In the Garden

I find it a little challenging sometimes to find my joy.  I remember Pete commenting about a letter I sent them in California about riots in Louisville.  I looked back at the history of that time.  How is it that we're still doing the same things fifty two years later?
I remember that it isn't exactly the same.  Folks of many colors live in my little town now. There are women and non-white people at every level of government.  There are cameras on police officers.  It isn't enough, but it is quite a change from fifty years ago.

Thankfully, I find a great deal of peace just walking around my yard.  It is still early and that deer maze in the garden sho' ain't pretty, but I seem to not see the big picture because I so loving looking at all the little pictures.

Oh my. So you may remember that I decided to round up every container I had and plant all my old seeds I'd squirreled away in mostly empty packages.

Well, I guess the heirloom tomato packages weren't as empty as I thought.  They all came up and about every other day I pot them up in a bigger pot. I think I have about sixty?  Want one? Or ten?

 In those pots, I have marigolds, tomatoes, thyme, sunflowers, zinnia, cilantro, basil, dill,  and I'm holding to hope, one of Tasha's poppies, as well as few things I'm not so sure about.

 And to take care of this mess of plants I was gifted some beautiful Lee Valley garden tools.  Quite a bit more heft than the ones I get at Dollar Tree and Big Lots.

Stepping off the side porch  you'll find this beauty. I don't know what it is, but I love it.

Here is our little Playdate observatory, for our typical catch and release plan.  A place for our visiting critter to be observed safely during the duration of Playdate. 

All these dead trees. Might as well use them for something. 

Then, the garden in front of the porch.  Sadly, plants don't last here.  I don't know why, but hardly anything came back from last year, frustrating. 

 Next is Mom's garden that is a delight, even this early.  My girl's sold bulbs for their scouting program and the allium that I bought from them are huge and beautiful.  I added dahlias, cannas and butterfly weed to this bed.  Plants here love it.

 I've been working in my shade garden that was doing wonderfully until the electric company cut down the shade.

 I bought these clearances foxgloves and they had all kind of stems blooming.

 Creeping Charlie is undeterred by two foot tall plants, just goes right over them. You can hardly take your eyes off that guy.

 This was an amazing fern bed, but the tree removal has about wiped them out.

 This little oak seedling wasn't growing in a good place, so I moved it to the shade garden, along with a few other seedlings and a viburnum.  I hope that helps.

 Lenten roses just impress the heck out of me.  Those little nodding blooms that show up so early and just hang on and hang on.
Here, still holding on to a few seeds.

 And look how lovely when the seeds have flown.

 A couple of big patches of monarda that will be blooming soon.

 I love this geranium, gifted to me, like most the rest, from Gardener E.

 This butterfly bush didn't make it, so I have a few other things planted there.  It will take a while.

 Ahh, my raised beds.  We have enjoyed this lettuce so much.

 Finally, a the little sage plants are showing themselves.

 And a so teeny marigold, self sown.

The sedum returned and a little dill plant. 

 Sweet Annie and balsam, also self seeders.  Deer don't care for Sweet Annie, so I just let it grow all over. If it gets in the way of something I like better, it is easy to pull out and throw in the chicken coop.

 I believe I mentioned that my peonies looked fine after the frost. Well, I was mistaken. The plants are fine, but no bloom.

 That was sure a disappointment.  About four plants out of thirty bloomed and only the pink ones.

Then I have areas where I planted a butterfly mix.  Just watching to see what this will be.

 Deer, go away!

 I love, love this bed of daffodils in the spring, but it is sure ugly when all the greens flatten out.  I keep grouping them and removing them as they rot to give the four o'clocks being smothered a chance at some air and sun.

I've always said my favorite thing about summer vacation is coming home and seeing all the changes in the garden.  I can't stay out of mine. I go stare at every little thing practically every day.

I've planted corn and beans, more zinnias, mustard greens, snap dragons and tomatoes.  I hope I have a thousand.  I'll share.