Can't - wait - summer!

This was Emily's comment whenever we had filthy weather. However, today is glorious! It was 18 when I did my walk this morning, on the trail behind the Mall. Apparently we will have thundershowers this afternoon and evening. I think I must make an effort to put up some guy ropes on the greenhouse. I think the camping supplies should yield some things I could use for the purpose.
I did do a wander around the yard last evening and took some photos of growing progress - the most amazing thing is the Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum, probably). I planted it as a plant, so never saw it emerge in the spring - it comes up as a crazy-looking thing like the head of a snake, with all these folded-up leaves - which then gradually unfurl to overhanging branches with the little white flowers dangling in pairs along the stem. There's a white anenome out today, and a little arabis I planted by the stone steps last year is bloomin' lovely - very tiny so far, though.



The candytuft (Iberis) is coming out - I now regret that I pulled it apart last year as there are only two or three tiny ones versus the huge mat that it was last spring. But it was getting overgrown, and now that I know better I shall be pruning back after flowering this year, and they'll be more tidy plants.
The one surviving Nelly Moser clematis is coming along well. I am going to keep my eye on it - it's just under the bird feeder and there are sunflowers in plenty sprouting all around it. It's at the south end of the deck. The Samuel Holland climbing rose is just around the corner from it. I fear we may have to re-do the deck railings sometime soon - the deck, being made of cedar, is fine - and then the climbers may be challenged. I think I should make an obelisk for the clematis, at least. The rose is nowhere near ready to be tied to the deck rails at the moment.
I planted sweet peas in pots, and they are sprouting now - put them out in the deck greenhouse for the moment, as they are stretching quite a bit. Must organize more shelves for the greentent this weekend.
As of the end of May I am being laid off at work - and I don't go back until the end of September. Money-saving plan by the Corp. Aah well, I shall have plenty of time to garden. And I'm looking into the "pension-at-sixty" thing as well. That's only next June, after all.

It's Maintenance Time

All the garden work is settled for now - I am weeding and deadheading, and simply enjoying what comes out every day. This week it's the first of the daylilies: it's a peachy-coloured one the name of which I have forgotten. It's quite prolific, however; having been split up and replanted a few years ago, it's grown into huge bunches. There is one of the burgundy ones from Red Lane Gardens out today as well. Must go get a photo.

I've begun painting the south side of the house - we have scraped it all and removed most of the loose caulking. Since replacing that's Fred's job, I started painting one shingle away from the caulking areas, and when he's done it I'll go back and paint. The caulking has to cure for 72 hours before painting, so I thought I had better get the main part painted so there will just be the edge bits to do. The weather has continued rainy by times, so I squeak in time to paint between showers! The colour is bordeaux, a gorgeous dark burgundy (Behr stain, actually), but oddly enough it goes on a pretty bright purple. Dries quickly to the right shade, though. And it's easy to see where to put more! The shingles on the south are in quite bad shape, partially because they are so baked by the sun on that side - in other, hotter, years, I mean. So there is much filling in of cracks between shingles with a tiny paintbrush - they get worn out pretty quickly in this work. However, with the dark colour, the unpainted bits betweek shingles, shingle edges, etc., show up ghastly against the colour. And the regular brush just doesn't get IN there.

The big pot of sweet peas have begun to bloom! And they are just as fragrant as memory made them. I've only picked one to bring in to the house, so far, but I DO stop and smell them on the deck each time I go by. Mmm.