Favourite Gardening Books

 The other day, Mama Pea posted about her garden and mentioned pretending to be Ruth Stout, planting her potatoes I think. And that made me think of how I hadn’t read ( or re-read) my copy of Ruth’s book, How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back in quite a while. 

I used to read this book every year when I’d get the gardening itch, but it was still too early to do anything. 

This soft cover book might be my favourite gardening book even though it was first published in 1955. If I’ve read it once, I’ve read it maybe 12 times. Ruth gardened in Connecticut, creating ridiculously huge vegetable beds considering she didn’t really know what she was doing. But I love reading about her disasters and her successes. Ruth, in the end, waxes poetic about zero till and to just mulch deeply and continuously. It sounds tempting but I just can’t go that route. I love my rototiller too much. Also, who can access that much rotten hay???

I have lots of gardening books.

That’s just a little portion of the bottom shelf of the bookshelf that husband built.

The Burpee book of perennials was one of my first. I poured over the pages and checked off the plants I obtained over the years. Some still grow here, others are long gone. I never could successfully grow astilbe! 

Fellow Canadians may recognize this oldie but goody! I read this over and over again, too

Another Canadian go-to, this wonderful book shows the gorgeous perennial gardens up on the Bruce Penninsula called Larkwhistle that I actually visited. It is set up so you see month by month what is blooming and how the two gardeners combined plants. I don’t think Larkwhistle exists anymore but it was very inspiring. 

Do you have any favourite gardening books? Thanks Mama Pea for reminding me of Ruth Stout. I’ll be reading her book in bed tonight!

A quick storm

 We sat on the porch with after supper coffees ( decaf for me) and enjoyed the rumbling thunder, odd lightning flash and a nice steady rain. Then the gods decided to turn it up a notch and the winds picked up ( REALLY picked up) and the rain turned diagonal and the hail started. I had a quick peak at the weather apps to see if there was a tornado warning. 

And then it stopped and this happened.

Her’s the other end.

The skies still looked like this but the sun was breaking through.

I do like a good storm. Right now I hear the peacocks calling from down the road and the crows cawing. 

Today could have been a very bad day, but it turned out fine. I may write about it, I may not. But right now it is fine. 

June 6, 2024

 Spent a big part of the day planting my urns, pots, and window boxes. No pictures of those because they are in that “ I just got planted and I’m not big enough yet and I’m a little traumatized “ look about them.

I can’t let June get by without a couple more flower posts. No need to comment, I’m just sharing what makes me contented.

Variegated wegielia.

Hansa rose

“White” peonies

Pink peonies

Gas plant in front of purple sand cherry

The sublime gorgeousness of Johnson’s blue cranesbill ( and the photo never quite captures the essence of blue). 

And to round it out…

June the first!

 Today was absolutely lovely- hot but not too hot. June is the prettiest month with so many perennials coming into bloom. Currently the Siberian irises as well as the bearded irises are blooming. I don’t have nearly the amount of bearded irises as I used to. I had dug out a lot and sold them at yard sales years ago as the were taking over and now I sporadic clumps.

I also have deep purple and light yellow bearded irises. 

As well, the lovely iridescent at twilight centaurea also known as cornflower is in bloom. 

The weigelia is just starting. 

The purple salvia is crawling with bees. 

This hosta called Barbara Ann is stunningly huge. 

And finally, my cranesbill which never fails me, providing swaths of colour, is also just starting. 

Today I spent a lot of time weeding, much of which involved digging out tall grass that was growing in amongst perennials in different beds. It’s painstaking work but so satisfying when done. I think tomorrow I might buy annuals to go in my urns, pots, and window boxes. I think I’m going for a variety of colours rather than limiting myself to a colour scheme. I just feel like I want a riot of colour this year!