It’s been a couple of months since I posted on here, and they have been a pretty good couple of months. Firstly, I finished my first semester back in college and finished with almost all A+’s in my classes. I got one regular A in Soil Science… but was only one point away from an A+.So close!
I’ve also started work at the JC Raulston Arboretum as one of their paid summer interns! How awesome is that? Answer: Very awesome. I get to garden all day in the sun, surrounded by chirping birds, buzzing bees and a seemingly endless number of amazing plants!
The mild winter and wet spring so far have been very good to my plants here at home. The only negative so far this year has been an epic hail storm that came by around the first of April and dropped quarter sized balls of ice out of the night sky. The storm only lasted about 25 minutes but put down a thick layer of hail along with one inch of rain. Pretty intense. Many of my plants got smashed and tattered, but since then have recovered very nicely. Everything is happy and lush and spreading well. Plants I’ve put in the ground this year are establishing themselves solidly… even the ones I planted directly into the leaf mulch. I was curious how they would take to such an unorthodox planting method, but thus far I have been satisfied. Granted, I’m sure they would be a bit larger and more robust had they been planted in nicely amended soil, but the leaf mulch is way cheaper and easier.
Anyway, I doubt you came on here to read my ramblings… here are some pictures from the past two months.
——————————————————————————————-
April 6: (Bearded Iris)
April 7: (Bearded Iris)
April 17: Zephranthes (Rain Lily)
April 19: Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)
April 22: Dianthus ‘Devon Siskin’ (Pinks)
May 4: Diospyros kaki ‘Hanafuyu’ (Japanese Persimmon)
May 4: Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)
May 11: Lactrodectus (Black Widow). Came across this young lady and her egg sack when I moved some stacked concrete block. Wear gloves when you’re gardening!
May 11: Daucus carota (Wild Carrot, Queen Anne’s Lace)
May 17: Sedum of unknown species…
May 18: Hemerocallis (Daylily)
May 18: Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan)
May 20: Achillea (Yarrow)
April 29: Delosperma cooperii (Purple Ice Plant)
May 20: Delosperma cooperii (Purple Ice Plant)
May 20: Delosperma dyeri (Red Ice Plant)
May 20: Delosperma basuticum (White Ice Plant)
May 20: Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed) with a Bumble Bee and Honey Bee.
May 4: Cool bug on an Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed) leaf.
May 20: Linum perenne (Flax)
May 20: Tradescantia virginiana (Spider Wort)
