The Last Day

of the gardening vacation, that is. Despite the heat and humidity, I tidied up at least some of the open loops. The new raised bed is now planted with tomatoes, eggplant, parsley and basil, plus the annual flowers I raised from seed: cosmos, cleome, tithonia, calendula, bronze fennel.

 

Above,the seedlings ready to be launched.

 

Here, the raised bed planted with the tiny things.

The cutting garden opposite has been planted with zinnias from the Rappahannock Adult Activities' Mayfest (such a deal, and for a good cause), plus the dahlias Martha passed along. I must confess that they were gallantly growing in the dark of the shed when I found them a month ago and potted them up. Who could resist such courage? Some are marked "salmon" and some are marked "?."

More dahlias, cosmos and tithonia are planted along the walkway garden for what I fear will be a riot of color once they all bloom.

In the back corner, the hydrangeas have been planted and about half of the bed has been covered with newspaper and mulch and well watered in.

 

Ran out of mulch (and time and energy) but plan next weekend to finish up the bed and install some hostas.

If I had yet another week? Definitely, pruning the overgrown box, pruning the honeysuckle (after it blooms and releases its heavenly aroma, then death to it), edging the cutting garden and the shrub border, grubbing out more ivy... It goes on and on. As Margaret Roach says of the May gardening list, scream or cry??