Spring is slowly giving way to summer here, though our temps have been moderate for May. I’m happy to bypass the heat waves, but it is strange.
We spent the three-day weekend working in the garden, with breaks for meals and a night out. It remained overcast most of the time, so the work was comfortable.
I’ve been cutting the California poppies back to the ground and collecting and drying a few seeds for next season. For the most part, the poppies self-seed, but it’s nice to have backups just in case. The same applies to our sweet peas and the nigella, or love-in-a-mist.
Now that I have room in the curb garden, I planted Mammoth sunflower seeds. I found these clever domes online to keep the seeds underground until they germinate. Otherwise, the squirrels eat them as fast as I plant them.
Sunflower seeds don’t do well when started indoors, so covering them is the best solution. Ironically, I noticed what looked like sunflowers already growing in the box. They seemingly popped up out of nowhere, but given our rain, they may have been lying dormant for some time. Of course, that doesn’t explain how they survived foraging squirrels, but I’ll take it.
I planted a packet of forgotten cosmos from my seed collection. Some seeds do well even when past the use or sell-by date, so I hope that’s the case. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Most of my gardening time in recent weeks has been spent digging out once-charming now-invasive violets. When they initially appeared in the garden, I thought they were derivative of annual pansies. We don’t generally see wild violets here in San Jose.
It was, however, a surprise to read on a couple of blogs that wild violets are considered weeds. Now I know why. They’ve spread all over the back garden, growing in clumps under other plants. Like a lot of weeds, they propagate in a variety of ways, and they protest removal from the ground. I have a system: pull out fistfuls of large clumps, then go after the remaining roots. I dig out the small seedlings using my garden fork since the seedlings have shallow roots. I’ve been clocking the time spent removing these invasive plants, and as of this writing, I’ve spent eight hours digging them out. Can you imagine?
As Mike is fond of saying: “Job security!” As if anyone could fire me from this passion. Another day, another weed equals more time in the garden.
Tessa agrees.
Gardening Nirvana 
Tessa is catastic! Your garden is lovely! I planted Mammoth Sunflower seeds too! Also several other varieties. I nutured the seedlings in pots in the courtyard along with morning glory, sweet peas, nasturiums, squash, tomatoes and basil. I transplanted everything outside two weeks ago and the rabbits have devoured the sweet peas, and morning glory, the nasturtiums are doing fine, the sunflowers are alive as I write, and the edibles are also fine. I don’t understand rabbits. It is cloudy and overcast here to. I love it and hope it stays longer. It is good for the plants.
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Tessa is really striking, isn’t she? She was a stowaway in my husband’s Tessla over six years ago. We will never know where she came from, but we’re glad she chose us. She was a wee kitten back then. I like the idea of starting seeds in pots. I’ve tried growing them many ways, and on a few occasions had terrific luck through no special care. I like that we’re both growing Mammoth sunflowers. I think nasturtiums are probably too peppery for the rabbits, but I can see why the might like sweet peas. We don’t have wild rabbits here, just squirrels and opossums and the occasional raccoon.
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That is a goodly amount of work. Without Martin our weeds would win these days. Tessa’s colouring is magical
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Thank you, Derrick. Tessa’s colouring is really something. She’s so evenly split down the middle.
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Oh, I do love Tessa’s pretty face. I have read about how violets can be invasive. In my yard and gardens, they are not. That should tell you something about the challenges I face getting things to grow. ;) Lovely work you have done. I think you sent your heat wave to Maine. 95 yesterday and the forecast is for 85 today. Too darned hot for Maine in June. I’ve lodged an official complaint but I doubt it will do any good. ;)
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I’m sorry to hear about your heat wave. 95 is too darn hot in my book. I’m glad you lodged a complaint. ;-) I think the violets are pretty, and if I could keep them in one area I would. Unfortunately they are everywhere, crowded out other plants. Is it challenging to grow in your garden because of heavy forest shade?
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I always enjoy your yard. I spend hours keeping the weeds back in mine but they are always ahead. I hope your cosmos come up. I love them. The pretty flowers bobbing about and the splash of color. My mother always has good luck with her cosmos. I planted a very old packet of lily of the valley this year and they came up and are doing well. I also planted some iris bulbs that were quite old and dried out and they came up but didn’t flower. Maybe next year. Sweet Tessa is so pretty.
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Amy, this is what keeps gardeing fun, eh? There are always surprised in store, some welcome, some not-so-much, but through it all we get to learn and watch and observe nature and her bounty. Tessa just celebrated her 6th anniversary as a stowaway. I can hardly believe it. She is stunning with her unique markings.
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Tessa is such a beautiful cat! <3 I feel for you about violets. They are welcome in my lawn, but not in my gardens. However, they do put on a colorful show during No-Mow May! :) Did you know you can eat the blossoms?
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I’ve been reading more and more about violets since posting this. I just saw a line of violet tea! Thanks for encouraging further exploration.
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I make violet tea for my little neighbors, it is a spring tradition that I’ve done for years… the oldest is now in college and the youngest is nine, she’s my last one. What will I do when she outgrows it? 😢 https://wp.me/p3O3z4-165
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Be still my heart. Eliza, this is such a sweet and tender tradition. I’m so glad you still have one nine year old who will come for tea. The photos on your post are a delight.
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Thanks much, Alys. :)
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Hi Tessa! You have a meowtastic garden to wander through. 8 hours of weed picking? That’s wayyyy over my limit. Good thing you enjoy it. My back would be insufferable. All our perennials seem to be ahead of themselves this year. Very strange spring. Happy Gardening Alys 💛
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Thank you. I hope you get that cool, refreshing rain you badly need.
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We’ve got Devon wild violets in our garden, which are a native, protected species. I love them ;-)
And whenever we grow love-in-the-must, aka Nigella, we save the seeds for cooking. Do you ?
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Hi Dawn, You know I forgot that Nigella seeds were edible. Thanks for that reminder. I initially planted them as part of a wildflower packet mant years ago. I love them!
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I’ve just found this. I’m always intrigued by the differences around the world. https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/20303114.east-devon-aonb-violet-hunt-launched/
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And we live in Exeter , which is about 6 miles from Exmouth :-)
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Kismet!
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Oh those weedy plants. As you know the alstroemeria is the prolific one in my garden. You plant them because they look sweet and pretty, and before you can say “Hello Sweetie” they have taken over the whole garden. The domes over the sunflowers are a brilliant idea…anything to fox the squirrels. Still if gardening didn’t have these challenges I am sure we wouldn’t enjoy it so much. 😊
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Anne, you are so right. All the challenges make for an interesting time in the garden. Thanks for the warning about the alstroemeria, as I planted two at the end of the season last fall. I’ve been holding you in my thoughts, Anne. Its always nice to see you comment or post.
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What a wonderful photo of Tessa and the garden is so beautiful and peaceful feeling. How wonderful that mother nature cooperated with cooler weather and cloud cover. Great time to get the job done, and Mike is right. pretty weeds will always give you job security.
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Thank you, MH. Tessa is amazingly photogenic with her perfectly split face and her sassy personality. We adore her. She remains aloof most of the time, true to her tortie ways, but Mouse is the complete opposite and happy to monopolize all my time. ;-) The garden brings me so much joy. Unfortunately, the heat has arrived, but what a joyful spring it’s been. xo
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We are also getting the summer heat but fortunately, our evenings usually cool down. Of course, nothing is as usual anymore. xo
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Tessa is overlooking every weed pull, I’m sure! So cute. I’m fighting the violets as well, one or two is cute. Now they are everywhere. That squirrel is huge, he’s certainly gobbled up plenty of sunflower seeds. hahaha
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Yes, that’s it. One or two become opportunistic ground cover. I wish you an equal amount of luck and patience. As for the squirrels, they get plenty to eat around here. From what I’ve read though, they’ll continue to forage and then store the excess food.
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Oh I love that outlook: another weed means more time in the garden! 👍😃
The violets are pretty, but I can imagine how annoying they are. Hope your sunflowers do well Alys. 🤗
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Thank you, Cathy. If I could limit the violets to one area, I would probably keep them. They’re pretty in there own way. I guess the key is to stop them before they seed, a fool’s errand for sure. No sunflower seedlings yet. It’s suddenly very hot, so I’m redoubling my efforts to give them rain water.
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I like your dome idea
Here there are NO squirrels, except as prints on paper. I don’t know what I would do/think if there was such a critter in my yard :-)
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The domes are working well, though not all of the seeds are up. The ones in the shade sprouted first, so there’s a clue. I will keep at it.
Squirrels are so common place around here and in Canada where I’m from, so I don’t think much of it. I can imagine how foreign they would seem in a country without them.
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Now there’s a cat who knows how to steal the show.
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She’s a pro. ;-)
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As far as I’m concerned, violets could never be as unwanted as the bindweed we battle every year. I’ve caught a squirrel eating the very buds off my rose bush – before they even show color. I had no idea that would tempt them!
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I just looked up bindweed, startled that it looked like Morning Glory. They are from the same family, but only bindweed is invasive. Wow! No wonder you dread it.
I’ve never seen a squirrel eat a rose bud! Isn’t that fascinating. The squirrels around here get a nice meal of peanuts from our neighbor, so they tend to leave our flowering plants alone. That said, I only have one miniature rose. I wonder if it something unique to the particular rose?
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