English Emma Blooms

Yesterday was a good day. I spent a whole lot of time gardening. I planted the rest of the sunflowers along the south side of the house. I dug up some daylilies and put them along the south fence where I had put some mulch. I then planted some sunflowers where the daylilies had been, in the bed on the east side of the house. I moved some hosta from under the hammock to by the sliding glass doors. The only problem with the backyard is that I cannot get the hose to reach the bed on the east side. I suppose I will have to use the sprinkler.

I will be mad if none of the sunflowers come up. I have put such careful effort into planting them. I had a shoot the day before yesterday, and yesterday it was gone. My little bottomless pots looked like someone had gone digging in them looking for seeds. :(  I planted at least a thousand a year ago and none of them grew.  Yet the volunteers grow under the bird feeder...

I have ordered some cosmos seeds for the front. They are my absolute favorite. I also ordered a book and some licorice for Friday, my last day of school. I sent Den a couple of books for her birthday. All Quiet on the Western Front is my book of the year. I also sent her a Jill Mansell book that I ordered for myself. I love Jill Mansell, and it looks like she has written some new books. I read her first one, which was about a wedding and was really funny. She does touching romantic comedy.

 It was a day of visible progress. I moved plants, made choices about beds, adjusted the yard, planted seeds, and continued turning the garden into something intentional.

I can be disappointed if the sunflowers do not come up without making that mean the effort was wasted. Gardening always includes negotiation with squirrels, weather, soil, timing, and whatever invisible gremlin raids the bottomless pots.

1. Choose bare soil, not thick grass or mulch.
Seed bombs need contact with actual soil. If they are sitting on top of mulch, thick grass, or weeds, the seeds may not reach the dirt. Mulch acts like a soft roof between the seed and the soil. The seeds might dry out, sprout weakly, or never grow at all.

2. Pick a sunny spot.
Most wildflower seed mixes need at least six hours of sun a day unless the package says they are for shade. Sun gives the seedlings the energy they need to grow strong stems, leaves, and flowers. A shady spot may still grow something, but the results will usually be weaker.

3. Move the mulch aside first.
If you want to plant seed bombs in a mulched bed, do not just toss them on top. Move the mulch aside in a small patch, about 6 to 12 inches wide. This gives the seeds a clear path to the soil instead of making them fight through mulch.

4. Loosen the soil a little.
You do not need to dig a deep hole. Just scratch up the top inch of soil with a rake, trowel, or hand rake. This helps because seeds grow better when they can settle into loose soil instead of sitting on a hard crust.

5. Place the seed bomb on the soil and press it down gently.
Pressing it down helps the seed bomb make good contact with the soil. Do not bury it deeply. Many wildflower seeds need light to germinate, so burying them too far underground can stop them from growing.

6. Crumble it slightly if it is large.
If the seed bomb is big, break it apart a little before pressing it into the soil. This spreads the seeds out and gives more of them a chance to touch the ground. It also keeps too many seedlings from trying to grow in one crowded clump.

7. Water it well.
Water helps soften and break down the clay or compost around the seeds. It also gives the seeds the moisture they need to begin germinating. After that, keep the area lightly moist until things sprout. The soil should feel damp, not swampy.

8. Leave the mulch pulled back until the seedlings are established.
Once the seedlings are a few inches tall, you can carefully tuck a little mulch around them, but not over them. This helps hold moisture in the soil without smothering the baby plants.

9. Mark the spot.
Use a stick, stone, label, or little border so you remember where you planted them. This matters because tiny wildflower seedlings can look like weeds at first. Marking the spot helps you avoid pulling them up or mowing them down by accident.

10. Treat the whole thing as an experiment.
Seed bombs are not exact gardening. Some seeds may grow, and some may not. Weather, sun, soil, birds, squirrels, and timing all have opinions. The goal is to give the seeds a good chance, not to do it perfectly.

For my garden, the south side of the house along the neighbor’s driveway could work if it gets enough sun and will not be mowed. I should plant only some of the seed bombs there first and save a few for Dr. Cho’s or another bare sunny patch.

Best timing is spring or fall. Since I am planting now, it would be smart to do it before a rainy stretch. Rain will help break down the seed bombs and keep the soil moist.

Simple version:
Do not toss seed bombs on top of mulch unless I am just experimenting. For the best results, I should make little bare-soil pockets, scratch the soil, press the seed bomb in, water it, and keep the mulch away until the seedlings are growing.

 Good Morning!

Today Peanut and I head back to Indianapolis—to restore order in the garden. Word from the pool is that thunderstorms rolled through while I was away. Perfect! That means my flowers have been thoroughly watered by the sky itself—nature doing her part while I took a break.

I got an email about a gardening job. I’d absolutely work for her if she paid me in hostas! Honestly, that’s not a joke. I’m always looking to diversify my collection. And I love the idea of being someone’s “garden whisperer”—but only if it feels good in my soil.

Earlier in the day, we drove to Okemos.I picked up a small rock from a parking lot. I think I’m starting a new ritual: collecting rocks from places that matter, then placing them in my garden at home. Each one can root a memory. Eric and I and the dogs walked through the field where I used to wander in high school. That land is sacred to me. I remember playing with Daisy there—how she’d leap like a gazelle above the tall grass to find me when I’d hide. I met Jen there too, and we’d walk and talk, surrounded by wild prairie.

Now, that field is a designated nature reserve. The same trails. Bigger trees. More blooms. 

Here is some bee balm! This North American native grows in bunches and shoots up these wild-looking, spiky flowers that look kind of like tiny fireworks.  Planting beebalm is super easy - just give it some sun (or partial shade works too) and soil that doesn't get too soggy. Here's a cool fact: Native Americans used this plant for medicine, and you can actually make tea from the leaves - they smell amazing, like a mix of mint and citrus. Snip off the dead flowers to keep new ones popping up all summer.

“I plant joy in familiar soil. I walk the trails of memory with reverence. I let roots, rocks, and rest remind me that I am always growing—softly, steadily, in season.”

I put a bunch of sticks in the trash. I have so many of them, and I am never going to have enough fires to burn them all. I do not enjoy the pile of sticks. Evan made a pile of sticks in the back that I hated looking at, and now Eric has done the same. I turned Evan's pile into a flower bed by covering it with leaves and mulch and then planting flowers. These sticks are in a place that is too shady for flowers to grow, so I have to get rid of them.

Yesterday, I weeded a lot. Today, I am going to plant some more ground cover. Next week, I will plant on Monday. I still have to trim the tree in the passage and mow the neighbor's grass strip. I will not be bored. 

Native Trees

EVERGREEN:

DECIDUOUS:

Native Shrubs

Native Vines

Grasses

Native Nectar Plants

How Does Your Garden Grow

How does your garden grow…
With daisies and coneflowers,
Peonies
And daylilies,
Laestra,
Black-eyed Susans…

And gladioli all in a row.