It turns out, April showers really do bring May flowers! I’ve always wanted a cutting garden and have added a few varieties every year. The peonies are my favorite, but my new David Austin roses are giving them a run for their money. If you’re trying to establish an easy flower garden, try peonies, roses, and coreopsis–they all come back every year and make excellent bouquets in the spring.
The coolest thing about growing potatoes in planters is that you can keep a close eye on them. I’m going to let them go until they flower, but for now, I’m checking for new potatoes close to the surface. Lots of gardeners say that this is fine to do as long as you’re careful and don’t injure the plants.
I didn’t want to dig too far, so I stopped when I got five egg-sized spuds.
Here’s a video, in case you want to see how I did it:
This is my first foray into the notion of companion gardening. It seems that marigolds are good for repelling beetles and other pests from kale and tomato plants–both of which I planted in my first garden bed. I’m trying to incorporate as many natural solutions in the garden as possible and this was a particularly pretty one. You can’t really tell by the photo, but it’s drizzling this morning and just cold enough to make my fingers tingly.
An added bonus to planting marigolds is that they are edible. I’m looking forward to using some as garnishes, in salads, and on cakes.
Charlie's Garden 