Is it as busy at your house as it is here?
The gardens are doing well with some of the early bloomers starting to wind down like the Bleeding Hearts but the Jack in the Pulpit, Geranium Sanguine, and Iris are all coming into their own and the Poppies and Peonies are budded out. I’ve been trying to keep up with weeding and the moving of plants, so I’ve been busy.
We got our new travel trailer, 2014 Keystone Bullet, in place at its seasonal campsite. Then we started hauling the supplies which was no small task, and the site needed a little landscape tweaking so we spent yesterday moving, dividing, raking, leveling, etc.
The MG annual plant sale is this weekend. Besides working all day, I committed to supplying a bee house that could be raffled off in order to gather email addresses to send out plant sale notices next year.
My husband did the construction, and I did the stenciling.
I also had the bright idea to take a fairy house as an 
example of a fun gardening project to the MG sale. Thanks to my blogging friend, Vanha Talo Suomi in Finland, I tried a stone fairy house, and I think it turned out cute.
The medicinal garden that I’m working on at our local Woodman Museum is moving along. Yesterday, we moved the granite bench in place, a walkway is being reviewed, large Dogwood tree has been ordered, and a lovely wrought iron fence piece is being installed on the wall to hold a climbing plant. Now, we need the 30 or so plants used in that era for medicine and industrialization set, and we will be ready for their centennial celebration in July.
Today is a gray, cloudy day and good for transplanting.
Anyone need some Hosta? I already have enough Hosta to cover a park, but what can a person do when these beauties need a home?
How’s it going at your house and garden as we approach the end of May?
I just read a book—A Handful of Stars—where the young protagonist makes bee houses to sell. Before that, I had never heard of them. And now, your post features that oh-so-delightful one! Also, love, love, love the fairy garden with its charming stone cottage. Yes, busy as can be at the little house in the big woods. If the rain holds, then I’ll be doing some transplanting.
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Glad you liked the bee and fairy houses. 🙂 It rained all morning here. So, picture me outside in the rain transplanting my buckets of hosta and quite a few other plants. I was out there about 2 1/2 hours. When I was ready to come in, I was soaked to the skin and just plain filthy. I had to take my clothes off in the garage and put them directly into the washer. But, I got everything in the ground, and they’ve had a good drink. 🙂
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what a fresh and lovely crop of spring flowers. And a nice fairy house too.
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I think you have the same weather we do. Because it’s gray and drizzly and chilly today, though yesterday and the day before were just glorious. This year, the columbine has completely taken over along with the day lilies. They have almost completely driven out the spiderwort. My son hacked back the holly bush and some of the spiderwort which was crowded against the pickets is trying to come back to life. Meanwhile, across the driveway, the Solomon’s seal has overwhelmed the Goat’s Beard and Jack in the Pulpit. I didn’t know Solomon’s seal could be so agressive! When the lilies start to bloom — one, maybe two weeks? It’s going to be a vast sea of flowers.
I think maybe the last of our rose hedges died this winter. I don’t see any signs of life this year. They were doing well last year. Oddly, the rhododendrons have come back and are blooming for the first time in several years. I though they were goners, too. Interesting the cycles of the garden. I planted a bunch of butterfly milkweed. I hope it takes!
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Well, it sounds like you have a gardening oasis right there at home. It took about three years, and my Solomon’s Seal is everywhere. I even dug some up and donated it to the plant sale I have so much. My Hosta are covering up my Jack in the Pulpit, but I’m so excited that it make it through its first winter, I don’t want to move it again. Cold and gray here today. I wish it would pick a season and stay tuned. 🙂
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Beautiful flowers and what a nice job you guys did on the bee house. You make a great team! Stuff is going in the garden here, and we’re getting ready to get some fence up around the veggies, since the bunnies are still calling our yard home. Fortunately, when I needed a fence to keep the dog out when she was a pup, I bought Rabbit Wire. It will come in handy again this year.
Best of luck on the plant sale. If I lived closer, I’d drag the Mrs up.
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Coincidentally, this is the first post my eyes caught as I sat down to take a quick break from hours of yard work. It sounds like we are having similar Mays … although it looks like your garden is in better condition than mine 🙂
I too have more hostas than I know what to do with and I’m THRILLED that the peony I planted 2 years ago has actually made an appearance this spring. It’s only about 5 inches high but I’m optimistic that there will be a peony in my future … someday 🙂
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You might be in for a nice surprise because ‘usually’ peonies bloom their second year. Here’s hoping you see one this year. 🙂
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woohoo!! Now I’m really excited.
I’m wondering if last year even counts as a year. It didn’t grow. At all. I assumed it was dead until I spied little shoots peaking out a few weeks ago.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed 🙂
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Peonies have such a stately presence and aromatic magic.
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I absolutely love Peonies, ants and all. 🙂
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Agree on both points! 🙂
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I am in awe. That is all I can say.
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I just love that bee house of yours….so pretty💕Your plants are all looking so lush and much further ahead than any of mine!
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Judy, your May plants are looking wonderful. You have lots of color now. I had to go look up your Keystone Bullet. Looks like you’ll be all set. I have a friend from working days I hadn’t seen in a while. Last time we had lunch she told me they’ve sold their house and are taking an RV across the country for the next months. I admire the spirit of adventure.
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I also admire those who will take an RV across the country. I can only imagine the memories and the photos your friend will have from that adventure. One of my husband’s sisters did it years ago. I like camping and this camper is really, really nice for two adults, but I’m not planning on pulling it anywhere except a seasonal site or around New England. 🙂
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You must sleep well at night – you are so busy! I love the bee house – and the fairy house is charming. A friend and I keep saying we need to get together to build one for our gardens. Some day!
I hope your MG plant sale goes well this weekend!
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Building a fairy house takes you back to the days of playing with a doll house. It’s a hoot. Thanks for the plant sale good wishes. 🙂
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Judy, I love that you are doing the medicinal garden. The Earth offers us so many unprocessed, healing remedies!
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It has certainly been a learning experience to see how our ancestors used trees, shrubs, and plants for medicine, industry and food. I’ve needed to spend hours researching plants, and it has been fascinating. 🙂
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So glad you’re delving into this earth wisdom, Judy! We need to keep it alive.
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When – if ever – do you sleep? Wow. Adorable bee house! Good luck with the sale. 🙂
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That fairy house is too darn cute! Your gardens are to die for!
As for me………………………………… I could go on and on about what has to be done after a one month vacation. So yes… I am busy just like you!
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That fairy garden is adorable! I can’t take any if the hosta off your hands …. The deer would devour it in no time. But, oh my! Yours looks healthy and vibrant!
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Many flowers are blooming in your garden Judy. Love your bleeding heart!
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Isn’t spring grand, when it finally gets here?! You’ve got beautiful things happening and the bee house is super cute–that’s a great idea. I love hostas and wish you were next door so I could adopt your extras–I’m sure someone will want them. Our weather is very summer-like–we seem to have skipped spring almost entirely. The plants are growing like mad . . . weeds, too!
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We had gray gloom and rain in the 50’s yesterday, and today it is heading almost to 90. What a roller coaster weather scene we’re having. I put those Hosta in the ground yesterday in the rain so they’d be safe and sound. If you happen to drive by, I can easily lift them out for you. 🙂
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Your Geranium/Cranesbill is fabulous! I planted one eons ago (decades ago?) and it didn’t take. I never did try again. Now, I need to think about that again.
Hostas – in time, I’m sure my entire yard will be filled with them. Fortunately, there are so many varieties, I don’t think I’d ever get tired of them.
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I have that Geranium/Cranesbill around in almost all my beds. It doesn’t transfer well in the heat but otherwise it is easy to move, is a good mounding ground cover, and I love its little pink flowers. And, I cannot tell you how many divisions I’ve made from the original plant I bought – dozens for sure. 🙂
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Good to know. Sounds like my kind of plant. Thanks!
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You do sound busy! I love your Jack in the Pulpit. Every time I try to grow it, it develops rust.
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Yes, it’s insanely busy here. Crazy. I’ll be so pleased when school is done for the girls!
When we first moved here, I started my garden map, and OH LOL soon discovered overgrown doesn’t even begin to cover it! Hosta heaven here, every year I divide and I rather look forward to the day when division is done. I think this will be maybe 2019 or 2020, depending. By then, they should line the property!!!
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There should be a Hosta support group, and we could both be members. 🙂
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oh you have some lovely blooms and are still running around beautifying your town as well 🙂
Here we just went from alot of rain ( again ) to extremely hot temps…you know me…don’t like them. Just ran around watering all the seeds that I planted the other day. I suppose when they pop up they’ll scorch to death or something 😦
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It was hot here today and as I was sweating away I was thinking that you sure wouldn’t like these temps. 🙂
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Such lovely stuff you have going on. The plants are so vibrant and beautiful. Not much has bloomed around my yard, yet, thanks to the late snows. There’s a lot of green, though!
I love, love, love your birdhouse and fairy garden!
Best to you and your green thumbs… and fingers. You’re an inspiration!
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I’m really interested in your medicinal garden. What a great project. You get to combine history and gardening. Sweet. We are likewise busy. So much so that I decided to just take a day off today and be lazy. Our expected rainy days have come and gone with nothing more than a tiny drizzle, so we really need a good soaking.
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The medicinal garden has been a real learning experience to see how they treated ailments and used tree bark for tooth brushes. 🙂 We’ve had some rain, but it is still extremely dry. I’ve had to water the plants that I’ve moved because they are dying a fast death. Have a good holiday weekend. We thought we’d go to Kittery to eat clams before the rush only to get to our favorite place and find it necessary to have a young woman taking names for table. They’re here…:-)
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No kidding, they’re here. Seems a little early. Enjoy your holiday weekend, too. We’ll be enjoying it from home.
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Oh my goodness, lady! You are such a busy bee that you should probably make yourself one of those little houses! They sure are cute! And the fairy garden is just precious. I think those two items are a good way to lure in people like me to the satisfying world of gardening. They are small, decorative and unique. Anything bigger makes me cringe because I know I’ll just end up killing it!
I remember when you first scored your campsite. The middle of May seemed like eons ahead – but here you are! Looking forward to seeing you relaxing amidst your “home away from home” for the next few months!
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My Dear Judy, Do You and Your Husband ever rest! Nice to see So much Energy. …And All Your projects look ever so nice. I particularly liked the Stone Fairy House, good enough for a Desktop Wall paper. Shall mention Your name when somebody notices it. Much Love and Regards. 🙂
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I’m glad you liked it. I took it to our recent plant sale as a demonstration of something fun for the garden, and I received positive response there too. Sometimes you need a little something light to balance out the heaviness of life. 🙂
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Very Well said, my Dear Judy! Keep up the good work! 🙂
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You really have been crazy busy! I love the bee house you made and I bet that fairy house got a lot of attention! Sorry to be running so far behind. I will get caught up someday!
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