We spent an hour at a local garden center this morning, filling our cart with various lovelies. After checkout, we stopped at a Burmese restaurant for lunch before returning home.
I unloaded the car, placing each plant in an approximate location for its new home. We’ve planted several new perennials, and by we, I mean Mike. He’s happy to dig the necessary holes and repair the irrigation along the way.
I’m most excited about the peach, lime, and red carnations, not just because they’re named after pies. I’ve never grown them before. There is nothing quite like the promise of a new gardening season.
I asked Mike to remove an overgrown salvia to restore balance to the front garden’s planting scheme. The shrub grew taller and broader than expected, and even after heavy pruning, it seemed out of place.
We planted three purple African Daisies along the front path and have yet to plant the lamb’s ear and yarrow, both needing full sun. I have a spot for them in the back garden. I’ll take pictures soon.
While Mike dug holes in the front garden, I dug up several self-sown nepetas, aka catnip, for our neighbors. After last year’s heavy rains, I had a bumper crop of catnip. It’s nice to share it with fellow cat lovers and the cats that love them.
Elsewhere in the garden, the freesias continue producing fragrant clusters in abundance. I’ve been bringing bunches of them indoors.
A couple of weekends ago, I placed netting around the edges of the planter box to support the emerging sweet peas. Today, I spotted the first sign of color.
The unexpected winter crop of mammoth sunflowers towers over the curb garden, but the flowers are fading, leaving behind a bird and squirrel smorgasbord. I will cut the stocks down to a meter or so, leaving them in place to support the crop of sweet peas moving in that direction.
I tucked a dozen gladiola bulbs in the space between all that growing. They should emerge sometime in June.
This week’s forecast is warm and dry, with a chance of rain on Friday. I hope that comes to pass, as it would be an excellent way to settle the garden.
Meanwhile, we have foraging birds and squirrels taking advantage of the abundance of seeds.
When I’m indoors looking out the window, the birds and squirrels strike delightful poses, but my camera phone can’t quite capture them. This afternoon, I looked up and spotted a squirrel dead center in the garden, standing up and appearing to look right at me. I’m sharing the photo even though it could be sharper.
Here’s another shot from the sideyard of a well-fed California Grey.
This pair of mourning doves spent an afternoon out back, but they’ve relocated to parts unknown. I don’t miss that mournful cooing, but I love watching them. Ana’s hummingbirds are enjoying the fountain along with an assortment of small songbirds.
This is my time of year!
“When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden.” – Minnie Aumonier
Gardening Nirvana 
Lovely reading about your spring garden. 💕 Those carnations sound wonderful – what great names! Now if they tasted like pie that would be something! 🤣 Love the idea of the sweet peas climbing your sunflower stalks. Hope you get the rain you want Alys. 🌧️🌦️🌧️
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Thank you, Cathy. I think it’s clever to name flowers after fruit pies—who would have thought? I hope they do well and settle in nicely.
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What a wonderful time of year, and how well you’ve captured it. I am looking forward to seeing those luscious carnations in bloom. Love those squirrel photos. I think your phone camera did a great job.
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Thank you, Laurie, on all counts. The squirrels give me so much pleasure, and I’m really excited to see the carnations bloom, too.
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All coming along nicely. The squirrel is clear enough at that size.
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Thank you, Derrick!
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There is so much happening in your garden, Alys! The first day of spring will be a celebration of colorful blossoms and lush green, too. Wishing you and Mike many pleasant hours of garden JOY as the new season unfolds! Sending hugs across the miles, sweet friend! 🩷 Dawn
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Hi Dawn, I’m sending you a hug as well.
It’s our time of year and a season I never take for granted. Today, I counted three lavender sweet peas. The scent is as wonderful as I remember. Ah
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Moving along happily in spring mode!
🌼 Definitely a well-fed gray squirrel you have there! 😉
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Eliza, I giggle whenever I see that plump squirrel. As an aside, I was at a drive-through Taco Bell getting a drink when I saw a squirrel running sideways on the stucco wall. She stopped and ran upward, and that’s when I saw a huge nest assembled on the top of a light fixture. It made my day.
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It all looks beautiful, but my favourite is those little squirrels. They are so dear and I wish I spoke squirrel to have a little visit.
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I wish I spoke squirrel as well. I never tire of watching them race up and down trees, along the fence line, and foraging at ground level. They’re a delight.
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I love the scent of carnations, I hope these will smell as good as their names imply!
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I hope so, too!
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Wow! What more can I say?!! And those carnations sound scrumptious! 😊
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They sound good enough to eat, don’t they? They’ve transplanted well, so we’ll see how they do. I’m pretty excited to watch them grow.
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I’m amazed at the carnations–I’ve always loved them and their scent and look forward to seeing photos of them later. Your garden will be beautiful and your squirrels! Well, at least they’re cute…Your use of the word nepeta made me think of Pauline, who always referred to Orlando’s nepeta mouse. Nice memory. Happy gardening!
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Ah, yes, Orlando’s nepeta mouse. We all miss Pauline and her kind and gentle heart and wise ways. I’m pretty excited to grow carnations. They’re one of my favorites as well. I don’t remember seeing them in nurseries before. They’ve survived the first week of transplanting, buoyed by some gentle rain.
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I was so surprised to realize that spring came a day early this year. It’s the first time if I’ve been aware of that happening. I miss being in the garden but live vicariously through your gardens now. That fat squirrel looks to me like he’s either saying grace or giving you his gratitude. I love the call of morning doves no matter how mournful the sound. Maybe I have a mournful side as well.
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I think it happens with leap years, or perhaps every few leap years. I’ll have to look that up.
I know you miss gardening, and I’m sorry it’s too dark to even garden on a patio or indoors. I’m glad you can enjoy my photos. I used to sit in my small apartment on cold days and thumb threw my three Western Garden books, dreaming about beautiful gardens, lovelys paths, and greenhouses. I’m so lucky to have the opportunities I do.
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I love the pie named carnations! Someone had fun creating those labels. They’re beautiful and they certainly say “welcome spring.” Spring is definitely my season, too, Alys. I think for most gardeners it surely must be! Your garden is really inviting. 😉
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Agreed! I’ve often joked that I wanted a job naming paint colors. When my sister sold her condo, the realtor asked her to paint it “Agreeable Gray.” We still get a kick out of that.
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Happy Spring! Lots of good and beautiful stuff to come in your garden this season!
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Happy Spring!
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Beautiful garden, Alys! Thanks so much for sharing!
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Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
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