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skybirdforever

Our gardens i May!

Hi all,

I donÂt have any of my recent pictures downloaded, but IÂm gonna start this thread anyway!

Since IÂve been digging things up for the swap, IÂve also been digging and transplanting some thingsÂmost of which I had planned to do last year! By digging up two of the big mums and the two big ornamental oreganos, IÂve spread things out someÂand made room to put some new things in! I potted and saved starts of both of the oreganos and the one mum to put back in somewhere, but theyÂll obviously be much smaller plantsÂfor this year at least. I got my ÂBecky shasta daisy dug up today and replanted a chunk to get a new startÂthe center of the original plant had died out, so itÂll look nicer again now. And I have a chunk laying out in the yard that IÂm gonna put in a different place tomorrow, so IÂll have 2 now. I really do like ÂBeckyÂ! And I moved my purple coneflower and my golden sage, and did some major soil improvement. My golden sage was getting kind of feeble looking and I'm hoping this will give it a whole new life!

My spring perennials are all bloomingÂrockcress, creeping phlox, pasque flower, creeping wallflower, forget-me-nots, violas, candytuft, etc. And I already have blue flax blooming, and the Iceland poppies I winter sowed last yearÂthank you for the seed StevationÂare blooming, only one color so far, but itÂs a pretty light golden orange color. I think all the Iceland poppy colors are pretty! There are several crowns, so itÂll be interesting to see what, if any, other colors I get. IÂm gonna start more seedÂwhen I have time!

There are other things blooming already too, but I canÂt remember what right nowÂand itÂs dark out! All my bulbs except the grape hyacinths are pretty much done blooming.

I am SO happy with the perennials so far this year! IÂll be back to post pictures!

Skybird

Comments (13)

  • highalttransplant
    14 years ago

    I wintersowed several kinds of poppies, and two kinds of wallflower, hoping for blooms this time next year. Most of the perennial poppies are planted out and settling in okay, but the wallflowers didn't do as well. They looked big enough to plant out, but we had some wintery weather right after I put them out, and all but one clump has died. I'll try again next year, and plant them out a little later.

    The daffodils are done for the year, but there are still a few tulips blooming. I was thinking that I had pulled them all up last year, but now I remember that what I did was pull up all of the pink and white ones. I received a bag of mixed colors as a freebie with a mailorder I had done, so now I'm left with just reds and yellows, and the deer haven't been around in a few weeks, so I actually got to enjoy them this year.

    I still need to work on more spring bloomers though. The only thing blooming for me now are my Geums, which I really like.

    Mango Lasi
    {{gwi:218343}}

    Fireball

    ...and Alyssum 'Golden Queen'
    {{gwi:218342}}

    The apple trees are leafing out, and the grapevines are starting to show leaf buds. BTW, Skybird, did you ever plant your grapevines? Still waiting on signs of life from the newly planted peach tree.

    In the veggie garden, the few peas that survived the winter weather are starting to vine, and the carrots are starting to sprout, but are too small to show up in the picture, so here are the lettuces, and spinach. The radishes are starting to put on growth. Do you just feel their "shoulders", like you do carrots, to see if they are ready? Oh, and seven out of twelve containers of wintersown tomatoes have sprouted now, and a couple are even getting their first set of true leaves.

    The peppers in the kitchen window are 6" - 10" tall and will hopefully be going out in a couple more weeks.

    On a less happy note, there are bazillions of 1/4" long grasshoppers everywhere in my yard/garden. I'm going to try and find some more bait, and need to do it very soon.

    ... and the bindweed is up!!!!!!!!

    Bonnie

  • jclepine
    14 years ago

    Things are finally starting to get going here! Just a few pictures as so much is still just a nub or just barely getting started.

    Bonnie, you Geums are amazing! I know I said this last year, but I really want that mango lassi!

    Here goes, 1st pic is the perennial bed with the catmints and thymes as the stars of the show, second pic is the asiatic lilies and third pic is of my only blooming tulips, the species tulips with an unopened Triumph "Ronaldo" behind it.

    Here is a link that might be useful: this is what Ronaldo is supposed to look like

  • jclepine
    14 years ago

    And, since all the species tulips have now opened, here is another pic, taken about fifteen minutes later!

  • jnfr
    14 years ago

    Nothing worth photographing yet here. I don't have much in the way of early bloomers. But I have big buds on peonies and roses and yarrow, and the spring veggies are all up and growing (spinach, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, radishes).

    Tomatoes and peppers will go out when the nights are more consistently warm, and I'll plant the squash and beans then too - probably one more week or ten days.

    Leaves showing on the grapevines and hollyhocks and Russian sage. I'm way behind on mowing and weeding as usual (I think my bindweed starts showing in February, no kidding).

    Tons to do this time of year.

  • rendezvous
    14 years ago

    Things are starting to grow. Boy it feels slow though. here are some garlic


    see website for pics of tomatoes, cucs, squash, and peas.

    Here is a link that might be useful: first plants of the season

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    14 years ago

    Nice crocus upthread.

    Tomatoes are out of their WOWs and buffeted by wind, peppers under hoops and row cover for protection, veggie garden all planted and cukes and 'Waltham' butternut up, as is soybean and scattered bush peas, climbing peas up. I've mounded potatoes in containers once already.

    Mid-season tulips almost done, I see that Salvia greggii isn't a good choice for this parcel, as another died over the winter, as did a Salvia pitcheri and two prairie winecups and a Helianthemum 'First Light', otherwise everyone else survived. Two varieties of Helianthus maximiliana going crazy. Flower buds on Veronica x 'Aztec Gold' already (hot southern exposure). One spp of Cerastium almost done, the other ready soon. Lilac 'Miss Kim' almost ready to pop - likely tomorrow.

    Dan

  • laura_42
    14 years ago

    Great pics, everyone! Those species tulips are especially stunning.

    Here's a snap of one of the beds without their protective row cover:

    {{gwi:1206032}}

    Everything seems to be doing well so far, despite the crazy weather mood-swings.

    Arugula:

    {{gwi:1206034}}

    Chives:

    {{gwi:1206036}}

    Lettuces:

    {{gwi:1206038}}

    Peas:

    {{gwi:1206039}}

    Potatoes:

    {{gwi:1206040}}

    The latter are in a big Tupperware bin, and have grown considerably fast, even since I took this picture a couple of days ago.

    The peas, on the other hand, are growing at a snail's pace. Most are only 3-6 inches high at the moment. Is this normal? This is my first season growing them...

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    14 years ago

    My peas are ahead of yours, Laura. My soil temps are likely higher that yours as mine are against the house. Your arugula is ahead of mine and our lettuces are about even. I have a chive in the landscape and way behind yours (cooler soil temps). I put my potatoes out in a Sterilite bin and a 20-gal pot weeks ago and they are leaping out of the mix. I think next year I'll do another one in addition to the two I have now if they keep this up. I think with those rocks around your temps will be up in no time and they'll be reaching for the sky.

    Dan

  • eatsivy
    14 years ago

    I'm enjoying everyone's great pics and descriptions of what's going on all around. Things are continuing to creep along here. Yippee, some color - a couple of daffs are blooming!

    I'm easily amused at this time of year - hungry for signs that things might be about to warm up I guess:)

    My peas are up and just sort of hanging out too Laura - Dan's arrangement with his peas sounds like it is giving those vines what they need/want.

    Hops are making a move - good ol' reliable hops.

    Have been busy with some work here and there lately, so haven't been spending much time in the garden . I'm back into the backyard tomorrow for more digging in the dirt and building stuff. Looks like a pretty good chance for some precipitation - we'll see how things go.

    Happy planting, dividing, multiplying and such all! eatsivy

  • jnfr
    14 years ago

    Do the hops grow well for you? How big does it get? I've always thought about putting some hops in for a shade vine, but I don't know much about that plant.

    Here's my Chinese cabbage growing in an Earthbox. They're very happy with our cool, damp spring so far.

    The dwarf bok choy is going direct to flower, unfortunately, without making heads. So we're eating them already :)

    Everything else is in buds; no blooms yet. The roses look particularly enthusiastic this year. I don't think they miss the hot dry winds we sometimes get in spring.

    Got to plant my beans and squash this weekend! And pull some more bindweed - my most constant chore.

  • jclepine
    14 years ago

    Is it still May? It is!!

    I am happy that my big clumping of tulips is starting to bloom:

    Here is a close-up of one that had been bent over due to an odd sepal that would not let go. I broke the sepal off and it straightened up a bit. So pretty!:

    This is Reynaldo. He has happily been in bloom for over two weeks now! We have not had that much wind during this time but I'm feeling confident that choosing tulips was a good idea. And, behind him, you'll see that my other clumping of species tulips is starting to show flower buds...finally:

    Here are two blooms in my other bed. Thank you, Skybird, for the lovely anemone! I did not take a photo of the tiny Veronica waterperry even though it is blooming too. Too tiny for a picture! Also, my first geranium bloom of the year:

    Last one. Thanks again, Skybird, for the vibrant Coreopsis! He is glowing happily in the sun in front of the once-thought-dead rose and a clump of invading grass:

  • highalttransplant
    14 years ago

    Well, there are a few more things blooming here since my last post, so I'll add a few more pictures too.

    Verbascum 'Southern Charm' wintersowed in '07
    (the catalogs show it as a mix of cream, pale yellow, peach, and lavender, but of course, all I got was lavender, LOL)
    {{gwi:394938}}

    Delosperma kelaidis 'Mesa Verde' (courtesy of Skybird)

    Penstemon pinifolius 'Compactum' (from High Country Gardens) It's only about 10" tall, so I just about had to lay down to get a shot of it. Just trying to maintain my crazy gardening lady image with the neighbors!
    {{gwi:218344}}

    ... and the poppies wintersown this year are finally starting to bloom. There's two different kinds there, the traditional California golden orange, and the larger buds, which haven't opened yet, are supposed to be a red annual, I received in trade.
    {{gwi:394937}}

    So I guess we'll have to start a new thread tomorrow ...

    Bonnie

  • jnfr
    14 years ago

    Beautiful, beautiful! I love the pictures! And it's so nice to see the swap plants happy in their new homes.

    I have roses blooming now:

    And my peony finally bloomed! I brought this down from Coal Creek Canyon when we moved to the plains and it's been sitting there sulking ever since. This year it finally bloomed. I love these flowers.

    I finished my second raised bed. It wasn't planted yet when I took this pic, but now it has tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and basil in it.

    Looking forward to lots of yummy veggies this summer.