Hubby and I had been trying so hard to get everything cleaned up before it rained but alas, we were not able to get it all accomplished. It has rained a lot here. They've not been bad rains, not like rivers or anything, but rather constant, yet, oh my!!! The last two days have been warm and the garden has absolutely gone wild. Everything we planted last week is popping up through the dirt with smiling faces. I walk around the garden oooohing and aahhhing in bewilderment at how it could all be growing so fast and so beautifully.
I did get a little of my herb garden tilled up and planted but it still needs some major hoeing and with all the rain I'll probably have to till again! One of my lemon verbena plants and one of the pineapple sage plants came back this year. These two herbs are tender perennials and I was tickled that they had made it through the Winter. Two of the purple sage plants survived as well. I love growing purple sage. It's not only as tasty as regular garden sage but beautiful as well. The two marshmallow plants are almost 2 feet high and very attractive looking.
I grow painted daisies in the center of my herb garden around the birdbath and they have actually self seeded in my lavender bed. How exciting!! Growing painted daisies in the garden adds spring and summer color from a compact 1 ½- to 2 ½- foot plant. Painted daisy perennials are the perfect height for those hard to fill middle spots in the garden when early spring blooms are dying back. Painted daisy care is simple when they’re planted in the right soil and location. Growing painted daisies is a good way to keep harmful pests out of the garden too. Painted Daisies repel many bad bugs and browsing animals that are prone to munching on your valuable plants. Repellant properties are so beneficial that petals of the white variety are dried and used in the organic insecticide Pyrethrum. Growing painted daisies in select areas of the garden can deter pests from surrounding plants. Pests and the painted daisy plant don’t normally exist in the same area, although young plants may occasionally be bothered by aphids or leaf miners. Treat with a soapy spray or neem oil if you see these insects.
The lettuces in the hotbox are magnificent specimens. They are definitely ready for the salad bowl.
There's still a lot to do and never enough time but always, always, always, this time of year keeps me smiling!!