Staying grounded

While life hasn't been coming up roses, the garden has been thriving. I've been digging into the dirt for a little distraction. Here's how my garden grows this spring …

This is my first year with everbearing strawberries. I learned an early lesson when some bunny chomped down half of one plant. The marigold guards are doing their job now. While writing this post, I labeled this photo "strawberry marigold" and I had a déjà vu moment. I realized that it was a song called Strawberry Marigold (♪) by Joydrop.

Cover me in fire
Drop me down to the deepest darkest ocean
So I never have to feel that way again
Colour on the carpet seven eyes on the ceiling
There's a feeling that comes over you
When you know that
Something has changed forever
Don't lose your wings 'til you learn
How to sing yourself to sleep
I know it seems funny but
Maybe we just said goodbye
I feel strange enough to cry
Strawberry marigold smile …

I went out this morning to get some new photos of our Hawthorne tree. It's in full bloom and quite beautiful. The bees thought so, too. Or at least they found it mighty tasty as I tried to sneak in for a photo.

Like this cucumber, all the veggies went back into planters this year. I surrounded them all with marigolds to keep the critters away. Also planted: Sweet 100 cherry and Early Girl tomatoes in the Topsy Turvies; Beefmaster tomato, onions, chives, sweet pepper, green bell peppers, spinach seeds, peppermint, spearmint, basil seedlings, cilantro and parsley.

The Sensation lilac is the clear winner among the new lilac shrubs this year. I'm not sure how a completely white flower bunch showed up on a branch though.

Miss Kim gets some props for being a late bloomer though so we have some fragrant lilacs into June.

The Asiatic lilies are totally overcrowding in the planter and I probably should have divided them around the yard early this spring. But I'll still get some blooms so there they stay. Coleus will not have a home here this year.

I've had some yellow daylilies bloom. This pink daylily will pop later.

If you've gotten this far in this post, maybe you're willing and flower-savvy enough to answer a question. Can you name this flower shrub above? It blooms every year but most of the flowers are at the base. The leaves vary from bright green to dark red-green. It almost looks like two different plants in one. It grows rather erratically no matter how nicely I trim it in late summer after the bloom are gone. I keep it because it handles drought pretty well. But I wish the flowers would pop on top.

Just two more flowers to end this post ... geranium and lily gifts from my family, my rock in life.