I'm diggin' it....

It's really way to early to start planting gardens on the northern prairies where I live, but it's never too early to start digging up the dandelions, weeds and grasses that try to invade my garden beds.   The past few days I have been trying to shape up my beds so there are no weeds or undesirables left in them.  Then the plan is to mulch.  Hubs stacked up the last of the winter firewood for me near the back garden.  Perhaps we'll use it in the fire pit this summer.  Do you see those two logs with the holes in them?  I am hoping to find a wren's nest in them this summer.  Wouldn't that be great?  I love house wrens.

 

As I was digging through one of my wildflower beds, I noticed that a particular plant, which I cannot properly name, has become an invader and has tried to take over the Flower World of my garden.  Since I could never seem to remember it's name, I called it the Fairy Flower because upon its hardy stalk, it had a spike of delicate, tiny, lavender flowers that almost looked like mini-snapdragons.  I remember the day I bought three little starts.  I was so excited to think that one day they would be full-grown and abundantly blooming, and I would be smiling proudly at such plants as they.  However,  I have been digging this prolific menace for days.  It appears to have dropped a lot of seed for seedlings and has also sent a system of runners throughout the garden bed.  I do not like that.  Not one little bit.  Perhaps it is my fault, but I do recall pulling a lot of the Fairy Dragon Plant out last summer as I saw it  flourishing taking over, but I had no idea it would try to dominate the Flower World of my garden like this!  There will be NO world domination happenin' here!  So I'm diggin' it.

I have always chosen flowers that are "easy to grow" and that have xeric qualities since we usually have very dry summers and water is often in short supply.  I have found though, that many xeric plants are very invasive and must be watched like a hawk.  You turn your back for a moment and they start to crowd and push and ultimately dominate the garden.  I'll name a few of my hardiest growers:  Iris, Hollyhocks, Black-eyed Susan, Catmint, Calendula, Poppies, Blue Flax, Columbine, Shasta Daisy, Bachelor Buttons and Cosmos.  Some of the more polite growers that live in my gardens are:   Tulips, Daffodils, Alium, and Lilies -- bulb-growers who come up, bloom, and fade away quietly and politely.  Of course, you sometimes must split bulbs or else they might grow lazy and stop blooming, but they are not garden invaders.  I also like my Bleeding Hearts and Peonies.  They also have their joyous burst and then quietly fade and gather in the sunshine with their leaves until fall.

 The first of the daffodils are about to pop!

Giant Zinnias, picture from SCNLA

I am thinking that this year I will plant some simple annuals in place of the nasty Dragon Flowers.  I have always loved zinnias.  My mom grew many varieties when we were kids and I truly love them all, but my favorites are the big ones called Giants or State Fair like the ones above.  They remind me of dahlias.  I think I might even plant several varieties of those robust marigolds this year.  I appreciate that they bloom and bloom and never give up.  I like a flowers that works that hard and blooms so furiously!  As always, I will have my terra cotta pots of bright red geraniums on the front porch.  It's my tradition.  I like red.

The veggie gardens are in the back of my mind.  I will likely not plant those until sometime around Memorial Day.  It's still quite cold here overnight -- freezing or below -- so I cannot put out plants or start seedlings yet.  But I do have my onion sets bought and I am envisioning planting them along with  peas and lettuces before Memorial Day.  I am so ready for eating fresh, green lettuces like Peter Rabbit.  Yum!  I do have some lovely chives up, and I have been snipping them into various salads and salsas, even scrambled eggs -- sprinkling them like confetti.  Fresh.  Green.

We are expecting warmer days to come.  Warm 70 degree days!  Hurray!  You know where I'll be?  Diggin'.  You too?