A Row of Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks 2012, a set on Flickr.

We've never really planned the front garden by the road; we just wanted to fill the space cus we didn't want to mow it. So over the years we'd just toss flower seeds of all types out there to see what they'd do. The hollyhocks have always been the happiest in that spot, and this year's crop is just about the best they could be. Take a look at the album and you'll see what I mean.

The Crunch of May

A gardener’s work is never done, but May is crunch-time. All the seeds ordered in January and all the little seedlings carefully nurtured under grow lights need to be planted in the ground. And it seems as though I work night and day to get everything planted. Oh, right: I am!

But May is also when some of my favorite things happen in the garden: the strawberries begin to ripen, the peonies bloom—oh, the peonies!—and the roses open their buds again, and we smell that smell!

We have an awesome rose hedge in front of the house. The plants came from Mike’s grandmother; he says that she was married by a hedge or under an arbor of these sweet flowers and took them home with her, where she promptly planted them and nurtured them her whole life. Mike’s brother took some plants when the farm was near its end, and now we’ve got some growing on our property. The photo shows “Grammie’s roses” and they smell absolutely luscious!