The night before Mother's Day (May 8th), it frosted. Mike's poor tomatoes and peppers did all survive, but they took a little hit. Peppers and tomatoes just don't like the cold. We're thinking next year they might take off better if we wait until it is really warm to plant.

Last weekend I finished my beautiful new shade garden.


Mike did an excellent job with the stone planter, and I made him cut some of the underbranches off the maple so you can actually see the house without getting a sense of claustrophobia. I love the way the coral bell blossoms look next to this hosta. I also planted some astilbes. The hostas and solomon's seal I already had. There are lily of the valley, Christmas fern, and toad lily bulbs in there, too.

My front flower bed is my next project. The tulips are gone (I pulled some of the foliage already-- it was still green but pulled out of the bulb easily-- not sure if I committed some serious tulip sin by getting rid of it early), and now there's not much cohesion to it. I already ripped out one daylily and mum. I think I need to divide a hosta and some irises so the long-established perennials don't take over. Reinstate some balance.

I really have no idea what I'm doing. :) But at least it's fun, and it's not life and death. I get plenty of life and death at work.

Other happy sights

my first blooming dahlia!

last bleeding hearts of the season

my new container planting

me and a rose