Four of us gathered this morning in the greenhouse. It was a regular Tuesday 10-12 work party, but first we had to decide what to do.
There wasn’t anything pressing in the greenhouse, which made us glad since on a day like today, with birds and breezes caressing our ears and skin, how could we lose?!
It’s April now, so time to plant flowers. Hydrangeas, allium, dahlia, gladioli, and even jumbo elephant ears (which we used to have in the patio garden, but Rebecca took the bulbs when she left, after ten years, for the west coast. That was almost exactly two years ago, so it’s about time the big beautiful fronds sprung up again!
The elephant ears, gladioli and dahlia we planted in the patio gardens, and at least some of them should be up to wave at us during our Community Dinners in late July or August.
The allium we planted in one of the front gardens, also the two soon to be glorious hydrangea bushes.
We also bought two new blueberry bushes, and planted them in one of the back vegetable gardens. Confession: Annie (a former resident, and good friend) had planted I think it was five blueberry bushes along the outside of the property last spring. And . . . nobody took care of them. This morning, before planting the two new ones, I went to check on the ones outside, and prune them. And guess what? Three are still alive! Okay. So much more care this year. But: that’s why we planted the new ones closer at hand. Much more likely to just naturally care for them.
Which reminds me: one of the valuable permaculture concepts is that of “zones.” And our neglect of the first blueberry bushes illustrates just why that notion is of value.
Some of the beans in the greenhouse were so eager to climb that Joseph and Marita wired up a little place for them to do so in the smaller greenhouse, here. (They look rough now; because just repotted.)
And, we decided to experiment with putting the other climbing beans outside against a fence that will also harbor other climbing things, like glorious moon flowers, and some kind of squash (unless we decide it’s not worth it, given the resident squirrel which ate them all when we planted squash there two years ago). Here’s Marita planting the eager bean babies, a big early, we know. So we’ll see if they make it.
Finally, here’s yours truly, planting . . . what was it, ah yes, gladioli!
Hands in the soil. Verrrry satisfying.
P.S. I’m amazed that I used to plant only annual flowers. Now I plant only perennial flowers. So much fun to see what comes up next year!