Welcome to Garden Blogger's Bloom Day for April 2021. Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, we'll begin with my obsession of spring -- the violas, pansies, and violets. This particular pansy is a 'Frizzle Sizzle' which is my new favorite variety. I love the ruffles, the distinctive markings, the faces! And yes, I am one of "those gardeners" who lets the wild violets go wild in her garden. Is that all the Viola sp.? No, that's not all! At the local … [Read more...] about Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – April 2021
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Book Spine Poetry – Gardener’s Edition
In honor of National Poetry Month, which is every April, I present some book spine poetry, gardener's edition. I just learned about book spine poetry which was originally created by the artist Nina Katchadourian in 1993. Now it is a "thing" as they say, with memes devoted to it and pictures of the poems all over the internet. My contributions are all stacks of gardening books I have around my house. The general idea is to go through your books, or those of someone you know, and … [Read more...] about Book Spine Poetry – Gardener’s Edition
New Terms for Gardens
If I say "garden", who knows what kind of garden comes to mind? Vegetable garden? Flower garden? Botanical garden? Community Garden? Wouldn't it be great if we had multiple words for "garden" to help make it clearer which kind of garden we are referring to? For example, a vegetable garden could be come an earden, short-hand gardener talk for "edible garden." ("Hey Carol, why not call it a varden?" Because a varden is a garden that is full of varmits like rabbits, moles, chipmunks, and … [Read more...] about New Terms for Gardens
First Mowing and a Garden Visitor!
My thoughts wandered, as they often do when I am mowing the lawn, but they came into sharp focus just as I was mowing the last little section in the front. By the way, I generally wait as long as possible in the spring before mowing the back lawn because of the flowers I've planted in that lawn over the years. The crocuses have finished flowering, but the Glory of the Snow are in their prime. Fingers-crossed that they are still blooming for the big Easter egg hunt. I suspect they will … [Read more...] about First Mowing and a Garden Visitor!
Daffodils
I'm not a big fan of daffodils. I can take 'em or leave 'em, as they say. "Really, Carol? Because it looks like you've been mostly taking them and now you have quite a few blooming around your garden." Well, yes, there do seem to be quite a few daffodils here and there. "And it's not just the same ones over and over. You actually have several varieties, it seems." Yes, but if I can't remember all the variety names, do they count? "You know they count. Fess up, Carol. You … [Read more...] about Daffodils
Mother Nature Would Like to Remind You
Did you dream all winter about how lovely your garden was going to be this spring and summer? All the pretty flowers, the perfect vegetables, the song birds singing. I sure did. I always do! There's something about winter and snow and cold to give a gardener illusions (delusions?) of how in the spring their garden will once and for all become the very definition of perfection. It will be a paradise of your own making. And then Mother Nature reminds you... There are going to be some … [Read more...] about Mother Nature Would Like to Remind You
