Daily Archives: May 23, 2012

Early reports from the garden front are somewhat disheartening. We did not have an ideal spring for garden growth. First the winter was too short and too dry. Spring came on like a heat wave causing the lilies to come up too soon and begin to form buds to early. This caused the chomping bugs to show up and begin feasting on the tender buds long before they were ready to open. So I expect most of the lily blossoms which started opening today to look like swiss cheese lilies. This fire lily which was the first to open was spared the rape of the insects.

The rose bushes I planted this spring have adjusted to the transplant and are beginning to send up new growth providing new color from bud to blossom.

Yes, a rose truly is a rose, is a rose, is a rose.

About half the gladioli have poked their tiny tips out of the ground. And after two months of hand plucking the self-sown marigold seedlings, I think I might have eliminated them from the front beds.

Unfortunately, the nigella (love in the mist) seeds I planted did not do very well. So far only one seed has germinated. So, I doubt if I see many flowers that look like dancing ballerinas filling the front flower boxes like this internet swipe photo.

And they would have looked so nice, too. But hope springs eternal in the garden world, and I’m hoping a few more show up.

It was hard getting seeds to germinate this year. I have seen any of the shasta daisies sprouting or the cosmos. I think the temps were too hot, and we either got too much rain or too little. The hyacinth bean vine seeds have germinated, but the plants are rather nondescript right now and haven’t started climbing the fence.

Also the giant elephant ears (taro plant) have also finally started to sprout. I didn’t take any pictures, because they look like giant white penises sticking out of the dirt.

Stay tuned for the next gardening report in a couple of weeks.