Late April Walk Around the Garden

Planted second round of spinach and carrots today.

It looks like the second round of sprouts on the Hibiscus are also killed by frost. How did they survive in Maine?

 The Clamantis is doing fine since its move.

 The radish harvest continues. They are soooo tasty.

 Iris buds forming. There should be blossoms in a few days.

 Pretty weeds.

 The raised bed: spinach, a few measly carrots, radishes and one onion.

 Herb garden is going great.

 Cilantro and dill. Chives and a few onions.

 Transplanted and doing well.

 Lilacs missed the early session, but are getting close to blooming.

 Lilies of the valley in full bloom

Silene "Rolly's Favorite" Catchfly started blooming this week. 

Brunnera continues to dazzle.

 White Snakeroot coming back, to my delight.

 More sprouts. I forget what this guy is.

 Rubrifolia putting out buds, and I hope they open up soon.

Purple Kale with yellow blossoms. The blossoms are supposed to be sweet and useful in soups and salads. Maybe...

 Russian sage will have a good year, it seems.

 Peonies should burst any day now.

What is it?

 Creepy ground cover whose name I forget is in blossom.

IToday's soundtrack provided by John Medeski:

Lawn Mowing #3

13 day interval = perfection

Radishes!

First radish harvest of the year. Makes for a good start to a salad.

Update on blossoms for mid April

Brunnera "Jack Frost" is one of my favorites - because it came back early with lots of blossoms.

 Yellow daffodils in the front yard.

 While daffodils and a yellow tulip

 Bright red tulips, street side.

Rhubarb

First rhubarb harvest of the year. Yummy!

Water

Seriously, the lawn is growing, but I had to water the new hydrangea and the rose that I moved last year. They look bad.

New  sprout by the hibiscus. Nervous about its survival.

Lilies of the valley are coming in. It seems late, but I bet they are right on time despite the crazy early spring.

2nd Lawn Mowing

Now let's get some rain, dang it!

Freeze? What Freeze?

38°F is not close to a freeze. The light breeze kept up all night and eliminated the chance of a freeze. I covered up the gardens for nothing.

New plantings & Freeze Watch

Today I put in a bunch of onions in the herb garden, just for fun. Also tossed in a handful of beans in the raised bed.

And then I read this:

Freeze Watch for Dupage, IL

I guess I need to cover up the plants tonight.

Walk around the garden on 3 April 2012

Cherry tree in full bloom. 

Lilac and cherry tree. The smell is wonderful.

Volunteer sunflowers are somehow escaping the rabbits, so far.
Perilla are making themselves at home.

 Shasta daisies are coming on strong.

 I dug out the rose and replanted it on the other side of the yard. Apparently, some part was left behind and is happy that the trumpet vine I cut down no longer blocks out the sun.

 Spinach!

 Radishes!

 Carrots and onion!

 No blossoms on the daffodils. Did I plant them too deep?

 Clematis likes its new home too.

 Hibiscus showing its first sprout today - look closely.

 Hydrangea is very happy.

 Columbine or geranium?

 pretty ground cover

 First tulip blossom on the north side.

 North side daffodils are strong.

 I need to look up the name of this perennial, but I love the little blue flowers that came out this week. This guy first poked through about 10 days ago and flowers came yesterday.

 Phlox coming back.

 Ornamental grasses starting to show new shoots.

 Last fall's kale is going super strong - surprise - bonus!

 Do kale flower?

 Russian sage coming back.

 Steppable sedum is going gangbusters.

 More grass - veriegated this time.

 Mum sprout - I have never had a mum survive the winter before.

 A million little blue blossoms on the ground cover in front of the house. Nice.

Wild wood violets?

 Peonies and butterfly bush.

 Rhubarb!

 Left behind clematis is going strong. I guess a trellis is in order.

 Cone flower

 Jethro Tull tickseed - the rabbits favorite. Will it survive?

 Weeds.

 First strawberry blossom.

 Herbs.

 Herbs - oregano is the best.

 Dill and more oregano.