"D" Garden is Underway, part two

The hose issue is still under debate, however the garden is looking good.  The nurseries and garden departments of stores were buzzing with activity this weekend.  It is typical for folks to put in their garden in early May.  Even though there were nights during the last week of April in which the temperatures dropped into the 30s, they have risen into highs in the upper 80s low 90s this past week.

I, like so many others, invested in 4-packs of starter flowers and vegetables to get my garden started.  I planted a long row down the center of  the entire length of my 30’ plot running from east to west.  I planted tomatoes (large celebrity and sweet 100 cherry), bell peppers, three types of squash, blue hubbard (reminiscent of Thanksgivings at the Snyder Farm), bush table queen, and straight neck (cousin to the famous and far more entertaining crook neck), butter crunch lettuce and a single watermelon.

As for flowers, I selected those that are supposed to be compatible with the veggies.  I’m sure it is not a coincidence that they were all familiar to me from the days of my grandmother’s garden.  I planted large and small marigolds, zinnias, salvia, and something I thought to be plumed coxcomb although the tag says “celosia”.

I was surprised to see lots of geraniums at the nursery.  They’re everywhere in California but I don’t recall having seen them in Kansas before.  I bought one and placed it directly in the center of my garden as the hub to design around.  It is a perennial that I should be able to count on to return year after year unlike the rest which will last only one season.

Even as this new garden takes root, my mom’s irises are blooming as are my grandmother’s peonies.  There are many fewer iris than there once were due to some grading that was done to redirect the flow of water away from the house 18 months ago.  This is the second season in which I have been so fortunate as to be here to see the peonies; they are quite spectacular.

I find it interesting to observe the brevity of many of the flowers’ seasons.  The lavender that was in bloom when I first arrived three weeks ago is gone now.  Just a few days ago I noticed some delightful small pixie-like white flowers popping up in the middle of the yard overnight and they, too, are almost gone.  It is similar to the fleeting appearance of the red birds and blue birds outside my bedroom window in the early morning. It is a reminder to treasure beauty whenever you encounter it.