What you can't smell

The foggy bottom garden was nearly a pond last night as 2.8 inches of rain poured down in short order. Fortunately we were spared the crazy window-smashing hail of my north & westerly friends. The heavy air is laden with the most amazing iris and heirloom rose aroma. The primordial insectness inside of me draws my nose into the wet folds of petals dripping with intoxication. Don't tell me we aren't products of our biology. Is there really anyone turned off by the smell of a rose? It's about the only thing I can't harvest in my yard. The lust is fleeting, which makes it all the more divine. I asked my students last week to imagine their ideal tranquil place and everyone was somewhere in nature where green and blue were the primary colors. Biophilia. We have a natural draw towards other living things.

Speaking of aroma. Someone besides me recognized the coolness of an onion flower and maximized the good genes- color, size and lack of smell. Pretty cool flowers. I'm wondering if the seed is sterile or will come true to type. I guess I should try it out.

Allium (onion) flower sans the smell

Spiderwort: a way too easy and reseeding native perennial

Iris. She came with the house. She's often the first to fall under heavy rain, but she's standing tall today. 

Veilchenblau- German (you were surprised?) climbing heirlooom rose. Most amazing aspects of this rose- super easy to grow, climber, purple, lusty aroma AND it attracts many insects. You can see a spider and a couple of hover flies and bees on this gal.

When do you decide to sacrifice your peach tree for a rose? When it's Old Blush. This crazy rose climbed all over the peach. I had to make the hard decision. My nose made the call. This isn't even it at its peak flower, but it scents most of the yard. I can buy peaches. I can plant a new peach tree. I can't buy this perfume. Sold.

Speaking of fruit. We're starting to have some. The first Alpine Strawberries are beginning to ripen and I'm getting closer to having those Black Mission Figs that started fruiting in the house this winter.

Delicate. You can't buy these in the stores. Good landscaping plant and you don't have to redo the beds every year like traditional strawberries.

Black Mission Fig

 Almost pea time.

Chard. Kale. Purple Broccoli. (front to back)

January planted Garlic

Tomatoes ready for next weekend's sale in Maeystown, Il.

The honeybees and other 6-leggers are all over the turnip flowers. I don't have the heart to remove them yet.  Besides, they are kind of pretty in a cottage-garden kind of way.

Growing some native seeds I collected and started in a flat outdoors over winter and transplanted in this retired wheel barrow. 

First Lamb's Quarter harvest. Blanched and frozen. Made some Saag Paneer with it today for lunch.

And that is pretty much it. There are a lot of plants and seeds I need to get in the garden, but I have a lot of others that I'm waiting on seeding out first. I have half of my maters planted and will plant the other half shortly. I'll see how or if this staggers the crop.

Sedums and peppermint.