GARDEN DIARY

Garden Diary. Oh, to have enough time at the end of my gardening day to record my activities in a journal. If I had done that last year after I planted my purchases from the native plant sale, I would have some inkling of what I bought. I was smart enough to plant everything in one garden bed and I placed the name tag beside each plant. Well, the tags are still there but all the information on those tags disappeared over the winter. In the grand scheme of things is it that important to know the name of every plant in my garden. Of course not, unless, of course , I want to research their growing habits or identify them for my garden visitors. It's a little embarassing when I have to keep saying, "I can't think of the name right now" or "I don't know".

So, what have I done in the garden recently? A fellow gardener was kind enough to share her overabundance of nigella, "love in a mist", plants and seeds. I planted those plus transplanted blue-eyed grass, deptford pinks, amaranthus, morning glory vines. and gentian. I fertilized all my containers. I found a plant with orange flowers hiding behind some milk weed. I sure hope it's butterfly weed. I've been trying to grow that for a number of years. It's been a real pain trying to keep my Heliopolis free of aphids. So far, with the aid of my trusty water hose I'm keeping them at bay.

I'm bummed that my garden doesn't attract more butterflies and hummingbirds. Today, a monarch did fly through..don't know why he didn't hang around. I've had a hummingbird at the feeder intermittently. It always startles me when I catch a glimpse out of the corner of my eye.

A couple of days ago I discovered a dragonfly attached to a piece of garden furniture, what a strange sight!