Six On Saturday — April 20

One month into spring, and things are feeling fresh and new in the garden.

ONE – Plenty of rain this month has brought all the Hyacinth orientalis bulbs at the front of the house into bloom. Their aroma is wonderful.

TWO – The first cherry tree is in bloom, a dwarf weeping cherry. Next in the cherry tree parade will be either the Kwanzan or one of three fruiting cherries.

THREE – On the hill across the driveway where the wild portion of our land begins, the old foundation is awash in sunny daffodils, even on grey and misty days. This is the sixth year we’ve enjoyed this spot of flowers, and I still remember the day I discovered it.

FOUR – It’s vital to continually learn as we garden and make adjustments in our garden plans and tasks. This winter I learned that digging out Anemone coronaria corms in the fall from raised beds is unnecessary here, even with all the snow we had. The corms I accidentally left in the soil did just as well as the ones I dug then started again in trays in the greenhouse in February. Cross that task off my fall list. I’m growing four varieties of these anemones because they bloomed for months last year, and the first white with black center promise to open this week.

FIVE – Down at the edge of the veggie garden, dividing raised beds from the orchard, the long raspberry row has come to life. I finally completed days of weeding, pruning, and trellising in anticipation of an excellent harvest from two varieties of canes. In the left distance of the second photo below, the marionberry trellis begs to be next for a revamp.

SIX – And finally, one of many projects that are underway for a May Master Gardener plant sale: Potting up almost 200 tomato seedlings! The fun will take place with the help of a couple friends later this afternoon. These six varieties are among those that grow well here in the cool Pacific Northwest: Black Krim, Oregon Spring, Red Siberian, Red Brandywine, Sweetie, and Early Girl. This is just one of the trays and the stacks of 3″ pots that will be their new homes.

Join in the Six on Saturday fun, hosted by The Propagator in the U.K, by visiting this link.

A Joyous and Floriferous Easter to all!

22 thoughts on “Six On Saturday — April 20”

  3. How nice to have friends to help you repot 200 seedlings. That could take awhile.
    Your gardens are expansive and I wonder how you do it all. This time of year, there seems so much to be done. But, I suppose, as with me, when you love gardening, it is hardly work, but a labor of love.

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    1. Yes, if gardening wasn’t my passion all this work would be dreadful, I’m sure. 😉 Our acres do require a commitment of time. When the loads of weeds and tasks get me down, I try to step back, breathe and make short lists. Checking off things each day I’m able to be in the garden helps me.

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  8. You have a big-assed garden! I am consumed with jealousy. I think I will get some anemone corms in the autumn. My new summer fruiting raspberries are not really growing yet, mostly doing a convincing impression of dead sticks. Hopefully they will snap out of it!

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  9. Why am I not surprised by such exemplary hyacinth and cane berries? Oh, that’s right, you are ‘there’ where they want to be. Dang! I would so like to grow happy berries. I will grow them anyway, but they are sort of mediocre.

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      1. Seriously!? I would expect blueberries to do well there. They are available in nurseries here, but the only ones that I ever saw doing well were in an unpleasantly damp area at the farm. I would not bother with them in the garden.

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