The roses are some kind of gorgeous this week! I got back from a short road trip with my friend, Cara, yesterday, and just could not believe how beautiful the garden was! It was 75 degrees, sunshiney, and all of my roses are now in full bloom. So beautiful!
Sadly, I think I scared off the bird that’s made this nest in the New Dawn rose:
In other happy news, the beans I planted last week are starting to sprout!
Sieva Lima beans sprouting 
Garden of Eden beans sprouting 
The bean trellis. I promise I’ll get those weeds under control before summer is over.
The peas look good and are starting to flower:
The kohlrabi is still growing well:
And the tomatoes looks good with the mulch, but I still see some leaf spot. I sprayed them again with Daconil and treated them with Miracle-Gro for tomatoes. I’m using some leftover of the pink crystals and mixing it in a watering can to apply. They all grew a couple of inches this week, except for that one stubby Cherokee Purple. That plant is super lush and green but just not gaining any height.
The plants I put in early have more leaves than the ones I planted last week, but they are shorter. Most of the older plants have flowers, and one Brandywine, two Romas, and the cherry tomato have fruit.
The greens are getting on my nerves. So many weeds and pests! I will not ever grow microgreens outside again. I want to grow the Swiss Chard until it’s fully mature, but I don’t know if I’ll make it. Plus, the baby greens have been so good in salads!
The verbena is blooming beautifully beside the dianthus:
The zinnias are coming along. I can see buds!
I also bought some clearanced Clematis and a hardy gardenia shrub to see if they’ll grow. The clematis will go on the small, empty trellis.
I spent several hours weeding and watering and fussing over the garden this morning. My friend, Lisa, is an herbalist and took some time to talk about the food and medicinal values of some of the weeds (plants!) growing around. I use my moisture meter for the first time to see what needed watering. I think that will be a useful tool.
The weather is beautiful. How blessed we are to live here in Virginia!
