Hello Bloglandia!

Spring is going like gangbusters here in Portland. After a cold and blah March, April has been strutting her stuff with clear skies and temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s (that’s around 20-22 for you Celsius folks).

With weather like that it’s time to get out in the garden (since I can’t go anywhere else). And what did I discover, but a monster lingering amongst the plants!!

–Finn, where have you been? You’ve been absent from the blog for a while.

–Well, you know, I’ve been um, busy.

–Busy? With what?

–With, you know, stuff.

–You’ve been napping, haven’t you?

–It’s called hibernation and it’s very restorative. Have I missed anything that past few months?

–Um, yeah, not too much….Anywayyyy, how about a photo shoot to celebrate the end of your Rip Van Winkle impression?

–YES!! (runs off on bumpy legs muttering something about having to “do” his hair and needing to look good for his fans)

Phew, that got me out of having to explain to him about the whole pandemic thing and the utter madness in the White House. But even better, it gets us out into the garden to show off what’s in bloom!

While Finn fixes his hair (even though he has none…really, I have no idea what he’s doing), let’s start off with the show stopper…these red tulips are popping up all across my backyard.

I’ve also been planting more veggies this year than normal. Most of them are still babies right now, but the tomatoes, beans, cantaloupe, cucumbers, sunflowers, and herbs are loving the extra dose of sunshine they’s been getting lately.

And I’ve got a crazy amount of kale that’s already doing great…or, it was until it got riddled with purple pests…Looks like he’s ready for photo time.

As for other food-giving plants, my espalier pear tree is going nuts with blooms this year…

And my cherry tree is already bursting with future cherries. If you’re wondering what that red stuff is, it’s netting. See, last year (the tree’s first year), I had a few cherries almost ripe for picking when the damn squirrels ate them all. This year, I’m mounting and early defense.

Not far from the cherry tree is a wallflower in which Finn thinks he’s camouflaged. I’ll break it to him later that he’s not going to be the next Where’s Waldo.

The hostas have been poking up all over the place. This one will have purple flowers sometime in the summer, but for now, Finn’s proving a good substitute…

While some plants are just getting started, others are fading, but I did manage to get one more snap of this hellebore before it finishes up its show…

But it’s hard to mourn the loss of those when not far away, the bleeding hearts are looking mighty nice, despite the photo-bombing monster.

Strolling around to the front yard, I just moved these primroses a month ago and they seem much happier in their new spot…

And then there’s these primroses who have been showing off their stuff for years…along with another creature who’s also known for being a bit of a show off…

Thanks for coming along with me and Finn on this garden stroll!! Now it’s your turn….what’s blooming in your garden? Any favorite plants for spring? Any squirrel problems?

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7 thoughts on “April Showers Bring…Monsters?”

  1. Are you growing monsters in your garden?!?
    I am envious, I know you said you have the tar pits in your backyard and fear someday your body will be part of an archeological dig but it looks like your garden is doing well! I am envious as we just had snow the other day in the Denver area so there is no garden blooming yet (though I have some daylillies that tried to pop up until they were rudely met with frost and snow). wonderful photos and adorable Beastie 🙂

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    1. Thanks!! The yard is very mucky in the winter due to lots of rain and our lovely clay soil, but once things start drying out, it becomes a little less La Brea Tar Pit-y. As for snow…no thank you! Snow is only allowed from December to maybe February. After that is just Mother Nature being rude. Hmmm…I wonder if Beasties do grow on trees? And here I thought they grew out of Irish sheep :))

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  2. Hahaha! Welcome back, Finn! All that sleep and hairstyling time was put to good use… He looks fresh as a daisy in among all your beautiful plants! Just don’t tell him that, or you’ll be out doing photoshoots daily. I’ve no blooms in my own garden yet, but thanks to the pandemic panic I’ve been planting and weeding more than usual so my balcony almost looks respectable! I knew there had to be an upside to all this 😂

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    1. I expect there’s going to be an Explore the Balcony with Explorer Beastie post in your near future. As for Finn, he’s already demanding some photo shoots beyond the garden, but since he refuses to wear a mask (“And what? Hide my delightful face from my public??” may have been heard in the house recently) I’m not sure that’s going to happen any time soon. Ah well, I’m letting him pretend to be the podcast production manager to keep him occupied.

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      1. We’ll let it leaf out/bloom a little bit first, maybe. “Explore an assortment of pots of compost with Explorer Beastie” doesn’t have quite the right ring to it. As for Finn, would it not be a pleasant break for him to walk down the street without being mobbed by his adoring fans? Oh, wait… I forgot this is Finn we’re talking about here! 🙄

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      2. Finn’s self-confidence starts to wane when he’s not getting mobbed by fans. And since he could use a little ego deflation, that might be a good thing! As far as Balconies by Beasties, I think there should be some before-and-after shots of this future floral wonderland.

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