End of the Month

February has come to an end….the warmest February in Indiana’s officially recorded weather history.  Even so, my gardens look pretty bleak, especially compared to many of the other blogs’ postings and photos.  I just keep telling myself, “spring is creeping closer, spring is creeping closer.”  So, here’s the end of the month review, mainly so you (and I) will have a basis for comparison as the season progresses:  The Front Garden greets you.

  I warned you, there’s not much to see, but if you are visiting, you must walk by it.  At least there are bits of green, a few Cream Beauty crocuses, wisely closed on this windy, damp day, and some patches of lovely dwarf blue irises that look a little worse for wear after having been covered in snow and then bruised by pounding rains.  And, of course the 3 green meatballs, which will be your reference point when viewing this garden in the future.  Turn to your left for the Front Island garden, added late last spring:

  There are more shades of green emerging since you saw it last, but no other color yet.  I’m debating about adding another island garden under 3 more black walnut trees (outside the photo to the left) later this spring.  I need more room for hellebores, and this one island seems rather lonely.  Walking further to the north, beyond the front door and shrubbery is the little, narrow  Blue Garden.  Blue is not my favorite color (but it is better than red!) but I had this nice bench unsold when I closed the farm, and this space of wall that needed something.  It’s in nearly full shade, and not seen by many.  So far, only more dwarf blue irises here.  On around the house we go to the neglected (See “To Trim or Not to Trim” for explanation) Addition Garden.  This is the top half; it’s “L” shaped.   Some perennials pushing through, and some more henbit as well.  😦  Let’s hurry on down the slope to the nearly as dismal Fairy Garden, which looks unremarkable without its fairy houses and such.    This is on the north side of the deck and gazebo.  I’m worried that half the ‘Nifty Thrifty armeria’ seems to be dead.  The fairies won’t be happy.  Across the back lawn to the potager.  In the front borders, only more “Cream Beauty” crocuses planted last fall, and a few lavender crocuses from the year before are emerging since you saw it last.  However, in the south island the young white lilac is showing some buds.  That was a surprise since yesterday morn!    Amble along the south fence of the potager to look inside.  All those empty beds and borders just waiting for better weather.  And you can see that I’ll be hauling in more mulch soon to cover the paths again….if and when it stops raining.   Walking through the potager, we can see that there is some progress.  The garlic has formed the diagonals    that are part of this year’s new design.  Last season it was crosses in the center large boxes.  In the others there is just a ribbon across the centers this year.  There are other signs of life.  The golden oregano is gaining some color.  The crinkly purple-shaded leaves of the anise hyssop are emerging, and leftover cilantro has grown large enough to harvest a few stems.  I was especially happy to see that the hyssop is greening up at the base.  It is one of my favorite tea herbs, and I use lots so I have 18 plants edging the northwest corner of the potager’s interior border.  Not pretty, but definitely growing.  Out the gate near the greenhouse and up the slope past the proposed new Cutting Garden on your right (Nothing at all to see there except mud!)  to inspect the berry rows.  Nothing happening there, except for these (Shouting “Hurrah” here!) leaves appearing on the only gooseberry the deer haven’t eaten to the ground!  Sorry it’s fuzzy…blame it on my excitement or the   wind, which is dreadful.  I’m ready to hurry back to the house for a cup of tea, aren’t you?  It may be the warmest February on record here, but a blustery wind and damp temps in the 50’s is not ideal for strolling.  Come again next month, but dress in layers.  It could be snowing!

Thanks to Helen, The Patient Gardener, for hosting this meme.  It’s my first time, and I enjoyed it.  Hope you did as well.  Visit her site for lots more “End of the Month” wrap-ups and reviews.

 

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