Some Spring Eye Candy

Duncan says "Hello, and welcome to the garden."

He is a very proper English Labrador. (Please ignore the mud puppy you may have seen after our walk this morning, he would be embarrassed to be caught in such a state.)

Thought you might enjoy the changes at Touchstone Farm since we last spoke. This was the garden in March. (Yes, that is snow on the drive in the background, thanks for asking.)

And here is how things looked this morning.

The daffodils are finishing up their run,

but the tulips are ready for their closeup, Mr. DeMille.



The New Dawn roses and various clematis are starting to scramble up the arbor.
The hellebores are still going strong.

The bleeding hearts have started their show. Although with all the talk over at A Way To Garden about Dicentra 'Gold Heart' I think these little beauty's may have some company next year. I gotta get me some of that 'Gold Heart'.

The grape hyacinths are hitting just the right note.


And the veggie garden is getting ready for its understudy role. I love order and symmetry and somehow I believe the vegetable garden is where I can have some control. In the ornamental gardens everything can look all higgly-piggly during the high season but the veggie garden is where I can exert some man or woman control over the exuberance.


The DH and I spent some quality time last weekend mulching the paths. That alone can make such a huge difference in the appearance of a garden. It is just like edging the beds, which is just like vacuuming or wiping down the counters in a messy kitchen. Lots of bang for not so much effort. Although in this case it was a fair amount of effort and I was very grateful for another strong back to help with the mulch throwing.

For all the earlier effort of composting, fertilizing and liming the garden we are being rewarded with spinach, lettuces and radishes popping up in neat little rows.

This is the first year for this asparagus so you can imagine how hard it is not to cut those lovely spikes and roast them in a little olive oil, garlic and balsamic. But I am showing great restraint.
The sweet peas are bursting forth, finally. Sometimes I think they will never appear.
The peas are also up and off to a good start. I had an aahh!! moment last year and started to use hog panels as trellis for my peas and beans. It worked like a dream. This morning I read in a national magazine about what a great idea it was to use hog panels to support tomatoes. I still use bamboo poles for those but maybe this will be the year. Lots of hog panels floating around this old sheep farm. They made great lambing pens when the lambs were coming fast and furious.


There has been lots of knitting just not too much knitting photography. I will leave you with this little ditty. I am knitting a little something for a friend. It is my design, top down out of Rowan Lenpur. Has a cute little picot welt right before the lacework. Should look very sweet on her.


Have a nice week everyone.