A Glorious April in Maine

This is the eight spring I have experienced in Maine and certainly the best. March was a record breaking rainy month but April continues to be filled with sun and more warmth than usual. I have been loving it and am able to spend hours outside working nearly every day.

I finally developed the flowerbed near the road and sidewalk as you drive into my property. I was given five rugosa rose bushes last fall and had them staged in a garden bed awaiting my plan to put them in this flower bed. The forsythia bush planted in 2009 is healthy and flowering now. There is a culvert under the road at this point so much of this flowerbed is filled with stones for drainage.  I dug many of them and piled in the center and brought in several wagon loads of garden soil so I could plant the rugosa roses on the left side.  I also added some liastris bulbs  that will bloom later in the summer and transplanted some tiger lilies. Hopefully this will be a low maintenance and colorful flowerbed from now on.

I couldn't resist adding another photo of the magnolia tree that graces the yard so beautifully at this time of year with its fragrant white flowers. Yes, that is my trusty 1992 Oldsmobile near it!

I have on occasion, but not for the past two years, landed a free dump truck of wood chips from a local tree service. My prayers have been answered again for I just acquired a load of fresh oak chips and have begun to spread them in garden paths, as mulch around trees and bushes, etc. Two photos below show such use. I plan to use most of them between garden beds in the Field Garden. The five dwarf fruit trees are all looking healthy and starting to show some budding and flowering so I am hopeful that this year will bring some peaches, pears and apples.

The remaining two photos show the blooming weeping cherry tree overhanging the garden pond and another showing some blooming hyacinths on the edge of the Peace and Joy flower bed.  The tulips are starting to bloom now and the endless daffodils, hyacinth, jonquils and creeping flocks add color throughout the flowerbeds.

As to vegetable crops...I have now planted 100 feet of potatoes, including Yukon Gold, Kennebec, and Red Nordland varieties. I also have 100 feet of onions sets in as well, red, white and yellow varieties. Some peas are planted too.  I have now planted more seeds indoors for late May garden planting, including: winter and summer squash, watermelon and cantaloupe, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, cabbage and marigolds. The previously planted tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, leeks, tomatillos, green, red and various hot peppers are all doing well under grow lights.

The strawberries are all looking good and the first asparagus spears are almost ready for picking!  I can also report that I now have two cords of wood cut, split and stacked for next winter. I want to have three plus cords so will keep at it to complete that task before mid-May when the full focus on gardening occurs and the weather gets a bit warm for wood splitting.  Oh yes, lawn mowing has begun!