The Month of May

May has been super busy. I've planted a whole lot of new things and everything is growing wonderfully. My favorite part are the bluish wild columbine that grow along the west side of our shed. I was worried they wouldn't bloom this year, but I'm delighted to note that the results are quite to the contrary--they've multiplied!

 


 One of our chickens turned out to be a rooster, so we took him back to IFA. He was becoming quite aggressive and crowing a lot. He even tried attacking our bit chickens (they mostly ignored him). So now we would only have 4 chickens to add to our dwindling flock but....










Someone in our neighborhood gifted us five chickens that they could no longer raise. There are 3 Buff Orpingtons and 2 Black sex-link. We think there might be a rooster among this group as well, but we'll have to wait and see.

The red chicken in this photo is a Rhode Island Red (I believe--we bought her along with 3 other chickens off the internet a few years ago) is Red Hen. She's a family favorite because she doesn't run away from you if you want to pet her, pick her up, or feed her slugs. She's also the smartest of the chickens. However, she's become very sick. This is a small tribute to a wonderful chicken.

 The garden is coming along with both plants and weeds. I found the first bloom on the peas, which means it will soon be fresh eating time. There are also blossom buds on the raspberries. The onions are all perfect. I planted lettuce seeds about a month ago and the lettuce is growing wonderfully (under the white mesh I have over it to protect it from slugs and quail). The parsnips have finally started to grow and are also under some mesh to protect their little leaves from quail. I found one carrot today, but I'm leaving the burlap cover over the seeds until more carrots start to grow. I'm hoping to put in the tomatoes today.

I went to the nursery again and walked out with a lot more flowers. The 4 tiny green plants along the back are giant snapdragons that will grow three feet tall. There is a small group of 4 plants next to them that have little red flowers--they're called Texas Sage. I'm hoping they're a perennial here in Utah. Between the yellow Coneflower and the purplish Sea Breeze Fleablane I've planted phlox which will grow to about 18". The little plants in the very front are Milady Mix Asters. And the one lone plant that is like a nose to the flowering plants are Shasta daisies (I believe--I took that start from my 90-year-old grandma's house.

To the left of the flowers above I have some chives that a neighbor gave me (thanks Marianne). She also gave me the daylily plants below along with some more daylily plants that I've put in the front yard.

Here is the rest of the section that contained all the flowers from two photos above. It has Lavender, Russian Sage, Cat Mint, Be Balm, roses, Iris, and a whole lot of weeds. I still have half of the bed to clean up. Beyond that, near the shed, are where the strawberries and rhubarb grow. I didn't take a good photo of it, but also over there I have clematis, sunset snappy blanket flower, sevia Greggii 'wild thing', iris, another hollyhock from a friend of my mother and another lavender plant (I have three lavender plants, all in the back in different locations).
  All the flowers in the front are doing well. I haven't planted anything new except a daylily on the far side next to the door near the hose. I'm not sure I'll keep it there, but that's where it is for now. I have two pink geraniums from my grandmother that I need to plant, but I'm not quite sure where I want to plant them yet.

My snapdragons are just starting to bloom. I have a daylily here and also some Shasta daisy at the end (another gift from a neighbor). But my new favorite up front is . . .

 My new Delphinium. All five of those plants right there will be Delphiniums, but isn't that one in the middle absolutely exquisite? Next year everything will look so much better--all the plants will be larger and blooming. It might actually start to look like a real garden.

I've had this peony plant for two years. This is the first year it might actually bloom. I think it's in too much shade, although it has grown really big. Maybe the transplant from my grandma's was just so shocking that it took a LONG time to recover.

These are the plants I've put on the side of the house. I have some ground phlox from a different neighbor (thanks Nadine and Barbara). The little red there are coral bells and the little green plant near the middle top is Myosotis Victoria Rose--it has little pink flowers like a sweet William.

Last are a few more Shasta daisies I've planted up front to help mark the border between our yard and our neighbor's. They're under a juniper tree and shaded by a large maple, but I'm still hoping they'll grow.

Spring Fling

Wow. So much has happened. First, the flowers.
We went to Lambert Floral and bought some new flowers. I love each one.

I've always wanted Lambs Ear, and now I have one! So excited. If you have never felt lamb's ear, come on over. It's so soft!

 These will (hopefully) be really tall black-eyed susans. They aren't growing much yet, but they haven't died either.

 This is a chrysanthemum that my 4-year-old picked out. It was only after I bought it that I realized we had two of the exact same colored flowers already.

 This is a chrysanthemum plant that is a different color than the others. I'm so excited. It's actually blooming now! I'll post a photo.

A Gaura Passionate Blush. I bought it because it looked interesting and would add something different. But I just googled it and apparently this is going to be a rather large bush. So, it will be moving locations, although probably not this season.








There were some peonies growing in  the strawberries, although they've never bloomed. So, I've moved them to the front with my other peonies.











Here are two hollyhocks that were left over from last year. I moved them and I'm so excited to have them!!

 As for a chicken update, this hawk tried to get our baby chicks twice. It was really neat to see it swoop down for the attack. Luckily, the baby chicks were locked safely in a cage and remained unharmed.

 Speaking of, they're not so little anymore. I for one am ready for them to be grown and with the other chickens. Life will be so much easier.

 I stared my Solanums a few weeks back: tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. This is how I grow them--there are holes near the bottom of the Red Solo Cups and I fill the bottom inch of the tub with water. That way the plants get what they need without getting too much.

Last but not least, this was my project over the LDS Conference weekend. I worked on it a little more today. The strawberries and onions all have water now. I ran out of figure eights but I have two more beds ready to go once I get more. That just leaves three more garden beds and I'm done! Hopefully I won't hate my garden by August because now I won't have to water by hand!

As a demonstration, the last photo shows the strawberry patch from 3 weeks ago. There is a rhubarb plant in there and a rose bush. I'm debating removing the rose bush even though it produces the best roses of any of my bushes.

A New Start

This year I'm going to do better than last year at documenting the garden (fingers crossed). So, here's to a new start.

I went to home depot with my two youngest, and it turns out my 4-year-old boy LOVES flowers. So, instead of just getting the garden stakes I meant to get, I got rather a lot of flowers as well. I closed my eyes as I paid the bill.

A Bleeding Heart. This used to be the favorite flower of one of my good friends in high school. I don't know if it still is, but my grandma has one that is blooming and it reminded me that I've wanted one for some time. So, ta-dah!

Lily. I've always wanted a lily. Now I have two!

The first flowers my son brought me. These are all perennials--they're the only kind I like to buy. I feel like I'm getting my monies worth that way.

English Daisy. I'm excited to watch this one and see how big it gets.

The only annual in the group--a poppy (not really, but I bought it cause I like poppies. They remind me of Italy).

The new columbine plant. I had two already, both a deep beautiful purple-blue, but one of them didn't make it through the winter.

Today I staked out the garden and tilled (with a broadfork, not a tiller) the bed for onions so I can plant them. They've been ready for weeks.

 I went on vacation last weekend to Zion National Park and when I came back, my peas had come up. Hooray! Something is growing!  Well, peas aren't the only things growing. My raspberries are leafing out and, we have four new chicks! (We're raising five, but one is for a friend). Today the chicks enjoyed their first romp through the garden and decided they enjoyed the raspberries the most. I don't blame them one bit!

Solanum

All of my Solanums are now planted. I have 10 Hamson in one bed (I lost some to a frost and had to replant), 5 Stone tomatoes, 5 Bonny Best, 4 Riesentraube, and 3 Celebrity that a neighbor gave me. I also planted 3 Sweet Cayenne peppers, 5 Mammoth Sweet peppers, and 1 eggplant (I'll have to get more eggplants). Phew!

Now it's time to broadfork the rest of the garden to put in corn, beans, and zucchini!  Yippee!  PS I have no idea where I'm planting melons or pumpkins this year. I ran out of room. I may have to tear up some grass...

By the way, our Buff Orpington chick has started to crow. So he'll go back. But the other three are turning into wonderfully beautiful Chickens. Only 4 more months until they start laying eggs (fingers are crossed).

My Sweet Williams have finally started blooming. I have white and two different shades of pink. They are so pretty. The funny thing is that I thought they'd be blue.

I have the most beautiful columbine flowers. But the kids trampled one set, so I'll have to relocate them. They were purple. My others are a blue so deep and fine I haven't shown them to anyone out of fear that something will happen to them. I'm in love with columbine. It may just be my favorite flower.

Hamson

I planted 11 Hamson tomatoes on Saturday. Most are in wall o' water, although I didn't have enough for all of them and the boys knocked another one down. So far they are doing great!

The chickens got into the garden -- twice -- and started digging in my onions. Spiteful chickens. I've lost a few plants, so the chickens are staying locked up indefinitely (although they still have quite a space to roam around in).

My tulips and daffodils are spent. But my Sweet Williams are about ready to bloom.

The strawberries are in full bloom. Unfortunately, we're lacking in bees again this year. I sprinkled my water/sugar/peppermint/lemongrass mixture on them, which worked that day, but I haven't seen any more around. I'll have to put some in a shallow dish and refill it occasionally to bring the bees. We LOVE strawberries in our family.

The baby chicks spend every day outside roaming the yard. They are hilarious to watch as they chase each other around in the grass. I'm excited for the extra eggs they'll supply in, oh, six months or so.

Tomatoes

I started tomatoes today. Admittedly, I'm three weeks later than I wanted to be. Okay, maybe five. But just maybe my tomatoes will grow really fast so I can still plant them the first week in May.
  I also started a lot. So far I have thirty red cups full of dirt with seeds in each one.  And I have fifteen more to plant. I don't have enough room in my garden for that many tomatoes, but I love sharing. I have the seeds, so why let them go to waste? So, if you want an heirloom tomato plant this year, let me know. I'll start a waiting list!!

I have Hamson (bred especially for Utah--this is my first time trying these, so we'll see how they go), Stone, Bonny Best, and Riesentraube (which is a cherry tomato).  Yippee!!

Onions, peas, and Daffodils Oh my

Two weeks ago my first daffodils bloomed. They are still in bloom. There are only 4 of them, and none others are looking even close to blooming, but as long as those 4 go strong, I'm okay.

The peas are coming up. I noticed the first ones about two days ago. I'm so excited, especially since the chickens got into them numerous times and I wasn't all that efficient at reburying the seeds.

I planted my onions. First, though, I emptied a bin of compost onto the bed and broad-forked it in. The northern-most row is Juane Paille des Vertus. I planted them last y
ear and I wanted to try them again this year. However, I only have 15-foot row of them. I have two rows of Southport White Globe onions (I've never grown them) and Utah Sweet Spanish Onions (also two rows, planted in the southern two rows of my 15x4 foot bed). I'm doing a test this year to see which we like the best, which are the best keepers, etc., so I'll know better what to concentrate on next year.

It's a VERY windy day. The temperatures have been in the 50s for weeks. The apricot tree is budding out and will soon be in full bloom. Poor apricots -- they may not make it this year if we have a frost.

I pruned my grandmother's peach tree yesterday and cleared out her raspberry canes. We both already have new canes coming up. SO EXCITING!! D has been working on putting in the last of the trellising for the raspberries. I think I'm most excited about raspberries this year.

It's time to start everything else from seed. Tomatoes, here I come!!