Even though our weather has been jumping from 50 to 90 degrees depending upon the day, the flowers are starting to bloom.
It’s also the season to plant containers, and if you’ve bought annuals this year you know the prices are up substantially. Six packs became four packs last year, and this year there are a lot of singles.
I normally buy six packs of Marigolds each year. This year the color I wanted was in single pots so I went through them to find doubles so I could divide them. Cheap, frugal? Whatever, you want to call it, annuals only last here for about 12 weeks, and then they move to the compost bin. If you’ve never tried dividing plants, it’s pretty easy. You just need enough root material to transplant.
Gardening is an adventure and there are many learning moments. Several weeks back I potted up my canna bulbs hoping to give them a head start. No problem with potting up, but I watered them, and a vast majority rotted. The secret is to pot up and not water until they produce new sprouts. Hard lesson, but I’ve learned and won’t do it again.
Speaking of lessons, I planted two tanks approximately 3′ apart the same day with the same seeds and soil mixture. I put lettuce and carrots on the edges, and in the center planted beans in one and peas in the other. Take a look. Interesting, huh.
The week before Memorial Day is always a big gardening week. I’ve got annuals, perennials, more Cannas, and Rose of Sharon bushes waiting to be planted. If you’re looking for me, check outside. š
Have a great week and holiday weekend – stay well, safe, and have fun. Are you traveling or staying close to home?
NewEnglandGardenAndThread 
I always enjoy your gardening posts and seeing your beautiful flowers. Weāll be home for the holiday weekend after a trip to Virginia to attend our grandsonās high school graduation this past weekend.
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Congratulations to your grandson on achieving that mileston and may all his personal and professional dreams be realized.
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I swoon for those bearded iris, which could well be my favorite flower. But maybe for gardeners they are all our favorites. That’s weird about those two tubs, but that’s another thing about gardening: we never know how things will grow or not grow. As for being frugal, you bet. It’s getting to the point where we have to choose between marigolds and eggs. I see more dollar signs than ever when I notice a rabbit sniffing around. You are sure putting in the hours. I hope your plant sale went well — lots of hours in that too.
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Yes, animals eating plants use to be just annoying and frustrating. These days you’ll definitely see the $ floating above that dead plant. š The plant sale did okay, but we’ve done better in other years. Lots of factors we couldn’t plan for including varmints eating plants, wicked weather swings, and way too many graduations on the same day. Oh well, we earned enough to keep our school gardening grants going and that was the goal. š
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Congratulations on that. Those school grants are wonderful!
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Itās all looking good, Judy. I hope you werenāt out in that awful heat. This looks like it will be a nice week to be in the garden. Enjoy!
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It was really hot yesterday at the plant sale, but we did have some tents off where we could get into the shade. Yes, this is suppose to be a nice week. I bought five Rose of Sharon plants at the sale, and thought of your beautiful plants when I did. š
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Ours are starting to break out. We always get a few new ones sprouting up. Iāve been trying to encourage them because the larger plants are expensive. Good luck with them, they are lovely.
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What a beautiful array of flowers. I havenāt seen Jack-In-The-Pulpit in years! Iām glad my Bleeding Hearts are still bleeding! š¤ Your two tanks are quite a conundrum. I hope you can solve the mystery with an easy fix.
No traveling here! Doctors appointments, tests, supermarket, and a quick trip to Walmart just for kicks and giggles! šµāš«
Have a great week. And for goodness sake, donāt disturb any wasps/hornets nests this year,
Ginger
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Yes, Bleeding Hearts can stay around as long as they like because I am always in awe of their beauty. Walmart? Wear your sunglasses. All the summer attire is being worn without anyone looking in the mirror. Some of it hurts your eyes. š I saw my first yellow jacket yesterday as it followed me into the garage. I got busy getting that thing right out of there. š
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Omg dying over your description of Walmart customers! Me? SKEERD to even go in there!
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Your flowers are beautiful!! It’s weird what’s happening in the troughs though. Any ideas why one side is doing somewhat better than the other?
We’ll be home for the holiday as we just got home yesterday from spending 3 days with Baby Girl and her family. I’m missing them so much already!!
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I know there is a lesson to be learned about those two identical tanks, but I haven’t so far figured it out. I did want to acknowledge that all my gardening adventures are not successes. š So glad you had a nice trip and visit. Those memories will keep you warm this week.
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šš¤ I hope you can figure out what’s causing that side not to grow. I have more gardening losses than successes. One of the new Phlox plants I put in doesn’t look as good as the other so, I’m hoping your 50% rule about purchased plants isn’t going to happen to me…again. It wouldn’t surprise me at all though.
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You clearly know what youāre doing gardening wise
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I like gardening and I try, but I learn several things every season. Usually I learn from my mistakes so that’s a good thing. š
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I planted annuals in my front area last week. I was shocked at how much the cost has gone up! I need to buy my single tomato plant for the deck although I can’t put it there yet. I have a few things waiting for planters that go on the deck.
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I couldn’t believe how much the price has gone up, and the large variety of planters ready to go – instant gardening. I guess some folks don’t enjoy dirt under their nails. š I can only imagine how excited you will be to set up your planters on your new, gorgeous deck. Exciting times.
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I fear by the time the deck is ready, the small plants will be gone. Somehow I’ll make do. I must be patient.
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Yes, the weather is perfect for gardening this week. We’re taking advantage of it. The annual bed will be the focus, getting it prepped, soaker hoses in and this year, a deer fence. I can’t take the losses anymore, so will put up with an ugly fence. Needs must. Have a great week, Judy!
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Sounds like fun! A friend was telling me about all her deer visitors and she was putting up a 7′ fence. She knows they can jump it, but apparently they don’t have a good runway so she’s hoping it will deter them somewhat. I’m thinking about doing that around my blueberries. Have a great gardening week.
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Staying close to home this year since our big week is July fourth with all the family at a rented Lake Michigan cottage. Usually avoided those crazy summer holidays and enjoyed being the only family home in our quiet cul de sac, but now the kids are in charge and they call the week! Grandpa and I just show up and enjoy it!
I can sense the tone of contentment in your post as you bustle about, making beautiful things emerge from the soil. Everything youāve given a home to is so beautiful. I especially love the wild flower, jack-in-the-pulpit!
Weāve had those crazy temp swings here, too. Unusual. Enough to keep me away from buying my flats of window box impatiensā¦.red and white! Only! Always! Just yesterday was anticipating the price hike. Grateful to be retired and able to absorb this spike in inflation without a houseful of kids to feed and clothe. I wonder how young families do it these daysā¦.my heart goes out to them all.
Enjoy your long week and week end! Plant, learn, and be happyā¦I know you will! Hugs!
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I hope you have a marvelous family reunion on the 4th. I can only imagine how tall and grown up those TX grands are getting. My grandson is 6′! I went by two gas stations this afternoon, and both signs said $4.79 9/10. I’m with you in that I’m not sure how young families are surviving. Retired folks can combine errands and even choose not to go, but that doesn’t work for younger people. “Plant, learn, and be happy” – I love that. I think I need a t-shirt with that on it. š
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So beautiful Judy! So many wonderful blooms in so many colors. It is truly a great time of year to be alive!
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May is a lovely month for sure. Hope your neighborhood is making you smile too.
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Yes, it is all beautiful right now.
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Oh, Judy, this is the time of year that gardeners in the north have the most fun. I bet you will be in your happy place this week. I have all of the annual patio plants in their pots and now I’m waiting for another nice day to sit among them with Gibbs and my morning tea. Our existence would not be the same without flowers…would it? Have a wonderful week and enjoy the garden!
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I always appreciate the ‘green season’ after the ‘white season,’ but they both pale in comparison to the bloom season. Your patio plant is beautiful!
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I havenāt even been to the nursery this year. I guess Iād better get going. Your irises are so pretty. Mine have buds but havenāt flowered. I wonder why. You are so much farther north than us I would think mine would be out before yours. Any tips in keeping rabbits out of the flowers? I noticed theyāve eaten my hosta. At least I think itās rabbits. Keep gardening.
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My dwarf irises are all in bloom but only that one full sized one so far. I have many more to come. š There is Repels-All or Deer & Rabbit repellent spray you could try. They are both available at Lowes and probably other box stores. Check the labels to see how often you have to apply, for instance spray you have to reapply after a rain. I’d go for the one that requires the least amount of applications.
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Beautiful Spring blossoms, Judy! May is always my favorite month in the garden. There is so much change each day! I definitely noticed the price increases at the garden center. Last week, I treated myself to a beautiful Lavender topiary! I just love it!
I’m in the midst of a huge project as I work to change the very old, shady, woodland bed that grew beneath my towering pine trees for decades into a new sunny bed. I’ve been digging up roots for weeks as I ‘right-size’ the large, sweeping bed into a much more manageable size. The perennials are finally all transplanted and seem to be enjoying our cooler, wet weather! I still have days of digging to keep me busy. Very soon, we will be the gardenerās cottage in the shade of the huge, new house being built next door. Definitely a year of changes for my gardens! Tomorrow I will be celebrating 10 years of retirement!! So grateful for this wonderful gift of time!!
Please keep us updated on the mystery of your two container gardens! I really wonder whatās going on? Have a fun week in the garden, Judy! Stay safe and healthy, my friend!š
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I’m smiling as you redo your shade to sun bed because I’ve been working on the area where I moved my blueberries out. I have a couple of things I like but several I don’t so they’ll be moved around some more, and I’m also waiting for two small shrubs I ordered online. I am really trying to corral my perennials and add more small shrubs. I need less maintenance. You know how I hate to throw away plants so I’m lucky I’ve been trying to reinforce a small incline near where I moved the blueberries so I’ve been moving a bunch of day lilies out there to help with erosion. I will still be able to see them when they bloom but won’t necessarily have to worry about maintenance. Those two tanks are very interesting. I’ll continue to watch, but I don’t have a clue about the difference. Happy gardening, Dawn.
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Oooooooo I am enjoying all the spring flowers. I will see them soon as we head to Pennsylvania soon.
That is so weird about the tubsā¦ š¤
Happy Memorial Weekend to you!
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Safe travels to your summer lake home. š
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Thank you Judy! Itās hot hereā¦ Iām looking forward to the Lake. š
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The weather has been crazy. Your garden looks like is is weather the storm and coming together beautifully/
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The never ending roller coaster of temperatures along with winds that we didn’t use to have certainly create additional challenges. One thing a gardener leans in to are challenges. š
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You have lots of colourful healthy plants there! I like the container veg plantings too.
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Hello across the pond! Thank you, and the containers usually do well, except this has been interesting how they are responding differently.
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Love the flowers and love the tubs. I’m laughing at how different our “spring” is from yours as we’re in the 90’s and 100’s with no rain/moisture in recent memory. š
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We had 1 1/5″ of rain in the rain gauge today. Yes, the weather certainly is different.
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Judy, your flower show is heart-lifting. I love your irises of course and am awed by that clematis. I haven’t been to a garden center yet but keep thinking I’ll stop by for a few annuals and a tomato plant. Hmm, maybe just the tomato plant. Hope your weather settles down and you enjoy a wonderful summer.
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I went to our local nursery today and must admit I was amazed. They had single flowers in a 4″ pot for $9.98. Ladies all around me had carts full with baskets hanging on the sides. There was a 12″ tomato plant for $20. I’ll be using more perennials this year in my containers and life will go on. š
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I transplanted some asiatic lilies over the weekend and I was sure I killed the first one. I didn’t get the whole bulb but there was still root material. I potted it to give a friend, watered it a little and it perked back up, so fingers crossed it survives. I went with pansies and double petunias this year for annuals. I found a new nursery that I really like, and they were loaded with black pansies. I thought the nursery owner had good prices, but I’ve been out of the game. I could mix and match anything (veggies included) in a flat for $18. I need to do a planting update. š
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A flat for $18? I would have bought two! Way to go!
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Thanks! I thought that was pretty good. Last time we went plant crazy at another nursery and didn’t get as much, I think we spent about $60. I think I’m going to go back this weekend and buy a plant for my BFF’s parents’ anniversary. They love gardening.
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An anniversary gift? You want a perennial ‘if’ they grow perennials, because then it will come back every year and remind that of your friendship and caring.
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I’m thinking of getting them a Columbine if he still has some left when I go. š
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My Columbine is blooming right now. Beautiful choice.
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I can’t imagine how much the temperature ranges must be playing havoc with your planning plans. But everything looks so beautiful, the bearded iris. Interesting lesson with your canna bulbs. All of my attempts with growing usually resulted in too much water. With gas prices they way they are, we’re going about as far as the closest restaurant or beach, and that’s it! Have a wonderful holiday. – Marty
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Our local station is $4.79 9/10. It just about gags me. We bundle errands, and stay local. Have a good quality weekend at home. š
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I like your iris photos. I love those flowers but have none here. Our neighbors however do them proud, so I enjoy theirs. I like your tip about dividing marigolds. Pretty much you’ve reminded me to buy some, but not too many!
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I went to our home town nursery today and suffered sticker shock. A zinnia in a 4″ pot was $9.98. I almost laughed out loud. In 12 weeks, that zinnia will be in the compost pile. I bought some of their store grown annuals – smaller and cheaper. With a little fertilizer, all will be well.
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The tanks are quite the mystery, arenāt they? Must be some subtle difference, difficult to discern. I bought/planted my annuals in three batches this year instead of all at once. Easier on my back and the sticker shock came in smaller doses.š But now Iām on a 3-week road trip and have to rely on hubby to keep things alive. Oh well.
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I can’t figure the tank thing out. I pulled out the scraps of lettuce in the bad one and put some new plants in to see if they survive. If not, I guess I’ll replace the soil. Yes, sticker shock is a thing this year at the nursery. I saw single Zinnias for $9.98 each. Bad news for us container lovers. Three week road trip? Hope it is a fun one. š
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It’s time for planting spring annuals here too but we’ve just got back from our big trip. It rained almost all the time we were away, for nearly four weeks so the garden is one big soggy mess. I need to muster some energy to go out there and start tidying up.
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I’m guessing you do have some chores after a wonderful four-week trip, but it still seems strange for you to have such an abundance of rain to deal with.
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Well, it’s either drought or floods here. At the moment, we’re in the middle of a La Nina weather pattern – google it. And it’s forecast to continue into next summer.
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Hi Judy, I nearly missed your post because we have been travelling back from Melbourne. We enjoyed all the autumn colours in Melbourne, but now looking at all your new flowers in your post,
I envy you having spring, and summer coming up. We all get our turn I guess! I love the Jack in the Pulpit name, I think I first read that name from your blog or maybe Jason’s.
Best wishes for the holiday weekend, and now I’m off to show Paul your experiment with planting the beans in one tank and peas in the other…fascinating!
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That Jack in the Pulpit is always interesting. It’s not there one day, and that it just pops right up, and when it is done, it’s gone. My biggest challenge is making sure I don’t dig in the area. š Those two tanks are a mystery. I pulled out the scruffy tiny pieces of lettuce in that second tank and put some celery in there. We’ll see if it grows. If it doesn’t the only thing I can think of is to remove and replace the soil. The peas in the middle are growing fine. Go figure.
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As you say, go figure, it must be something in the soil.
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I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that flowers are up in price, as is everything else Judy. Good for you for your frugality – only a true gardener would know to do that would not kill the plants. If I tried it, for sure it would be a disaster!! BTW, I read your toilet post too. I did the same thing in a public restroom at a basketball game (ugh). I too fished it out and riced it for a few days and it was fine. Gross but fine. That was years ago and I’m happy to report I’ve since upgraded. I did laugh loud and hearty at myself after the disaster was averted!
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I’m feeling better since I know I’m in good company in the group of folks who have had a toilet mishap with a phone. š May we never repeat the experience.
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Amen to that Judy!!
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