Garden Update

I haven't done much baking or cooking lately, except for making a couple batches of strawberry rhubarb icecream topping. The weather has been gorgeous the past couple of days, so I've been walking, cleaning, hula hooping (new and fun way to exercise!) and most importantly, GARDENING!

This is what I do with my rhubarb when I'm not baking it.

Remember the aster and amaranthus that I planted from seed with my Mom? They're big. Really big.

Aster

Amaranthus

Amaranthus

Apparently the amaranthus gets huge, so I might have to move the one I put in front, depending on how big the other plants get. One part of gardening that I can't seem to get down pat is spacing. I think I underestimate every time I plant something. I need some self-control!

"But they're so far apart. What if one dies, or one is very small and they're super spaced out? I don't want a gap. BUT... I can transplant this if it gets too big!" Those are the kinds of things that go through my head, often followed by, "I hate creeping charlie. Hate, hate, die, die, die.", or, "Ew, an earwig. Kill it!", or, "Awww... a wormie! Save him!"

Seriously... I call worms "wormies".

My herbs are doing well, too! I'm glad I didn't cut back what I thought was dead branches on my lavender plant, because they're getting wonderfully smelling leaves on them.

The cilantro (which requires full sun) was looking a bit scorched, so I moved my potted lemon thyme so it would give a tiny bit of shade and relieve the cilantro of some sun. I'm not sure if that is what helped, but they're coming back splendidly. I also put some cilantro seeds in with the basil plants my Mom grew from seed. I actually spilled the seeds in one area, so I might have a jungle to split up soon. (Hopefully, anyways. I'd rather have too much cilantro than too little!)

Mmm... basil!

I also put in some parsely that my Mom grew.

I planted dianthus in the front of my house a couple of years ago, and because it's a perrenial, it came back.  I noticed that it has one random pink flower, amongst all the gorgeous deep red. How weird!

My last bit of gardening news is the most exciting of all. The rose bush is ready to bloom! I can see the deep gorgeous pink peeking through as the petals push their way out of the tiny green buds. I can't wait to see it in full bloom again, and share pictures with you!

Happy Gardening!