Amateur Gardener: Waiting

May 19, 2011

Waiting

The garden is at a point of "waiting" for the next wave of blooms. The iris finished it's last bloom today. I'm always so sad too see them go and can't believe it will be a whole year until they come again. I do get to view them in the winter (or whenever I'm in the mood) - I have been putting my garden from beginning to end on video since 1997 - it started out as a video journal as to what blooms when, weather cycles and so on. So I view the videos in the winter time when I am longing to be outside. I also receive some insight on where to move things when spring comes. I've already moved some of the iris around according to color (remember I lumped all my iris in one bed when we first moved here in the fall) (you're not suppose to move iris until July-fall, but I've been doing it for years in the spring if I don't like were it was planted). I moved the light purple iris over by the bluish hydrangea. We will see how it likes the new spot by next spring. When the daylilies finally bloom I will be moving them all around the yard also. Dug up another spot for more vegetables and some melons. Planted okra, melon "Charentais, watermelon "Crimson Sweet" and melon "Muskmelon/Cantaloupe Hale's Best Jumbo". Remember, I'm new to vegetables and fruit - so I may not get anything this year - but I've been reading up like crazy on the subject and learning a lot of what not to do. I am letting two of my grandchildren have their own vegetable/flower plot. The oldest grandchild is 9 and she just picked out the seeds that she wants to put in her space. I just added two new coleus to the flower garden - "Dancing Gypsy" and "Henna". I posted a spring photo of the "Firehouse" Nandina to show how it goes from it's fall color of red to it's current color of a pretty green. The zinnia, red hot poker, lupine, nastursium, columbine, sunflower, coneflower, alyssum, hollyhock, herbs basil, cilantro, and rosemary seeds are all progressing nicely.