This spring has been a little slow to get going, but our garden is doing great with all the rain and the few sunny days we have had lately. So great, in fact, that we’ve already started harvesting mint and comfrey, and have also been able to collect a ton of blackberry leaf and dead nettle. And all the plants are growing like mad!

^ Crocosmias that came up on their own!

^ Honeyberry

^ I can’t believe the spread on these raspberries!!! When we first planted them they were sticks in the dirt (there are photos of the garden 13 months ago right here)

^ This marjoram is filling the space up to the stairs really nicely

The bunnies were thrilled when J trimmed back the blackberry brambles.

^ Last year we were convinced these rhubarb were dead because they didn’t send up much more than 2 or 3 leaves, and what they did manage to grow withered and died before the end of the season. We pulled them out of the soil and tossed the old roots into the landscaping behind the shed. While working on the secret staircase recently, I noticed something growing behind the shed, and when I looked closer I realized it was the roots we threw down there last year, each growing a big plant! They weren’t even in the dirt, just growing all on their own on the surface. We were so surprised! We quickly planted them in the empty hops planter and now all of a sudden we have the start of some major rhubarb.

^ The hops are off to a good start, this picture was taken shortly before we added the rhubarb.

^ The 3 loveage plants that came back this year are already getting large.

^ Last year J found a plant (not for sale) at the garden centre that he really liked, and learned it was called Bear’s Breeches. Not long after I found some growing in a garden near the ferry I took every week, and I watched the plant until it went to seed and then collected some for our garden. J set up the grow tray and they germinated really quickly and really easily under our small grow light. They are already large enough to go outside and look great!

That’s where we are at for now, but it’s all been changing so fast. This is my favourite part of the year for gardening ❤