Good morning, and the warm weather gardening season is officially, finally here. Welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging.
Denver's weather has been alternating between cool and warm for the past week. Last Saturday the high was only 56°; on Wednesday the high was 84°. Another cool front moved in last night so the forecast for the weekend is for highs staying in the 60s; by Tuesday, we may get into the 90s.
Overnight lows also are fluctuating — some nights staying in the mid-50s, other nights dipping down into the 40s.
But, at least, the lows have been nowhere near freezing.
And more of my oriental poppies have come into bloom, much to the amazement of the neighborhood. This variety is "Manhattan", a particular favorite — one woman calls them the watermelon poppies. I particularly like the accidental pairing with the giant alliums; those are bulbs which were planted years ago, then disappeared, and have now, somehow, started blooming again.
The other thing in the front yard garnering many appreciative comments is the thick row of blooming snap peas lining the front of the beds. Two years ago I did the same thing (last year I tried, but the planting wasn't thick enough and the seedlings died) and they were a great favorite; the parents of preschoolers, especially, like being able to grab a healthful snack on their neighborhood rambles.
It's a small and simple thing to do that brings pleasure to many. I'm still thinking about other plantings that might serve the same purpose later in the season — perhaps I'll expand my experimental planting of everbearing strawberries beyond the bed by the front porch and out to where they're reachable from the sidewalk.
If people admire the California or corn poppies, I let them know they are welcome to come by later and collect seeds; if they like the mat daisies or lavender or Missouri primrose, I'll offer to dig up a volunteer plant so they can take it with them.
Our gardens give us so many ways to be good neighbors costing little to nothing in dollars and effort. I try to live a life of kindness, and gardening makes it easier.
That's what's happening here. What's going on in your garden?