Terry Thomas Time

Daylily "Middendorfii"

The late Terry Thomas used to say, "Busy! Busy! Busy!"  I'm betting we're all busy.

I'm trying to stay ahead of weeds and grass in my flower beds this year.  Once it gets crazy, I tend to give up and it becomes this ratty looking mess.  My son, Ian, put down 500 bags of mulch with some  help from my grandson, Max.  I sprayed for weeds early.  And, I spent the entire day last week pulling up invasives.

I also have a new computer and some of my files didn't convert right so we're having to finagle them which takes time.  I seriously think every computer needs a "finagle" key.  I had a super duper program that had a great garden document.  It allowed information, a photo and I had one completed for most every plant.  It didn't convert because this computer doesn't recognize this program from my old computer (one of several.)

The iMac isn't designed/formatted for literary writing or for people who do a lot with photos.  I had to add other programs, send some to my husband's computer to re format and send back, and some things just take getting used to the new.  Not that I don't love all the fast new stuff, it's some of the old was necessary for what I want to do.

Daylily "Bitsey"

Whining aside, things are growing like C R A ZZZZZ Y in my yard.  Most things are enjoying the excess rain water and sending out leaves, shoots, flowers and anything a plant can send out.  I haven't had to water pots nor anything I've moved.  Pretty darn wonderful.

The iris are about over, peonies have peaked, and dame's rocket is about ready to go to seed.  I've had one daylily bloom and quit.  It's an old, undramatic, gold and always a thrill because it blooms so early.  Thrill for winter-starved lily addicts.  Another early, Bitsey, has started to bloom and will bloom most of the summer.  It's unusual because the scapes branch.

The honeysuckle is in full bloom and await hummingbirds.  Some folks have had hummingbirds for weeks.  We haven't had a one but seldom have we ever had them in the spring.  They only manage to visit us on their southern migration.

Some gardeners lost Redbud and Japanese Maples trees to last year's drought.  I watered my Japanese Maple and it survived and thrived.  I didn't loose any redbuds but the leaves are small and they didn't have the usual tree full of blooms.

Our neighboring farmer finally got the herbicide on the fields surrounding our house.  They were getting to be more green than our grass.  Going to be a late planting for the soybeans around us.

The most robust plant in my garden is definitely the hosta.  Most hosta pretty much hunkered down and looked pitiful last fall.  I'm grateful they didn't die.  They've embraced the huge rains and the plants are wide and dense.

It's the perfect spring to transplant or plant new.  If you've always wanted to start something - you may want to jump on it now.  It will much less work, less watering and a better chance of survival this early summer.

That's my "catch you up" chat.  Have a great evening - our's is pretty much perfect!