Getting Started in the Garden

It is officially spring here and I know this because last night I heard the frogs! There are some wonderful ponds in our neighborhood and I have come to LOVE the nostalgic sound of the frogs chirping away. That isn't the only reason I know it is spring: little sprouts of kale, spinach, lettuce and radishes are all popping up in the vegetable garden, the plum tree at the back of the yard is in blossom, and there are stoic daffodils blooming sporadically around the lot as well...Spring!

Along with the wonders of Spring, here in the Pacific Northwest, we also get the rains and the mud--not quite so wondrous but it seems to keep the plants happy.  This year, almost every bit of gardening and yard work has the pending Wedding as consideration.  I catch myself tucking nasturtium and calendula seeds into places I didn't think about last year and walking around the backyard with

my imagination running on hyper-speed wondering what to do about the slope, the shade, the muddy patches where the neighbor's dog likes to slide when chasing her ball--just as we noticed the blemishes and realities of our home's inside, the garden is unintentionally showing off her flaws as well!

Of course, our celebration is not going to be in the lush abundance of Spring or early Summer, but in hottest part of an Oregon August.  There will not be any mud and the big, old walnut trees will provide dappled light and adequate shade--or at least, that is the hope!  Our perennial and annual plantings are very much geared toward what will be in full bloom or provide fun foliage in the late summer: sunflowers, daisies, calendula, nasturtium, gladiolas, daylilies, gallardia, herbs and natural wildflowers.  It is a bit of a challenge to try to enjoy the evolving seasons through the garden as I normally do and to keep an eye toward the part of year when I normally become a lazy and haphazard gardener. It is also fun to have such a wonderful canvas to play with in preparation for a Summer of focused celebration!