In The Garden This Week

I worked all weekend in the wild cultivated gardens and again on Tuesday afternoon. A mile of paths are mowed and hours of editing happened. I'm a bit wore out. The gardens are show ready at least. There is just no one to see them.

Work kind work has kept me busy too. I picked up five new clients to replace the Posh Estate that sold back in December. The new owners think they are going to do it themselves when they finish moving in this summer. They are going to have a lot of catching up to do.

Lorelei blooms in a mountain top meadow.

There are mowed paths in here. You just have to walk them to see.

Five new clients that have not had a real gardener in them on a regular basis means I have had a whole lot of catching up to do for them. It takes some time to reach my standard of tidy in a proper garden.

The Amsonia is a perfect blue with the Blue Globe Spruce. The blue Baptisia in this section is also starting to bloom.

One half of Creation after the first mowing.

I was busy in the roadside vegetable garden as well. Black beans, pole beans and parsnips were seeded. A new row was turned in preparation for the okra.

Low and behold there was some un-dyed mulch at the Big Box. A load was brought home and spread in the vegetable garden. I don't need to be weeding up there. I still need another dozen bags, but there has been a freak mulch shortage all spring. It is incredibly annoying. I don't do dyed mulch. That's just sick.

So what is happening next door in the ridge top garden with freshly mowed paths that you mostly need to walk to see?

The Lady is in Full Slipper.

The Rhododendron and Phacelia are in full bloom.

I spent a few hours editing over here too. It's not enough. The time this garden could use to really make it shine would be like taking on another new client - at no charge. I do what I can with the time and energy I have.

Seriously, the Phacelia.

With Lorelei the Reliable.

And giant rhododendron.

The new head gardener has allowed the native Solomon's Plume to spread. How can you not like a native plant that does this?

This year we are getting a very good bloom. Last year they either got eaten or frozen in a Blackberry Winter. We could even get a good berry crop this year and those are also quite showy.

Viburnum opulus is another nice berry maker.

It has been a most excellent bloom year - so far.