Being Marvelous Isn't Easy

Having beheld the wonders that constitute my garden, people naturally assume that much like Tantalus I am beloved of the gods, and was born with my incredible gardening skills.

While it is true that I am a gardening prodigy whose skills know no equal; nonetheless, I must still labor to create my my splendid plantations. This spring has, indeed, been one of gardening labor. As I've discussed in great detail, this winter was one not seen since woolly mammoths roamed the Earth. Consequently, I've had to do much work to get my garden up to its usually glorious standard.  Not only has it required Herculean labor, but it has also occasioned much mental anguish. Plants took beatings they may not recover from, ones usually up by now have yet to stir, and some may be gone completely. Such is the case with my stately bleeding heart, featured often on this blog. There is no sign of it even though many others from around the neighborhood are already 7 or 8 centimeters tall. Alas, I fear that its light may have been snuffed out.

 Luckily, other plants are, Rip Van Winkle-like, beginning to wake from their long slumbers. Below, is my sublime Climbing Hydrangea. After its slow growing youth, characteristic of its species, it has reached its quick growing adolescence. It nearly doubled in size last year, and I expect even greater things this year. Perhaps, we may even see its first bloom in a few months.

(Note: these aren't going to be the best pictures. My fiancée is leading a school trip to that sceptered isle Brittania, and she has the camera. I took these pictures with my iPhone. I remain confident that the incredible marvelousness of my plants will show through, regardless of the camera.)

A Peony rises, Kraken-like, from my freshly mulched bed. This Peony was newly planted from root last spring and didn't do much. It will be nice to watch its progression this year.

There it is, the most indefatigable of plants, my chive. Nothing can stop it. Like the hydra, taking cuttings to supply wonderful flavor only encourages it to grow more robustly.

What can I say, I love Astibles. Easy to grow, don't need much light, provide great color and stay in bloom for a long time. I have many. Peeking through is the most recent one that I planted and the only one that is up thus far. It is a white one that I planted near my Climbing Hydrangea, a shoot of which is visible in the background. I expect these to colossi to compliment each other well.

Below is a new addition. 

A couple of weeks ago a scrub meadow near me was cleared by the town to do work on a water culvert that runs though the area. Growing throughout the now cleared meadow, I noticed tufts of a beautiful purple tipped wild grass. My dog the Woo and I took a walk this morning and dug up a small tuft. Despite consulting my gardening tomes, I have as yet been unable to figure out exactly what it is. For all I know, it may be a common crab grass. Never the less, I highly enjoy the look of its blades, so for now, I have a beautiful new container addition to my marvelous garden.