I am probably overstating the productivity of my garden by using the term “harvest”. However I am getting some sustenance from my plantings, both physical and spiritual.
I’ve been cutting greens for my daily salad from several plantings on my deck. I have parsley, nasturtium, lettuce mix and cilantro. Weeding is not an issue because I’m growing them in sterile potting mix. I just sit in a chair with my salad bowl and a pair of scissors.
My snap peas have formed and should be ready this week, Another welcome addition to my salads. I also see a bit of color on one of my tomatoes, The goal for New Hampshire gardeners is to have a ripe tomato by the 4th of July. My snap beans are also doing well. I had to water every day since we are in a drought.
Just a Flower I Can Help Along
I don’t want no God on my lawn
Just a flower I can help along
‘Cause the soul of nobody knows
How a flower grows
Oh, how a flower grows
– Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) – “Longer Boats”
Did the song Longer Boats play inside your head? No? Here is a link to help you remember. I do spend a lot of my gardening time helping flowers grow. It is truly miraculous to contemplate how a tiny seed can contain the complexity, colors and beauty of a flower. As a bonus they attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Each year I try to add a few new varieties.
New for 2020
Returning Favorites (The Perennials)
Perennial plants give me the most joy. I sometimes forget where they are planted and it is like seeing an old friend when they appear. When I built the front deck, I had to move an Alstromeria. It did not survive in the new location. Much to my surprise enough of the root system remained to form a new plant under the deck. It is a survivor!
Wet and Dry
I’ve created several environments for the flowers. I have two stock tanks full of water and sphagnum moss for my pitcher plants and a sandbox for cactus, butterfly weed and sea holly. They grow together in harmony, the wet and dry, the yin and the yang.
More to Come
This is just the first wave. I have a tray of zinnias that I plan to plant next to some dahlias that were a gift from Bob Romeril, the Dahlia King of New Ipswich. The next few weeks should be very colorful.
Are deer much of an issue in your yard? I see several varieties in the pictures that I know deer avoid. My Lupines have bloomed and gone but all my Delphiniums and Holly Hocks are in full bloom….my Yarrow is blooming and my cone flowers are all starting to pop. Agastache’s are blooming. All those are pretty much not on the main deer menu. I have some Liatris getting ready to bloom and for the most part the deer leave them alone except some years they much on the blooming part (which is infuriating.)
I do have to spray every couple of weeks to keep the deer away from other flowers.