Another rainy day in NJ, which makes my gardener’s heart smile. Everything is bright green and beautiful. Some random notes:
- I am on the lookout for whether I’ll have iris in bloom by Mother’s Day. A few look really close, so it’s a distinct possibility.
- The side planters on the front-step railings and all the herb planters on the steps are done. They are full of a lot of wonderful plants, including nasturtium, basil, dill, fennel, lemon balm, a hot pink geranium and some wonderful little pines for the tall ones. I still have to do the window boxes, but since I have to get on a ladder for those, I’m procrastinating.
- I bought some columbine for the planters. Yesterday I came home to find one in a little plastic cup on the coffee table. Turns out my daughter thought they were beautiful and picked one. I LOVE when the kids notice the garden.
- On a negative note, the hydrangeas did not do well this winter. All the old wood on them has died. Leaves are coming up at the base, so they didn’t die completely. But since they bloom on old wood they will not be blooming this season. Perhaps a braver gardener would rip them up and replace them. I don’t have the heart for that.
- The allium are standing tall and pretty, four feet at least and just on the cusp of blooming. You can see a little purple on their tops. I’m so glad I planted so many last fall. They’re regal.
- Turning my attention to the back yard, the rock garden I planted last weekend looks amazing. AMAZING! I finally have all the thyme I want: woolly, pink, lime, silver, creeping, English. Coupled with Irish moss, creeping jenny, pennyroyal, golden oregano, stonecrop and 3 different types of hen and chicks, it is everything I imagined that bare little slope could be, including some rocks I schlepped from the woods nearby. The tulips are still in bloom above it. This fall, the far corner is getting a whole lot of iris too.
This weekend there are Open Gardens through the Garden Conservancy in Bergen County, so I’ll be touring them. I’ll report back on any cool ideas I get.
That’s it. I’ll post a picture of the first iris to bloom.
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