD, they are everywhere. In a heartbeat they took over the raised bed. Well, at least what was left of it after the nasturtiums had their way #OVERACHIEVERS. There were a few days there where I was actively looking for the tomatoes. 😳

The cucumbers climbed over the tomatoes, jumped out of the raised bed, covered the daisies and ran through Celsiana who had finished blooming and is making a great trellis. I don’t see them slowing down anytime soon!

The tomatoes have emerged from the depths and are beginning to see daylight and make up for loss time. Now we have tiny cucumbers and tiny tomatoes growing happily together. #harmony