The busiest time of year for the gardener may be May! And so it went here with marathon plantings and the beginnings of my first harvest in a new garden. Seeds sown on March 2nd were of various cool crops, now almost 3 months to the day, the harvest is tremendous. Only 2 are still growing and may or may not work; cabbage and broccoli aren't ready yet, and so goes my experiment with what might need a low tunnel and earlier sowing next year.
Salads rule the day and I especially like the nasturtium petals in the mix with just a little bite, but not as strong as the foliage with its strong and spicy mustard taste. The sweet peas rarely make it into the house, note to self - sow more. Collard greens are also something I want to add to my garden for next year, after making collard greens and loving them.
The meadow planting is filled with about 250 plugs of native plants, the last were planted this past week. All seem to be taking a hold well and there will be plenty of photographs. The bed is on the moist side, so some of my choices were filipendula (Queen of the Prairie), veronicastrum (Culver's Root), monarda (Bee Balm), asclepias (Butterfly Weed), Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), and eutochrium (Joe Pye Weed).
Other small beds are full of perennials that were moved from Aldie, plus a few new ones that will function as pollinator gardens with a mix for cut flowers. I was quick to add Scabiosa 'Fama' for cutting, maybe the most beautiful flower in the world! Even the buds are gorgeous!
Here's just a smattering of others, a real mix of ornament, vegetable, and wildflower;
This was also the month for my granddaughters 6th birthday. As one of her grandmothers, also known as "light haired grandma", it is such a joy to see her more often, we live only an hour away now. My brilliant daughter held another perfect party, I was just lazy with the photographs. To record the day I offer this single photograph as she blew out her candles, and you can see that she is growing into a beautiful little girl with lots of poise (although some days we say "spunk").
Lastly I held another "Sista's Weekend" which was a blast! The house is perfect for these gatherings as I now have enough bedrooms and bathrooms for everyone to have their own. Of course we stayed up late and laughed like crazy. The husband spent the nights in the cabin, the perfect man cave, so all went very well. The youngest sister took the photograph, so she isn't in it, but indeed she was here.
So May was the month of family, gardens, and fun. There was still time for some art and that will be covered very soon since I have to deliver the new pieces shortly.
Lastly, I want to remember those that have died, loved ones we knew this Memorial Day Weekend in serving the country. I lost a cousin in Vietnam and my son just found out that another Marine who served with him just committed suicide (the second that he served with). Embrace your family, enjoy your weekend, but take a moment to remember those we have lost.