23 March 2020
Today really felt like a Monday, do y’all agree? The changing reality is setting in and the only place that makes sense to me right now is my garden. You see the plants are growing just like every spring, albeit a few weeks early. Of course we should not let our guard down, because a late frost would really be the icing on the 2020 chaos cake.
But to add some cheer and happiness to the world I did a quick lap around the foodscape for you to enjoy. My sincere hope is that I can share my gardening experience with new audiences regardless of your ability or space to grow. If you are stuck inside an apartment, I hope these visions of spring will brighten your day. If you have the space, my aim is to motivate you to look at your landscape with fresh eyes and see the possibilities that exist. Every landscape in the world offers an opportunity to cultivate beauty and bounty.
I hope to inspire you to join me in The Foodscape Revolution and start to grow meaningful amounts of vegetables in a practical way! From garden design and plant combinations to seed starting and sustainable practices I aim to share the knowledge I have gained through-out the past two decades of gardening.
Webinars will be offered soon, and in the meantime, PLEASE SIGN UP FOR MY BRAND NEW MONTHLY NEWSLETTER ON THE BOTTOM OF MY HOME PAGE! (I promise I will not spam you!)
Wishing you well in as we enter another week of trying to establish a “new normal”. Please enjoy the virtual tour below and #staysafe #stayhealthy and #stayHOME
The feed tank bed was planted with tulips to look like the bouquet emoji! All purchased last fall at Home depot. In a few weeks this will be a display of self sown poppies and larkspur. Hope Springs Eternal
I found some potatoes to plant!
The blueberries are bursting with blooms and bees! ‘Powder Blue’ is my favorite cultivar to grow in Raleigh, NC climate. It blooms reliable and sets delicious fruit in July. Remember you need two different cultivars for cross pollination.
I love the memories that plants can conjure. I won this Edgworthia ‘Akebono’ in the 2018 IPPS SR plant auction. It was a donation from the awesome Saunders Brothers Nursery and it reminds me of my dear friend Tom Saunders every time I pass it. This is its second spring planted and it has grown considerably and has a lot of beautiful red-orange blooms. I really like it with the backdrop of Daikon Radish and Forsythia blooms. THIS BRINGS ME JOY!
Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’ with Cercic chinensis ‘Alba’ and Camellia japonica ‘Royal Velvet’ on the north side of my house. These were all planted in the original installation of the foodscape in January 2011, when I was the propagator and grower at Camellia Forest Nursery. These plants remind me of my passion for ornamental horticulture and the opportunities that foodscaping represents. GROW EVERYTHING YOU LOVE IN THE SAME SPACE! Lettuce is an ideal ground cover paired with these shade loving shrubs.
Viburnum plicatum ‘Popcorn’ burst into bloom today! I adore this plant and would never garden without. I should propagate a few this spring to share with neighbors.
Looking down I discover the Arum italicum are starting to bloom as well. Soon these will go dormant for the summer.
And, of course, the Camellias are putting on a show like no other! I love gardening in zone 7 for a lot of reasons, but Camellias top that list! I will have to do a Camellia blog post soon!