another garden report

It's supposed to rain well into next week. The only good thing is that it rains a lot in the morning, and then it usually quits for the rest of the day, so the water has a chance to soak in. I don't have any pools as sometimes happens when it rains a lot. But I'm still afraid my grass seed is go ing to rot, and think I'll order some more (Gardens Alive Turf I--supposed to hold up to high traffic).

Took the Ts for a walk before kids got out of school--they were so happy to get outside! Poor babies. Then I took a few pics:

Crocus. There are some gold ones that are almost finished and looking battered by the rain. These are a little darker than they show here. I love little crocus--they're such cheerful little flowers. I always mean to plant more--lots more--and never get around to it.

Columbine volunteers. I have to admit, that's something I like about columbines--they seed themselves all over my garden. I never quite know what's going to come up where. One year it was a red and white double--I thought it was really ugly, but I gave it to a friend who loves it, and it's been rewarding her with babies. :)

Baby alchemilla leaves. Last weekend they were tiny little pinpoints of green and now they're going great guns. I've got three in a group that anchor the point of the garage garden, and they never wander or seed themselves around, and they always look great until fall, when they begin to look a bit ragged. And, of course, the special beauty of alchemilla, dew or rain drops shining on their soft furry leaves. I ought to divide them this fall, if I can remember.

I was happy to see these daylilies sprouting. In the first place, a couple of very dear friends gave them to me and I always think of them when I see the daylilies. In the second place, they're beautiful flowers, a yellow that's pale without being washed out, just tippy-toeing on the edge of green rather than leaning toward orange--it's a beautiful, pale, cool yellow that I love. And it has some scent. My friends didn't know what variety these were; they might be Hyperion.

Finally, remember those mystery sprouts I was puzzling over, and that turned out, from last year's pictures, to be brunnera? Well, here they are, the sprouts turning into recognizable brunnera leaves. They have a coarse, hairy texture, but I love their bright silver color. One is Jack Frost, which has green veins, and the other is Looking Glass, which is solid silver, and they both look dynamite with the rich green European ginger.

I'm hoping to someday post a picture in this blog of grass poking through the straw matting...

Current soundtrack: Didn't It Rain, Moondog Matinee, The Band ("It rained forty days and forty nights without stoppin'/ And Noah was glad when the rain stopped droppin'...")