Sunday, April 05, 2009

It's Bulb Time

We're getting a little show now. The spring bulbs are doing their thing. Daffodils, hyacinth, grape hyacinth, and tulips, so far. Here are a couple shots:

Red tulips on the verge of opening up.

The irises are still pushing up leaves. It won't be too much longer before they, too, start flowering. And there are dahlias out there. In fact, Ken just moved a bunch to a better location, so we'll see how they do. But the dahlias won't flower until summer.

More grape hyacinth and daffodils out by the front door.

One of the projects we're working on in this year's garden is the reclamation of our failed herb garden. I had visions of a permanent herb garden, one of our four square plots dedicated to perennial herbs. We had sage, lavender, rhubarb, oregano, tarragon, and parsley planted there, along with some annual crops like cilantro, chervil, and basil.

But somehow it just all turned to weeds and I couldn't keep up. So we've moved the larger plants to new locations and will till under the plot and use it for vegetables. Except for the rhubarb, that gets to stay out there.

Can't resist the close-up!

The herbs will go into pots and planters, and we already have parsley and tarragon going in the well. This change will give us more room for tomatoes, beans, and squash (we're even going to try sweet corn this year) out in the larger garden.

14 comments:

  1. I actually get a bit teary every time I see the Obamas doing yet another thing just right. I believe we are seeing the beginning of a major transformation of America's attitude toward itself and the world's attitude toward us.

    I love these people who are doing such a massive task so well with such grace and charm!

    Oh, and the flowers are pretty, too. :-)

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  2. I'm with you about the Obamas- they are good representatives for our country. Just hearing the words "President Obama" gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling...

    I hope your herbs do well. I have established thyme and lavender, but can't seem to keep the others going.

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  3. I agree 150% with you, Bill in NH and Evelyn about the Obamas. I still remember back in 1948 when I was visiting in the States how shocked I was to see signs "For Blacks only" in Virginia !

    "For blacks only" on the door of the White House! Sixty years is a long time, but in History it's just a drop in the bucket. So happy that things have changed for the best! As you say, it is a new dawn for the good old US of A.

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  4. Oh boy, it is THAT time of year, isn't it? One of my favorites. It goes away far too quickly.

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  5. I agree with everyone, too, about the Obamas-- here and on their European visit. I think that it was Britain's Brown who said something the other day about Obama's presidency bringing hope to THE WHOLE WORLD... geez... what must Bush be thinking when he hears this kind of thing? I wonder if he just sees this as political talk, and dismisses it, or if he has any concept of how the world perceived us (and the future) under his presidency?

    I LOVE the grape hyacinth photos. And I ADORE tulips, so bring on the photos of them, please!

    What's on the menu for Easter meal, Walt?

    Judy

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  6. p.s. I also love the St. Aignan-sur-Cher church photo :) Have you and Ken explained this before... is there more than one town with "St. Aignan" in the name?

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  7. Sometimes I forget to look on the right side of the blog for "Newsiness". The comments reminded me to do that. I heard on my local ABC station a journalist commenting on the North Korean rocket launch. 6 times she pronounced NUCULAR instead of nuclear. Unbelevable! She is probably a fan of Bush getting ready for Palin to run (she couldn't pronounce nuclear either).
    Seine Judeet, Bush doesn't read newspapers and probably doesn't watch the news either so I doubt very much he cares how the world perceives his presidency. The guy couldn't even walk and talk at he same time but probably he and his friends laughing all the way to a Swiss bank.
    Thank you for all the beautiful pictures of spring.
    Can't wait to see pictures of your herb garden.

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  8. I agree with all that has been said about the Obamas and the Bushes too, of course. Bush is probably not smart enough, or way too out of it, to understand what is going on right now. Obama is doing a great job.

    I hate to say this, but Sarkozy seems to be taking the Bush role in the world right now. He is so insecure about his place in the whole scheme of things...

    Judy, there are many towns called Saint-Aignan in France. Ours is Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, in the 41 (Loir-et-Cher) département. There are 14 towns called Saint-Aignan listed in the Michelin road atlas for France.

    Bill in NH, yes, isn't it amazing how the Obamas can do so much good for America and the world with so much ease and grace?

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  9. Ken, Obama is a natural. Sarkozy is a phony. That is the difference I see. I also feel that France is a "has been".
    Time to move on in the new century. Because of the global economy, the same currency (Euro), same problems... France has to be a team player and stop telling other countries what to do. We are all in this together and nobody is better than anybody. Don't get me wrong; I think France is still OK, with wonderful artistic, scientific... talents, but politically, it acts like a brat, always good at criticizing other cultures and countries...
    That is the side I don't like. I am very aware of this
    because I have been away from France for so long.
    Betty of "la France profonde" posted about "smiles"
    (french people never smile at each others unlike in the US where it is very rare when someone doesn't smile at you in stores, streets...). You could say it is because they don't like each others but I think it has become worse. Have french people lost their "joie de vivre"? Are they scared? It didn't used to be that bad. Do you think french people have an inferiority complex?

    (I watched "Tell no one" saturday. It is a good movie)

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  10. bill, isn't it great?!

    evelyn, we're keeping our fingers crossed for the herbs.

    chm, it is amazing to think how little time has passed. But I think there is still a long way to go.

    lewis, way too fast!

    judy, easter dinner will be, as is tradition in our house, rabbit! We eat the easter bunny.

    nadege, yes, nucular drives me up a wall. And I think some people do it on purpose to sound folksy.

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  11. YUCK! nu-cu-lar......... grrrrrrrrr

    Walt, I guess you can eat your bunny, since he doesn't have any chocolates to deliver, what with the bells causing them to drop from the sky and all that ;)) Will you each hide chocolates for each other out by the cold frames?!? :)

    Judy

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  12. Beautiful shots! I went for a run last night and wished I had my camera with me. DC is flower crazy now. I can only imagine that France is a bit more breathtaking.

    Regarding eating the bunny, we'll be doing that too, but he will be prepared by Russell Stover, Hershey's, or perhaps Dove.

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  13. I didn't know Lavender was a herb, really?

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  14. gads but i miss spring flowers, especially the daffodils.

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