Garden Update, May 1

The real work begins. My flower beds are not what you would call professionally installed. They are kinda tilled up yard, so every year there is a battle against the grass, the weeds, and the bloody @#$%^ violets. Please don't tell me how beautiful violets are. Yes they are a pretty color, and yes they are even edible, but they also have an awesome ability to spread, and to strangle anything I want to grow. I planted two sedum last year, and this spring I had to find them under the violets. Anyway, I've cleared both lower beds, and most of the upper bed. What remains is a terrible strip of ground that is rock hard, and filled with grass and pokeweed. Pokeweed is a horribly embarrassing plant. It will hide in your garden and when it hears people driving down the driveway to visit it will suddenly grow about 5 feet in height, and look absolutely hideous. I dug out three of them last night. We are considering landscape fabric and gravel for this area.

Anyway, on to the good stuff. Kate and I planted some butterfly garden seeds in the lower garden, and the dame's rocket is coming back, although I am limiting it to some smaller clumps this year, rather than letting it go wild. (It is picture #1 in the name that plant below.) These things get really tall, and my sister says they are weeds where she lives, so I try not to let them get out of hand. Coral bells and ice plant that were planted in this garden a few years ago still exist, but haven't grown very much. I'm hoping getting the weeds off of them early on will help. The silver mound looks like it will go well again this year. And there is a lupine coming in the lower bed as well. (Pic #3 of name that plant)

The upper garden is also looking well, although I forgot I had planted some basil during the cold snap and it is now black. The rosemary I planted at the same time however, is just fine, as are the rest of the herbs. I've got some chamomile coming back. I'm to the point of nearly considering this a weed. I planted some two years ago and it keeps coming back volunteer. Oh, and *excitement* I found the stargazer lilies. I've fenced them in, so there will be NO mistakes. The middle picture below is also some lilies from years back. The bee balm has spread which is great, and some hastas returned although they usually find this garden too hot and dry. The hollyhock looks GREAT, and two out of three peonies have come in nicely. Last night I added two mums to this garden as well.

And finally, the dreaded antennae garden (the old antennae and new dish are located here.) I unearthed some veronica that has survived, some daisies and two yucca that are not happy, but not dead. Plus the peonies here are doing really well, oddly enough. And that's the flower beds.

Foodwise, I've planted the peas, the garlic looks good, and I've got tomato babies coming along inside. They are in that scary phase where they could keel over at any moment. I've planted them for myself and the library, we'll see what comes along. I've got a seed starter at work as well, and it's even got peppers coming on. (The pepper seeds I planted at home did NOTHING.) The indoor herbs however are a dud. I really, really want to get some chives to survive, but so far, nothing last year or this year. I think I've got some dill coming, and maybe some cilantro. Hard to tell since Kate and Daddy planted it and didn't label anything.

So that's the update. We'll see how things progress.