This is National Geographic's picture of the year.  

 

I LOVE IT!!!!!  No explanation, just PURE JOY!!!!   Well, pure joy for me!!!!

 

 

Here is Nancy and Pete's dogwood tree in bloom.  It's just a small section, but it's so pretty!!!!

 

I'm sure you will see it when you come around their curve.  Be sure to notice the other dogwood trees in the woods too.  They almost shine!!!  Bright white!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

Today and tomorrow are great days for planting above ground crops.  Maybe not tomatoes and peppers YET, but we can get lettuce, spinach, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and swiss chard in the ground.  I've also seen some sunflowers coming up, so stick those seeds in too.

 

We need to wait til Mother's day to plant tomatoes, eggplant and peppers.  And we have to wait for the soil to warm up before we plant beans and squash and corn. But... we can start cool weather crops now.  So get out there with leafy greens and cabbages.  You will be glad you did it.

 

The garden centers have lots of flowers for sale right now, but you may want to check the weather forecast first.  Most annuals do NOT like COLD.  And I think we still have some cool nights ahead......

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!!

 

Long before the apples are ripe, we get blueberries!!  They start getting ripe on Father's day....every year, on Father's day we pick blueberries!

 

The bushes are really loaded with blossoms, and bees.    Last year we picked 12 gallons of blueberries.  We love to share, but you have to pick them yourself.  We start about 8 am and finish for the day by 9:30.  If you get here early, you can pick your own blueberries.  If you get here too late, well...you're too late.  

 

The bushes are on a hill, so wear your hiking and/or climbing shoes.  We go out early before the sun is in our eyes, but sunscreen is a good thing to wear too.  Hope to see you in June for some berry picking fun.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

We are going to have lots of apples!!  Our orchard is in bloom!!!  And the bees and butterflies are all over the trees.

 

They usually bloom for my birthday, but this year.....they are blooming for Roxanne's birthday.  I hope she gets back in time to see them.  They are SO pretty!

 

Now all we have to do is:  pray that the "BlackBerry frost" is mild and short-lived.  And pick the apples before the deer get them.  Last year we missed that opportunity by one day!!!  One day a couple of trees were full of golden delicious apples, still a bit unripe, and the next day THEY WERE ALL GONE!!!! 

We did get red apples, because we picked them soon after.  So... they didn't get the entire crop.

 

Hopefully, we can learn from our mistake and do better this year.  Gardening teaches some tough lessons.  But we are (somewhat) smarter than the deer, so we have a chance to get it right next time.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

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I know that clover is a weed, but.....

 

I don't pull it out, cause I love spotting a four leaf one!  My friend, Pat Bridges could be walking at a normal pace, stop, bend down and pluck a four leaf clover!!!  I am pretty good at seeing them too.

 

Yep!!!  I AM LUCKY!!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!!

 

Sandy Bradley sent me this picture today.  It's her entrance in Port St. Lucie, FL. 

 

Just outside the door are Black-eyed Susies.  Her dad grew them in Pittsburgh years ago, and she keeps his memory alive by growing them.  I think of her dad when mine bloom too!!!!

 

In the foreground are Cosmos.  Maybe you've see them growing on the highway, and in the medians.  I know that these seeds came from Patty Mondl's butterfly garden.  It's been a few years ago, but we collected a handful of the seeds.  Sandy planted them in her front yard, and HERE THEY ARE!!!!!

 

Cosmos are sun-loving, drought tolerant annuals that attract butterflies.  They are easily grown from seed; and they SELF seed, meaning that they just keep coming back, year after year.  A pack of seeds is less than $3.  Give them a try.

 

SO BEAUTIFUL!!!  Thanks Sandy for sharing.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Do you know this plant?  Hilda gave it to me years ago.  It's rhubarb!!  And that protrusion at the top is its flower bud.  Rhubarb is valued for the succulent stems, not the blossoms, but I just love seeing plants bloom!

 

Rhubarb is a northern perennial.  It likes cool weather, and suffers a little during our hot summers.  But these have been doing fine since I planted them.  It's about time to divide the plants, so let me know if you'd like some.

 

Jon likes to make a sauce with the stems.  Tear off the leaves, they are NOT edible.  They are beyond inedible, the leaves are TOXIC.  Wash and cut the red stems into one inch pieces.  Then cook them for about 20 minutes in a little bit of orange juice.  By a little bit, I mean a couple tablespoons.  When it is the consistency of apple sauce, add a dollop of orange marmalade.  Some people add sugar, but we don't like it too sweet.  It's good as a side dish, just like apple or cranberry sauce.  Oh yeah!!!  Sometimes he adds cranberries into the pot for a tart blend.  I don't eat ice cream, but I bet it would be good on top of vanilla.

 

Don't you love Spring things?  Keep looking, there are signs of spring everywhere!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

 

 

On a brighter note:  you KNOW spring is here when the ferns start sending up new fiddleheads.  I saw these all along the hiking trail.  Hundreds of them!

 

Take a little walk soon and venture down the trail a bit and you'll see lots of beautiful spring sights:  violets and chickweed blooming, and ferns doing their spring thing!!!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

First that one, now this one!!!!!  Aren't they beautiful?  They do this year after year. 

 

What a lovely gift from a dear friend.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!