The First of May

The first of May was warm and sunny. Perfect weather for taking the convertible for a spin and skipping chores in the garden altogether. So that's what we did! Fortunately, we did a lot on the 30th of April, which was also warm and sunny.

I added a chive plant and a thyme plant to my herb garden and stuck a Lamb's Ear in the corner where the path will turn. If you've ever grown Lamb's Ear, you know how invasive they are. I am hoping to contain it in the corner, and will replace it when it starts to look funky, as they all do eventually.
Aside from the fuzzy texture of the leaves, the flowers of the Lamb's Ear attract pollinators. One of the purposes of the perennial/herb garden is to attract pollinators.

The Potatoes are growing well. I have been looking for dead nettle, which is an herb that is supposed to deter potato bugs.

I put down plastic in a corner of the Potager next to the Broccoli to heat up the soil for the sweet potato slips I am growing.
I have never grown sweet potatoes but I think I can do this in this space. I am still researching whether or not to let the vine sprawl off to the side and make more sweet potatoes or have them climb up the fence to keep the potatoes to the original plant and thus have larger potatoes. The thing is, when the kids aren't here, I am the only one who eats sweet potatoes and I really don't care for large ones. I'll let you know what I decide in a month or so.
Those are watermelon radishes around the plastic. They are a white radish with a red interior. It's one of the new crops I'm trying this year. I can't wait to see how they taste!

I stuck my Easter Tulips in the flower bed in the back of the Potager to keep them safe from deer nibbles.
Not visible in this shot are the cosmos plants that are growing in this bed. They are tiny now, but will be huge. I love Cosmos, I love the goldfinches they attract, and I love the pinks and whites of the blooms.
However, I hindsight, they are one of those plants that deer don't ear, and they grow 4 feet tall. (I also planted a shorter variety in the front.) They really should have gone in the perennial/herb garden outside the Potager. But the fence hasn't been put in yet and the space wasn't ready for them.
I'll probably end up transplanting them.

The Roses bushes I trimmed are full and beautiful. The cilantro is growing great (I've already snipped some for meals). The blank spot from the greek oregano will hold basil, an herb that the deer will eat, so it will stay in the Potager, along with parsley.

The beds are starting to green up. The peas are wrapping around the teepees. The spinach looks good, as do the onions. Lettuce is coming up all over the Potager and the tomatoes and peppers and eggplants in the house are looking healthy and sturdy.  A few more weeks and every bed will be planted! Welcome May!