Notes from Havenwood

End of May Gardening

The Cottage Garden on Sunday with Baptisia, Peonies, Purple Ninebark and Rambler ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’

During the last few months of garden tours (see April and May), my gardening work and to-do tasks have piled up higher and higher, and I have wanted to share more about working this garden. I have decided to share “notes from Havenwood” posts so that I can say a bit more about the general goings on around here in our garden. Building projects, garden additions, propagation, and what is taking up my time for good and ill in my gardening at Havenwood.

So here we begin with a deeper look at my gardening at the end of May:

Weeding, Edging & Mulching

The green wave first attacks all gardeners in my zone in May, and then generally continues through June and July until it is slowed by the dry spells and baking heat of August. I think it is the first wave in May, though, that causes the most panic. It brings a sinking, oh-my-what-have-I-done feeling.

Here we have creeping thistles (native), goldenrod (also native), wild strawberry (ditto) and creeping buttercups (from Eurasia) that are romping away this year already. They each like soggy, rich soil and they have found it in abundance here at Havenwood. The first two get a zero tolerance policy here, but the latter two are allowed in some areas to a point. This year, strawberries and buttercups have taken hold of my sandy sloped Ruin garden and the Hot Border more than I would wish, so I have plans to get to those this week.

Last week, we went after the gardens all along the edge of the back lawn. The Pond garden is there in the back corner, the black locust hedge and the Long Border too. We worked along the borders, weeding, edging with a flat spade and then filling it with fresh oak chips from a local tree trimmer.

Weeding, edging and mulching the pond garden and the Black Locust hedge at the end of the lawn.

Tying in Climbers