Garden Day Today!

Today is a garden day for me. The shop isn't open on Mondays, so a sunny Monday is just what I hope for. Today, the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing gently, and the temp will begin rising from 45 to about 70 by late afternoon. A perfect day!

This photo is from last summer - the white flowering plant near the bird bath is Valerian. You can see the arc of two of the labyrinth walking paths a little to the left. I have finally decided that the Valerian must all be moved from inside the labyrinth to a bed that is just outside of the labyrinth. Already it's more than 2 feet tall & I know it will be 7 or 8 feet tall by the time it flowers in mid-summer. It's just too big to live inside of a walking labyrinth. So, I'll be transplanting it. I think it will make a exquisite wall around the outer path, so it's actually a bit exciting to me!

In fact, I'm sure that I have more plants than I need, so if any of you are local & want to stop by today for a Valerian or 2, please do - just come on around back. I'll also have some Great Burdock (Actium lappa) that could go home with someone. You have to be a courageous gardener to have Burdock in your garden. It's huge! Small children like to use a leaf for a parasol! I always let a few plants mature, so that I'm sure to have more each year. I'll be digging some roots today for the vegetable bin!

I'm sure I'll also be doing some weeding - some unidentified, rapid-growing, chrysanthymum leaf-looking busy-body came in on a load of mulch a few years ago & I'm STILL pulling it out by the armful every Spring. Grrr.

There is a beautiful clump of volunteer Greater Celandine in flower - my plan is to dig it out & use it for the dye-pot. As pretty as it is, it selected the spot in the garden where the lovely tissue-paper poppies live. My MIL planted them 30 years ago & so I'm very protective of them. The poppies don't really like to share space & they don't like to be moved, so the Celandine must come out of that spot. That might wait until next week, though.

Green blessings,

Sarah