Garden Report: May 20

We didn't get much done this weekend. I had a conference all weekend and Noel had some other things, as well, plus a lingering cold that had me telling him to not push it by working too hard in the heat.

The gardeners were originally going to come last week, but asked to reschedule to June 1 to fit in around another Alameda client. Which I agreed to because I'm not sure how long we can go between visits, myself. We're right on the edge of me feeling like we need them out here RIGHT NOW AIE. But also, a lot of new plants are starting to appear to be intentional plants and that makes me want to wait until they are in less danger of inadvertent removal.

Like this little tiny alpine dianthus, Dianthus pyrenaicus. Until it started blooming this week it looked dangerously like a weed sprout.

With my big plant purchase at Annie's, I got a few more dianthus for the rain basin. I really love dianthus, and they are so easy to grow. I'm also working on using more containers around the garden, mostly to add height. When you like a lot of little tiny plants, sometimes it's nice to lift some of them up higher, and now that I have figured out that I should just run irrigation lines to them, containers don't mean instant death.

Also, some dianthus have these ridiculously long stems (Chomley Farran, I am looking at you) and work better in a container where they don't end up dragging on the ground. That's why I put this Dianthus carthusianorum "Clusterhead Pink" in a pot overlooking the rain basin. The chickens have only dug a hole under it and knocked it over once so far, which is a pretty good run in this garden.

This is Dianthus "Pink Swirl" in one of the front containers. Another one with long floppy stems. Also a dianthus this pretty deserves a front-and-center location.

For the last week, we've been snacking on raspberries. They are astonishingly early this year, but we are not quibbling. Also, it has become clear that I need to go through and dig out runners more often, because they are all over the place.

But the raspberries are good.

In other edibles news, the Poppy Monster has gone to seed. Looks like a nice big crop of poppyseeds, though not nearly enough to make even one poppyseed roll. Maybe just some lemon poppyseed cake and more poppies next year.

The hives are doing well, too. On Friday I added another box to Hive A, which is going gangbusters. Hive B is doing less well, despite an earlier start (they released their queen easily five days before Hive A). I suspect the combination of a slightly shadier spot and also possibly drift from one hive to the other, so I am going to put some distinctive markings over the entrances as suggested on the beekeeping forums.

Anyway, the garden is looking great. I can't wait to get the deck finished so I can do the landscaping and beds around and under it.

This evening we had an annular eclipse. I always enjoy these, and of course this was the first one the dogs were around for (the last one was in 1994). So I made them come outside and then I projected the image of the sun on Goldie's butt.

posted by ayse on 05/20/12