front bed

Did some Mother's Day gardening. Raked, dug up all the dead iris roots (remaining six or so healthy rhizomes to Stacy), found Paul's black-and-gold D20, and ripped out all the defunct drip lines. Watered, dug in a bag of mushroom compost, watered some more, planted the daisies, cosmos, and sage I picked up at NM Plant Co. plus a Home Depot impulse-buy gaura, watered again, spread mulch, watered. Oh, and I also planted the geranium and petchoa in the big pot.

Waiting to be planted:



Front bed:




View from the other direction:



The next day, slightly overcast:



Gaura closeup:



Rusty stuff:



Elspeth always gives me the side eye.

2013 nursery trip

Took a couple hours off today and went to the New Mexico Plant Co. with Stacy, Beverly, and Mary. This is the same place I got plants at last year, and the year before. Weather was cloudy, cold and blustery. Forecast was 70% chance of rain, but that didn't pan out (although I did pass through a sleet (!!!) squall driving back to the office).

I spent $26 and change and got:

• 2 blue petchoas
  (for the big pot by the front door)
• 1 white geranium (pelargonium)
  (also for the big pot by the front door)
• 4 cosmos
  (for the bed next to the front door)
• 3 shasta daisies
  (also for the bed next to the front door)
• 2 purple flowering sage
  (also also for the bed next to the front door)
• 3 basil starts
  (for the raised bed, to go where the fennel was)

NM Route 14, grey skies on the way out:



The ever-fabulous Bev:



Stacy and Mary:





A picture of Stacy taking a picture of her haul:



My haul:



The usual Ladies’ Lunch at San Marcos Cafe + Feed Store afterwards. One of the peacocks put on a show:

2013 Garden Fair

After swinging by a yard sale, and getting breakfast at Flying Star, Stacy and I headed over to the Garden Fair! This year, the weather was great — sunny and breezy. We got there around 10:15 (it opened at 10), and the Eulalio's Farm ladies were abosolutely mobbed. They couldn't take people's money fast enough ($4 per plant, or 4 for $15, same as last year). Got my usual two Sungolds and two Paul Robesons. Stacy also bought a Robeson and a Sungold, plus a bunch more, I don't recall what flavors. We met up with Beverly and then the three of us went to lunch at the south side Plaza Cafe. Yum!

Eulalio's was bumpin'!



This year's offerings:





This guy had a kind of "The End Is Nigh" vibe. He was letting people know that Jannine Cabossel's tomato-growing lecture was about to start.



A picture of Stacy taking a picture of the bee people's bees:



SO. MANY. GOATHEADS!



Stacy's haul:



My haul:

2013 Garden Fair

The 2013 Santa Fe Master Gardeners Spring Garden Fair & Plant Sale is this Saturday! Stacy and I will be going, and a coworker (who can't make it) has asked me to pick up some tomatoes for her. Who else is going?