Today was another luscious day in the garden. This is our second sunny day in a row with temperatures at 60°F (15°C). You don't get better gardening weather than this. My plants agree. As I was walking into the garden I was greeted by my hellebore that finally decided to open. It had started yesterday, but the petals hadn't opened very far. Today two blossoms were fully open. Finally. I was told these were winter blooming plants. Humph. I swear it has been springtime here for several weeks.
The garlic was screaming, "Look at me. Don't I look fabulous in my green finery." All of the hardnecks survived the winter and they are starting to catch up to the softneck variety. Not all of the softnecks survived. One never came up. One seems to be slowly dying. I thought it might make it, but nope. It really was unhappy once the snow melted and we were still getting some really cold weather. The hardnecks were smarter. They stayed underground until winter's nastiness was over.
My best surprise of the morning was the appearance of the peas. Ok so it doesn't look like much. Take my word for it. It is a pea shoot. All three varieties are starting to break the surface. Whoo hoo! The happy dance was preformed in the garden as the neighbors looked on and shook their heads. Or at least the camera was taken out and many blurry photos were taken. I knew it would just take a couple of warm days. It happens every spring. The first nice warm spell and up they come. Just don't tell them that tomorrow the warm spell is over and we will be in the 40s again. Shhhhhh. I want the rest to come up first.
And because it is will be getting pretty cold in the next few days, I've put out the soda bottles and milk jugs filled with water. I've protected my most fragile plants with them. They are my poor man's Wall O Water or would be if I had enough of them and could surround the plant. As it is I'm sure my cabbage and broccoli will be happy enough as long as the weatherman doesn't change his forecast - again.
Since it was such a nice day I did a couple of other chores. I cleaned off the patio and cut down some edgers for the garden. Edgers are better known as trees to everyone else. I have some natural woods behind the house. I sometimes use the fallen wood, or like today, cut down a nasty Norway maple sapling with a three inch trunk. The sapling isn't all that straight, but with a few extra cuts in the trunk it will be straight enough to edge the vegetable garden. I'll show pictures when it is all done. It hasn't been placed yet.
It was nice to be out working again today in the sunshine. Tomorrow it will rain and be cold. I think I'll stay inside, drink tea, and be an armchair gardener by reading blogs.
We're supposed to have this wonderful gardening weather until Monday, so I'm taking full advantage of it (and feeling it in every muscle). Isn't it glorious? I won't show the photo of my peas until tomorrow. I don't want to make you feel bad because mine are bigger 'n yours ;-) But I don't have a lovely hellebore to show off like you do. I only have a few daffodils that are taking their last breaths of spring. Your garlic looks healthier than mine.
ReplyDeleteYour garlic looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI always think it is a real treat when the peas germinate.
K
It's all looking lovely Daphne
ReplyDeleteCheers
Stewart
I'm glad you got to do some gardening stuff. I've heard of the wall of water thing, but don't know alot about it. Is that something that might help me with the fall garden?
ReplyDeleteoh good your peas are coming up! how exciting.
ReplyDeletealthough im amused at your 60 degree warm spell. we call that winter around here. =)
We had great weather today as well, I even planted some romaine out in real soil. Such a risk taker. Nice hellebore, I had one a few years ago until the squirrels ate it, roots and all.
ReplyDeleteGreat garlic, Daphne! And I too use (hopefully straight) branches to outline some of my beds. Damn those Norway maples! It's raining here today, too, when there's so much we should be out doing. Grrrr!!! Enjoy your hot tea and armchair gardening!
ReplyDeleteGeorgous bloom. I just got a chance to look at my garlic up close. I've only got three or four that are growing. I'll have to check your old posts to see what your secret is.
ReplyDeleteAnnie's Granny, oh how lucky. We are getting our bad weather during the weekend this time.
ReplyDeleteKaren, thanks, and yes it is such a treat, not quite as good as eating them later, but pretty good.
Stewart, thanks
Engineeredgarden, I actually have some in my garage - some with tubes that won't hold water anymore. I used to use them in the spring to put around my tomatoes when they are first put out. They work better in the spring than the fall since they aren't all that big.
Josie, yeah I find reading other peoples blogs amusing in that the weather is so different. We have our down time in the winter, you have it in the summer when it gets too warm.
Dan they ate it? How sad. I always thought hellebore was a very toxic plant. One of those things the Greeks used to poison one another. I guess squirrels are hardier then we are.
Our Friend Ben, at least the Norway maples are good for something. They grow straighter than the oaks do. So they are better for edging.
Cheryl, Thanks, maybe more will come up soon. Mine took quite a while but once they were up they really took off.