Pictures of May

I think May is our best month in the Spirit Gardens. Although we had an early visit from army worms this year, our relocation program (removing them by hand to the far reaches of the property) seems to have suited them fine. And the rain coupled with cool mornings and evenings has given many of our new additions time to adapt and make themselves comfortable.



Here is a picture taken in late April. Notice the squash plants in the foreground, with their second set of true leaves, just beginning to crawl.



And here, just two weeks later! Squash is such an impressive plant, with it's huge, hairy leaves, big hollow stalks, and crepey yellow-orange flowers.



Before we even got a change to miss having little tomatoes around, they sprouted themselves from the compost pile. Some of you may remember that last year we lost a good deal of the crop to aforementioned army worms, and apparently our pile didn't get hot enough to cook those half-eaten fruits' seeds. I present to you the tenacious Silvery Fur Tree bush tomato...



Ms. Anna's glorious garden shed, almost complete. You can see in the one corner there's just a bit of concrete and mortar left to pour between the urbanite blocks, and along the back wall a few more boards to tack up. Then it will be a functioning lean-to, and will become a shed when we get around to making the front wall. These things take time.



Swiss Chard. Can't be beat. He's presently sharing a bed with creeping thyme and cinnamon basil.



And just to show that we're not ALL business, a coleus, for beauty. (He is nestled between catnip, for tea, and milkweed and parsley for the butterflies, though; gardens must be USEFUL you know...)



Finally, a last look, as you're leaving the garden, heading back through the arches. You can even see my son's little foot in the lower left-hand corner. Patient boy, waiting in the shade, watching the bees and butterflies and wind in the trees as I putter.