Sorry about ending that title with a preposition. It looks awful, but I couldn't title this post "Things to which I am looking forward!" That just sounded so snooty. So please overlook my grammar and come along with me on a walk 'round the garden, where I am seeing eight things that I'm really excited about.
1) Blueberries, as seen above. We have eight bushes; one is quite large, but the other seven are still either young (two years old), or recovering from being Joe-the-dog's-sleeping-place. This year, for some strange reason (all the rain? deeper layers of sawdust?), the bushes, both large and small, are simply covered with blueberries. I'm deeply, deeply pleased. We'll have plenty to eat out of hand, and plenty to freeze or can, as well.
2) Hollyhocks. Three years ago, I planted at least twenty packets of hollyhock seeds. I had gotten the packets free, and they were slightly old, but I planted them with high hopes. I don't have a lot of tall flowers in the garden, and I think tall flowers add a lot of interest to our very flat yard. So I planted these hollyhocks, all kinds and all colors, with the wish that they would eventually bring towers of blooms to our garden horizon. Three years later, they are finally blooming. Hooray, I can't wait to see them.
3) A second and possibly third harvest of artichokes. We've already had one harvest from our three plants, but an amazing thing is happening - all the bushes have numerous side shoots and dozens of artichokes coming on. We'll get several more meals out of these plants. Yum.
4) This Echium wildpretii, or Tower of Jewels, that is in its second year of growth, which means it's going to bloom this summer. See this picture for what it will hopefully look like. Isn't that incredible? I'm thrilled to bits that this might actually work in our yard!!! If it doesn't bloom this year, it definitely will next!
5) Celery! I have babied these five plants from seed - they are the s-l-o-w-e-s-t vegetable I've ever grown, and they are incredibly high maintenance! But I think, if I keep them shady and cool enough, and wet enough, we'll have some celery!!! And may I say - never again!
6) Verbascum 'Southern Charm' - I planted four of these in the woodland garden, and I was particularly excited to have a verbascum that flowers for months on new spikes. See this picture for how it may look in another week or two. Another tall spiky flower plant, which will add some vertical interest, as well as beautiful blossoms for the pollinators and for us to enjoy! Especially in the woodland garden, which can be a bit shy!
7) My boss gave me a very generous gift certificate when I left my job, and with it I bought this navel orange, hoping that I could share the fruit with her someday. Looks like I'll get a chance this coming winter! And oh, do these blossoms smell amazing!
8) This Comfrey is finally blooming. I've wanted this plant in my garden for a long time, because it is a great compost plant - meaning when you chop the leaves off and add them to your compost, or directly to the earth under the plants, it returns a lot of nutrients to the soil. And it grows so big, so quickly, that you can chop it back a lot and it just keeps going. And the flowers attract a lot of pollinators. But if you try to buy comfrey plants, it's a little difficult - no one seems to sell them, at least around here. However I did notice that our neighbor has one in their front yard, and about a year ago (I think), I asked them if I could take a root cutting, and they said yes, so I did, and I planted it! And it did fine, though it never bloomed, but then over the frosty winter it died. And I thought I had lost it. But it came back! And it's blooming! Hooray!
There's so much to look forward to that I didn't include here, but these are the things that I'm anticipating right now, today! What are you looking forward to, in your garden? I'd love to know!