Good times in the garden

Over the past three days, we've spent many hours out in the garden.  It was perfect gardening weather with bright, warm sunshine.  We tackled the layers and mats of buttercups which had filled in any bare ground they came to.  Sometimes, I had to wrestle buttercup tentacled-roots from around the roots of some hapless plant which stood in the way of their relentless march.

Yesterday, after all this bending, pulling and sifting - and many bags of garden waste - we found we have a beautiful garden again.  We can see those lovely perennials and they've been given their growing room back.  Compost has been spread out, dug in and soil raked over.  All ready for the seeds.

Yesterday I planted my pole beans - I managed to find Scarlet Runner seeds, my favorite - and a packet of bush peas we'd gotten free at a garden demo.    I added another row of spinach to the one which has already come up.  And I replaced a row of Swiss chard seeds which I think I planted to soon as they failed to germinate.  Planted a row of cilantro, some Italian parsley, rosemary and dill plants.  I admired and praised the mesclun (already growing quickly) which were released from their wire cover.  They have to go it alone now against those visiting critters who like to dig.

I planted out some crocosima 'Lucifer' corms that I found at a plant sale.  We divided the hostas and planted them.  Somehow, a pecan (we think) decided to grow into a wee tree - we saved it in a pot.  These mystery volunteers are always our favorite garden adventures.  The raised beds are all prepared for potatoes, tomatoes, squash and, we hope, some strawberries.  A shopping list for the nursery  has been drawn up. Today, the sunny blue skies turn gray and misty again.  I'm so glad to see the rain and give my muscles and aching fingers a chance to recover.