My Garden Notebook - May 2012

It is May 1, and I am documenting my garden on the first of every month.


Each year is different than another just as each month is different than another. April seemed to fluctuate in temperature and weather conditions just as much as most of the months in 2012 thus far. We did have a few weeks without rain which slowed growth a bit, and I used up all of the water in the rain barrels. Finally, last week we got some much needed rain. And rain has been coming every few days since. All the plants and trees are bursting with growth as a result.

stats

Gardening Zone: 7a
April High Temperature: 93 degrees F
April Low Temperature: 42 degrees F


Precipitation: 1.65 inches

wildlife

It is spring, and there is a lot of life around the garden. Birds are singing, laying eggs, and feeding young. I have discovered several nests in and around the garden and a few fledglings being fed by parents.


I put up this decorative birdhouse and within days the bluebirds were building a nest. If you look closely, you can see mama peering out the opening.

The nestlings are still very young.

One of the parents would often perch on the birdhouse to claim it. If you look closely, he or she has some nibbles for the little ones in the beak.

Walking in the woods I came upon a cardinal fledgling. It would sometimes call to its parents but mostly kept very, very still while I was around.

In the nest in the backyard, one of the chickadees fledged.

I had never seen a robin fledgling until a few days ago. They have a fine ticking on the breast feathers before it changes to that lovely red breast.

The geese have five goslings.

Many of the birds have been using the birdbath. Here is a robin cooling off.

And a Red Admiral butterfly stopped by to show me how beautiful he/she is.

The hummingbirds have been here for a few weeks, but it is most recently that they have been more active around the garden.

the vegetable garden

With the warmer weather, I was able to plant things earlier than normal. There were a few cold nights, but I covered the plants with pots or the tarps, and they are doing fine. This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago when I had the Wall o' Water around some of the tomato plants.

This photo was taken a day or so ago. Things have grown and filled out a bit more. I placed rocks around some of the peppers to absorb heat in the day and release it at night.

In the garden:


kale, lettuce, spinach, chard, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, snowpea, asparagus, zucchini, squash, strawberry, raspberry.


Some of the tomatoes are fruiting. This is Better Bush variety.

The strawberries and raspberries are fruiting.

blooms, sprouts


All of the roses are blooming.

Knock-out Roses

The cottage garden is coming alive with early blooms.

I have added all of the annual herbs to the herb garden, such as basil.


In the herb garden:


basil, sage, parsley, chamomile, tarragon, oregano, dill, cilantro, thyme, savory, lavender, rosemary, apple mint, chocolate mint (mints are in pots)

completed chores

trimmed boxwoods
weeded garden beds
edged garden beds
mulched garden beds
planted  more amaranth, anise hyssop, echinacea in the cottage garden
planted geraniums, gerbera daisies in containers.

chores for May

Because of the fluctuations in temperature, I decided not to plant some of the more tender vegetables and annuals. Perhaps May will be a better time to plant them.


sow bean and okra seeds
sow cypress vine and moonflower seeds
trim Carolina jessamine vines
stake remaining tomato plants


inspirations


There is so much to inspire in the garden--blooms, new growth, new life. I have been working very hard to ready the garden for spring, but there were those moments when I stopped to listen to the mating call of the cardinal, breathed in the fragrance of the roses as they permeated the air, and watched a mother bird tenderly feed her young. These are only a few of the reasons I garden, and I am never disappointed.

Rose - Joseph's Coat

What is in your garden notebook?


I will be linking this post to the following blogs:

Helen of The Patient Gardener hosts End of Month View. This monthly meme is where garden bloggers share their garden views for the end of the month.

Also, Town Mouse Country Mouse hosts First Views. This monthly meme offers an opportunity for garden bloggers to share their garden first views for the month.


The Gardening Blog hosts Garden Bloggers Harvest Day on the 5th of every month. See what others are harvesting all over the world.

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Thank you to all of those who participated in The Earth Day Reading Project. I will do a post later in the month with all of the books and blogs from the project. A particular theme emerged early on, and it was interesting to see what books were selected.


And thank you to those who voted for The Sage Butterfly as the Top Gardening Blog on eCollege Finder. Congratulations to my fellow nominees and fellow blogger friends: Gardens Eye View, PlantPostings, The Galloping Gardener, Three Dogs in a Garden, Ewa in the Garden, A Plant Fanatic in Hawaii, A Charlotte Garden, Roses and Other Gardening Joys, My Secret Garden, Sunray Gardens, Tootsie Time and all of the other nominees. I think you all deserve top honors! Visit these fine blogs for wonderful gardening experiences and tips.


I also want to thank Petro Neagu of The Seaman Mom for nominating me for The Versatile Blogger Award. I am very grateful for the nomination. Since I have been nominated before, you can visit here to see what my responses were.

© copyright 2012 Michelle A. Potter