Garden Happy

basil seedling

Sitting in the sun with my husband, looking over the evidence of our recent garden work, I said, "I know I could be happy without a yard, but I'm thankful that I do have a place to garden."

He said, "You would not be happy without a yard." Well, maybe he knows more than I do. I hope I don't have to test our hypotheses anytime soon, because I want to be around to see how many basil plants survive their transplanting stress.

Why is it that one can't buy single basil seedlings anymore? They are always growing in a bunch, obviously from five or six seeds dropped into one hole -- or sometimes more like 20 seeds.

iris opening

Yesterday I bought two six-packs of the 5-bunch type, and ended up setting out plants in 40 different spots. I started out by carefully pulling off one little plant at a time, trying not to tear the roots as they separated their tiny fingers. It's like disrupting a group of siblings who have always slept in the same bed, and forcing them apart to different homes, never to be united again, just so they can grow up -- alone. I'm glad I didn't think of it so sentimentally at the time.

After a while I ran out of room and planted some groupings as they were, or in twos and threes. Maybe I'll find out that basil does fine even if large families live in one room. They all look remarkably healthy today. Though at 1:00 when I took the picture, they sun hadn't got to them yet.

I'd also like to see the rest of the cobalt Dutch iris emerge from their buds. It's always curious to me how they bloom immediately after I cut the last of the lavender-and-yellow sort in the bed right next to them.
 

The yellow California poppies come back every year in this spot and hang over the sidewalk. Nowadays there is a big salvia bush named Hot Lips behind them, which looks very pretty.

I admired the chives that my husband suggested we plant many years ago when we had to re-do the whole backyard. They don't require much maintenance, and keep providing nice greens for the eye and the kitchen, and at this time of year, pretty purple flowers to be seen close-up while we are sitting on the swing. Lambs Ears and Pincushion Flower are behind them in the picture below.

And the tomatoes! Mr. Glad and I set out ten plants yesterday, which is the most we've ever had in this yard. Because we are going to be away during midsummer, I didn't want to plant any vegetables other than tomatoes and basil, which meant that we could fit in more tomatoes. When they start bearing I'll give a report with the names of the winners. We are determined to get a good crop of tomatoes -- one of these years.

In the meantime, we had a calming weariness and comfy satisfaction from our labors, and the cheer of all these pretty blooms already here. The other day I counted 40 different plants blooming in the back yard, and another 15 in the front. Spring has sprung in this happy garden!