04-21-2014 Tomato planting time

I am about a week later than last year but, considering the much colder and longer lasting winter, this is not bad.

Tomato plants ready to transplant.

The thing about tomato planting is that it clearly delineates cool season from warm. I always make sure the soil has warmed up some before I plant. I have planted my favorite cultivars: Cherry Roma, Thessaloniki and Roma. Those are guaranteed to have GREAT TASTE, the only thing that counts for me. I don't go for giant size or mass production, I go for the only thing that counts: the best taste. As usual, I am experimenting with some new (for me) ones: Indigo apple and Indigo Blu Berries. They are supposed to have more antioxidants; we'll see what that does to the taste! Besides I am trying some Pomodoro, Italian Heirloom and Carmello. I'll keep you posted. Robin, I started some of your Black Cherries for the second planting!

This Chinese Wisteria needs a "smell" button; it is so sweet!

Leeks ready for the kitchen

Lady Banks roses slowly filling up the arbor

The picture taken last year on the same date shows many more blooms. We are about two weeks late this year

Thanks to Ingrid, same picture just a few weeks ago. I enjoyed the white but love the green!

This was also much more colorful last year.

Solomon's seals that needs some weeding. Thanks Debbie!

04-12-2014 Pollen

The last few days have been gorgeous, if you can take the constant assault by tons of yellow pine pollen. Yesterday, after spending my morning weeding, I came home totally covered in that stuff...not counting what I had swallowed.

One of the few strawberry plants the voles have not killed yet.

On the other hand, the nice temps and good rains bring daily growth to the garden, having gone from an empty, frozen lot to an ever expanding green and the pink and white of fruit tree blooms. The house is slowly disappearing behind its spring green coat.
I ate my first spring lettuce with my lunch (home made pizza) today;

fairy wings

Chine Wisteria

Future Asian pears

Coral honeysuckle

more fairy wings!

The before and after apple blossoms

03-31-14 Spring, at last!

Yesterday was so pretty that by late afternoon, I saw neighbors hanging out in their yard who never spend any time outside. The draw was just too powerful!

Some young males got so excited that they brought out their noisy boy toys and trimmed a little here, cut a little there,adjusted a little here and there just to make sure nature remained under control within the proper confines.

For my part, I transplanted  tomato seedlings from the grow lamp tray to larger containers in order to give them some extra space and grow some solid root system before I put them in the real dirt in about three weeks time, after my topsoil warms up for good.

Last night felt so good and peaceful, after the last trimmer choked on its own fumes, that it reminded me of those childhood summer days when it was time to go to bed but you wanted to hang out just a little more, because dusk felt so perfect.

Tomorrow will be dedicated to some major crawling on my knees and weeding all the beds in preparation for the expected spring burst of growth and energy.

The other side of nature, as usual, is the wilder one. As you look at the tulip pictures, you will not notice that Sunday morning's visit by a deer trimmed a good number of my most beautiful tulips. I admire them for their beauty, the deer preferred their taste. Now neither one of us will see those any more. Of the few survivors, a vole decided to pull in and digest about three more. Nature under attack! Or wildlife's revenge?

Just a week ago, bamboo had to bow to ice.