seasons Archives - Bumblebee Blog

Bzzzz April 12th, 2013

I heard that lovely “beep…beep…beep” sound today that I associate with spring. No, it wasn’t a bird call. It was Chris, my UPS driver backing up after dropping off two big boxes of flower bulbs for my Maryland garden.

Spring! I love to walk around with the little dogs and see the garden awake.

Young yoshino cherry tree

I snapped my annual shot of a cute Papillion next to the young, flowering yoshino cherry tree. This year’s supermodel is Sarah.

The mixed daffodil bulbs are up and blooming by the driveway and near the hay field. There is a house I pass on the way to town with thousands of daffodils—all of the same variety. It’s quite a display. But I love the mix of all the different types of daffodils all mingled together. You can’t see them in this photo, but there are bunches of little muscari bulbs mingled among the daffs.

The edgeworthia that began blooming several months ago will soon be losing its flowers. This is a shrub that goes the extra mile with all-season interest. You can just see the flowering quince that’s about to burst forth in the background.

Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Snow Cream’

And speaking of plants with staying power, I love this lettuce mix that made it through the winter! But sadly, it is now chicken food since it is bitter. No worries though. I have a whole new crop of spinach and lettuce planted in the potager garden.

This year I am all about containers. The pansies and ornamental oregano make nice early spring transition plants. But I have big, big, big plans this year for containers!

Happy spring!

Posted In: Gardening

Tags: bulbs, daffodils, edgeworthia, lettuce, seasons, spring, Vegetables

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Bzzzz November 25th, 2011

I have mixed feelings about fall and the coming winter.

I wander the garden and yard looking at the carpet of wet leaves. They would be a lot more beautiful if they would just voluntarily hop right into those bags for composting. They have nearly all fallen now except the two zelkovas, which stubbornly hold on to the leaves until I have raked up all the others. Then those rascally zelkovas drop them all the next day within about five minutes.

How do they know?

Trees have fallen in the fall as well, like giant pick-up sticks. More mess that will require a chainsaw. Chickweed is creeping into the neglected beds.

I wake up in the dark. The days are so short now that the chickens go to roost at 3:30 in the afternoon.

I try to reframe my view of autumn.

The shorter days mean there is less time for frolicking with my rake and leaf bags. But I’m as happy sucking up books as a drunk at an open bar wedding reception.

The cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes are gone. But I have a robust crop of Swiss chard. I have even managed to outsmart the deer by netting it. Lettuce, spinach and arugula are thriving in the cold frame. Cabbages and Brussels sprouts will be ready for harvest soon. The salvia is blooming. Chickens love chickweed.