Quote of the Day: E.E. Cummings

“The earth laughs in flowers.” ~ E.E. Cummings

This time of year the earth is simple giggling, it will give way to a huge belly laugh soon. I can’t wait!

The columbine’s are graceful and delicate set high above their lacy foliage. They seed freely and grow all over the place, including the driveway. This late blooming light pink tulip among these lamb’s ears is just a perfect combination!

The chives are starting to bloom and they’re so lovely. We’ve been eating them on everything! They are growing all over the gardens tucked in to little spots here and there.

The rock geraniums are just starting to bloom, they’ll bloom beautifully all summer long cascading over the rock wall on the front hillside.

The single late tulip ‘Negrita’ is really wonderful. I’m particularly fond of dark flowers like this. I’ll have to move some lamb’s ears around these tulips, that would be another striking combination.

The dogwood blooms are going to fade soon, they’re such graceful flowers. I’m always sad to see them go.

I love the spring, all the flowers seem to be delicate and lovely. But my favorite time of year for flowers is the early summer. The gardens are riotous with blooms and everything is a mass of color. Perhaps that’s my love of cottage gardens showing through.

What’s your favorite time of year for flowers?

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Fresh Laundry

I’ve always been picky about my towels and sheets. I never quite knew why it was that I couldn’t stand fabric softener or fragrance when it comes to laundry, particularly sheets and towels. I always felt like towels and sheets didn’t feel “clean” or something when they were washed with fabric softener (and let’s not even get started on overwhelming fragrances). I feel like towels with fabric softener don’t dry or soak up water and hate the feeling when using them. I always described the feeling I was looking for as “crispy”. Then a few years ago I started drying my laundry outside and realized why.

I grew up with line dried clothes. We lived in South America where it was hot and dry. We line dried the clothes so the cotton sheets and towels got that stiff feeling. That’s what I love. I noticed that the towels are kind of scratchy when I get them off the line and I love it! I feel like they actually dry instead of just the smearing water around.

They also smell fantastic, or actually don’t smell of anything, which is wonderful. Now that it’s warm, I am able to have crispy sheets and towels again – and how great it is!

And besides, laundry looks wonderful drying in the garden, who needs garden art when you’ve got fresh laundry on the line.

So what about you, any weird laundry issues? Do you line dry any laundry?

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Liberating the Lawn

Last year I dug up a section on one side of the front lawn. I desperately need some full-sun garden space and I finally decided that I’ll grow a few vegetables in the front yard. After all I think a tomato plant can be just as beautiful as any other ornamental plant. Last spring I spent a few hours each day for a few weeks digging up the many sapplings that grew in half of it and the sod that grew in the other half.

Last summer I grew a cover crop of crimson clover in this new garden area to amend the soil (which is really bad, lots of clay). It was both beautiful and beneficial, the bees loved it (as did the deer when they found it).

This spring we worked up the soil and were pleasantly surprised by the great job one crop of crimson clover did for the structure of the soil. I planted onions in one section and the other will be filled with tomatoes, basil and peppers when the weather warms enough. I have now gained about 120-140 sq ft of full sun garden space. My tomatoes and onions should do wonderfully this year in the new sunny are of the garden. This fall I plan on using a cover crop of winter rye in this area of the garden to further improve the soil.

I have another area about 5 ft wide and about 20 ft long covered with a tarp to kill the grass so I can liberate even more lawn into edible and beneficial garden space. Each year the lawn gets smaller and the gardens get bigger.

Have you expanded your garden space recently to accommodate more edible plants?

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First Harvest of 2010 Seeds Planted

I harvest my first vegetables from the garden yesterday of seeds that I planted this spring. We’ve been eating lettuce, spinach and a few other items from the garden for a month or two, but those were all planted last year or are perennials. I sowed some ‘Pink Beauty’ radishes and arugula on March 17 in the cold frame.

I’ve been watching them bulb up and finally I decided to pick a few yesterday for an afternoon snack. It’s been six weeks since I planted them.

I have been planting radishes every 3 weeks in hopes of having a nice harvest of them constantly this spring. I’ll be harvesting the arugula soon, I’m super excited about this as it’s my favorite green.

Have you harvested any veggies from seeds you planted this spring?

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The Last Tulips

The last tulips to bloom in my garden are my ‘Mickey Mouse’ tulips. Normally I don’t like red and yellow flowers, but I do love these. They’re a great send off to the blooming spring bulbs. Not long after they fade the peonies will start their show. So here’s to the tulips and the lovely spring show they provide us each spring. Enjoy these photos of the last of the spring tulips here at Chiot’s Run.

What’s the last spring bulb to bloom in your garden?

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