Gardens and Butterflies and Flowers... oh my!

There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling. ~Mirabel Osler

Today, it's raining and I'm actually quite happy about that. Nothing better than a soft, steady rain after planting all kinds of new stuff. Really gives them a good start to life.

Yesterday I planted my veggie garden. Not a wide variety of stuff -- partly because my family doesn't eat a wide variety of stuff, and partly because the growing season is pretty short here, and partly because the stuff I DO like, I love (!!) like tomatoes, and want lots of them.

Our garden has: 22 tomato plants (12 Jet Star, 6 Sweet 100s, 4 yellow heirloom that I started from the seeds of a tomato from last year), 10 cucumber plants (all burpless European type), 4 yellow squash, uncountable green beans and peas and carrots. I have a small space that is yet unplanted and unplanned... should I do radishes? Chard? Spinach? Peppers don't grow well here, they are always small and difficult. Any suggestions? It's a spot about 2 x 3 feet.

Here is the garden (doesn't look like much, does it? And, that spot with the white fencing on it is the empty spot.):



The rhubarb, as always, is ridiculously healthy. Sure wish I had lots of people nearby to share it with. Most of it ends up going to waste as I can only use so much rhubarb!



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I saw my first "real" butterfly yesterday (not counting the one we released -- though I haven't seen her again): a tiger swallowtail!



That means things are really starting to wake up. I still don't have host plants for the black swallowtail babies. My rue is starting to grow, but is tiny. NO parsley has come back yet, nor dill. The carrots are so small as to be nearly microscopic... I hope the butterflies don't get too ahead of themselves!!

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I took a few pictures of my actual flowers yesterday.

The striped impatiens that I couldn't find a picture of:



The pink and black (which, upon closer observation is pink and really dark pink) petunia:



DD admiring her garden (she's the prettiest flower I have, and I get to look at her year round... and even better -- she never fades!):



The phlox around my culvert ... it's so gorgeous this time of year!!:



My little planters for the front of the house:



Fred the frog in my hosta garden:


Dakota, certain there is a chipmunk in the burn pile (there IS, but it's not going to come out to prove it):


And, for my mom -- MOM! Look what the lilac did this year. Finally! Only one, but it's a start (wish you were here to see it):



By the time winter comes, you guys are going to be bored to tears while I gush about my flowers :-)

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But, since today it is raining -- I'm going to WRITE!! I have to help Judy with a short story she wants to submit and then I'm going to work on the changes I need to make to Stiller Creek. And maybe tinker with a short for a new market Judy told me about, which I would share with you but don't have the link handy.... sorry. It's a magazine that does short, romantic fiction. *sigh* I'll share when I find the info!!

What are you doing today?

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