helwen

It's been nice just hanging out in the backyard, sometimes doing "nothing". My shade garden is doing well (lower right corner as you look down the backyard); the sweet woodruff is in bloom, and the motherwort is looking happy. The bleeding hearts add a nice bit of color and seem to be working well competition-wise with the pacchy and other plants. The rose campion is also doing well. The creeping myrtle (vinca minor) is blooming behind the print shop, and the hosta in both spots are doing well.

In the sunnier areas, I've managed to re-group most of the soapwort, but of course bits and pieces of it can be found in different places in the yard. Found some by one of the roses of sharon the other day... That one will stay when we eventually move, but I'm hopeful on bringing most of it from the other spot with us. The artemisia (silvermound) is also doing well, and the lilies and daylilies as well. The lovage had babies again this year. The alecost and lady's bedstraw are doing their thing, getting taller. I'm thinking about building a little form for the bedstraw, as it's fond of leaning on things.

8 pea plants have come up, so I stuck a few more seeds in today (I'd like to have at least 10). We have our first strawberries forming. Hopefully the birds will be reasonable and I won't have to net the area to keep them out. I don't mind sharing a few, but... rest of the veggies seem to be fine too.

No sign of any echinacea. I'll be getting some existing ones from

islenskr, who has so generously offered some of hers, and perhaps some other herbs as well. I may plant a few seeds in a pot though, just to see if I can get them to started under more controlled circumstances indoors. Happily, the chamomile have started to make an appearance!

****
This morning I hand-watered whatever looked to need it, using water from the rain barrel for all but the few plants on the front porch!

****
Planted seed for carrots, kentucky pole beans, and wax beans this afternoon. The spinach seeds I keep forgetting have to soak overnight, so they're in a bowl of water now.

If anyone wants pics of any of the above, let me know and I'll take some to put up.