Spring was a teaser this year, dancing in and out and throwing punches. Two days of ninty-degree weather in the last half of April were followed by a frost and a low of 29 that froze the blossoms of the fruit crops. This is the second year in a row that the peaches froze. Fruit will be expensive this year but those who will feel it most are the people who depend on the orchards for their living.
April and the danger of frost is behind us. May has been cool so far but things are lush and green. Farmers are busy planting corn and families are planting gardens. Last year my garden shrank to one raised bed. Four cabbages and two tomato plants are growing in it. I will plant a few green beans in it soon. That's it.
Without a large garden to tend, I have more time for yard work. last year I started working on improving the appearance of the place a little at a time. Today I cleaned up a flower bed behind the house that has been overgrown for years. It is home to a mixture of bulbs and perennials so there is always something blooming in it. The Snowdrops begin the show in late January and are followed by daffodils, hyacinth, lily of the valley, Bachelor Buttons, Blackeye Susan, and other things.
The problem with some of these things is that they never learned to behave. They sneak long roots underground, pop up wherever they please, and illegal immigrants trail out across the border. The whole thing had grown into a mixture instead of tidy groups. Today I restored law and order. It was a shame to pull out flowers that are blooming but they were evicted to give breathing room for the rightful tenants of each space. It's no Longwood Garden, but it looks much better and is ready for mulch.
Lily of the valley in the foreground, blue flowers are Bachelor Buttons. Blackeye Susan between them are not blooming yet.
