It is growing!!!  This is my pink celery that was planted back in February.  The seeds took over a month to germinate, but once they got going, they have taken off.  The two plants on the left are in 4 inch pots, and the ones on the right are in a 6-pack, waiting to get up potted.

 

Meanwhile, I have snipped a couple leaves to taste.  Tastes like celery.  ;)

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I think I told you about sweet potatoes back in February.  Well, it’s taken this long, but here they are sprouting.  Not all 6 potatoes are sprouting, but a couple are.

 

Oh, and that celery stump…I’ve heard that you can regrow celery from the stump, so I thought I would give it a try.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

This is how I love to see the dogwoods:  in the wild, peeking out of the woods.  OK, I like seeing the ones planted in people’s yards too, but the wild ones just seem magical to me. 

 

I hope you get to see some dogwoods blooming.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I love it when the Cinnamon ferns start to emerge.  They send up these beautiful fiddleheads, which will grow to be nearly 5 feet tall.  If you look closely, you can see two clumps of them side by side.  I also love that somebody placed these big rocks near them, so the lawn guys don’t accidentally whack them.

 

Next time you are out for a walk or a golf cart ride, go down by the creek, across from the Chestnut trees, and you will see them.  But let me tell you, they won’t stay like this for long.  It only takes about a week, maybe two, for them to open up, and then they look a little different, but still beautiful.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

The Fennel is coming back from its dormancy too.  All winter is rests underground, with no leaves to see.

 

And then when it comes back, it is soft and fluffy, and the leaves are full of that delicious fennel flavor.  Eventually the stems will grow to about 5 feet, and then it will bloom and set seeds.  They are mighty tasty too.

 

I brought this fennel from Virginia Beach nearly twenty years ago.  It has been growing in our garden ever since.  Why would I haul this plant all the way from Virginia, you ask?  Because the Black Swallowtail butterflies need it to lay their eggs and feed their caterpillars.  We love creating our gardens to attract pollinators, especially butterflies.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

The oregano is coming back too after its winter rest.  

 

Right now it is up about 6 inches, and as it grows I will be able to harvest stems.  I cut stems when they get to be about 12 inches long, tie them into a bundle and hang them in the kitchen window.  It takes about 2 weeks for the leaves to dry.  Then I strip the stems, put the dry leaves in a jar, and use oregano in everything.  Well, maybe not everything, but I do use it a lot.  

 

Oregano is so easy to grow, and the deer pretty much leave it alone.  I have tons of it growing, so if you want a clump to plant in your garden, just let me know.  Or wait another month and you can come over and cut some to dry in your kitchen window.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!! 

 

Same story as the Lovage with the Bee Balm. It grew really well last year, then a good rain storm beat it down, and it looked terrible.  So this year when it started to emerge from dormancy, we poked 5 cages in the ground around it.  I will guide the stems up through the wires as it grows, and hopefully avoid the ugliness of flopping over.

 

It’s doing great so far, up about a foot.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

The lovage is starting to come back after its winter dormancy.  Last year it grew to about 6 feet and flopped over, so this year before it emerged we put this cage around it.  I will guide the leaves up inside the cage as it grows, and hopefully avoid the floppage.  

 

Oh, I saved seeds the last time it made them, and planted them into pots this year.  They are coming along nicely.  Let me know if you want some viable seeds.  I love to share.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

The apple trees are blooming!!!  Yay!  

 

We’ve had a few cool nights, but they weren’t cold enough to hurt our trees.  

 

The peaches, pears, and apple trees are all fine.  Even the blueberries seem to be OK.  Yoo-hoo!!!

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

Remember that beautiful purple cabbage from last fall?  Well, it is blooming now too.

 

It survived the winter, but we had three months of dry weather, and it never made a head.  And now it’s blooming.  Here’s no surprise:  the florets taste like broccoli.  Same family as kale, broccoli, cauliflower, mustards, arugula, radish.  They all bloom like this.  And the florets are edible.  Of course, the mustard, arugula, and radish florets are a little spicy, but very tasty.  

 

And look how pretty they are.  I love them in my salads.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!