Milestones

We had a very busy week at the Garden Spot, culminating in two real mile markers.

Miss Elinore graduated Pre-School at John's Lutheran Church and is enrolled in kindergarten at a charter school in Ft. Collins that teaches core subjects. Congratulations, Elinore. You are off to brilliant start and a bright future.

And that moment passed.

 On to the next milestone: Ellie and little sister Lucy are getting a new baby sister, due June 22.

So we showered the new baby with pink. Lots and Lots of pink.

I had a bit of milestone of my own: I learned how to crochet flowers and leaves. (I love youtube).

And there are milestones in the garden too.

The roses are blooming. 

And there are other milestones in the garden:

Two new columbine that just appeared on their own. Actually I transplanted them as volunteer seedlings from other spots late last summer and waited all spring to see what they would look like, so I don't know the variety of either one.  Upper right, a stick. A sickly stick. Actually it is a red japanese maple that has new growth at the very bottom, so it didn't die over the winter after all. Now, I'd say that is a milestone. We'll see how the little tree fairs over the summer. Heather gave me the meadow rue from her garden, not a very good likeness here, but it is healthy and happy.  And of course, another iris. This one we moved from the old house. It was a Dike's Award winner that hubby bought years ago. I love the lavender and yellow together.

By the end of the summer, I had also hoped to show off the pink dinner plate dahlias that I planted; unfortunately, we won't be seeing them. Some critter has dug up all four tubers and I suppose had a grand feast.

Here's what happens when you neglect a garden, when you leave it to come up with its own grow plan. When you leave a garden to its own devices,  stuff grows and grows and grows. Close up, it looks grand and even pretty, but there is an underbelly of thistle, bind weed to no end, and every other noxious weed that can find its way in. A milestone for this week: get the weeds under control. 

The Head Gardener went fishing for the weekend,  leaving me on duty for chores. So I called for back up.

He comes in the dark of night, egg basket in hand. Silently, bravely, on a mission he heads to the Hen House.

Superman from the Big City (Denver) carefully removes each egg (even the fake ones meant to encourage the hens to lay their eggs in the nests, not on the floor).

His basket full, he disappears once again into the night.

I hope you all had a good week with your own special milestones. I am enjoying reading all of your blogs, eager to see what milestones are happening in your gardens, enjoying the beautiful flowers, wonderful photography, and the good stories that you all share, loving the trips that some are taking, enjoying the home arts and projects that my blogging friends share.

With the baby shower out of the way, the fishing trip wrapped up, the Head Gardener and I will tackle weeds, and hopefully come up with a plan and get started building our main water feature that will be about 750-1,000 gallons. Now that will be a milestone.

I hope you all have a great week and that you meet all of your gardening milestones.