The long spring

In the six years that I've been back in Missouri, this is the first time we've actually had a spring.  And, boy, it's been a long one.  I'm not complaining.

This year's tulip bed was magnificent.  

'Louvre'

'Louvre' and 'Mistress Mystic' seemed determined to last forever.  Eventually a big storm came up and beat on them.  They still managed to look pretty the next day, but their petals soon fell.

Left: 'Louvre', right: 'Mistress Mystic' after the storm

These bulbs were from John Scheepers.  They were large and very healthy.  Also, the daffodil bulbs I ordered from Sheepers were excellent.  That will be my nursery of choice for future bulb orders.

Over in the new perennial bed, the 'Persian Blue' alliums are blooming, and the 'Jade Eyes' alliums are starting to open.  I got these from Breck's. About 1/3 to half of the things I've ordered from Breck's have failed to thrive.  I'm going to drop them from my list.  But, these alliums are looking good.

'Persian Blue' allium

'Persian Blue' allium

'Jade Eyes' allium

I discovered a mole run directly beneath where I planted 'Maxigolt' peas (which didn't come up) and what appears to have been a den beneath the plot where I transplanted cactus zinnias.  I blasted water into both with the garden hose and left the holes open for several days.  I don't know where the moles went next, but I won't be surprised if its just another piece of my garden.

The moles weren't the only problem for my peas this year.  It stayed cold and wet too long, so even my second planting of 'Lincoln' and 'Little Marvel' peas germinated poorly.

I couldn't get the peas I've had such good luck with in the past - 'Improved Maestro' - so I can't be sure it was all due to the weather (and the moles), and not in part due to the pea variety.

I transplanted peppers into the bare areas of the pea rows, but now I'm thinking they won't be able to grow fast enough to keep from being overgrown by the peas.

Peppers and peas

The 'Red Swan' bush beans I planted in front of the aborted row of 'Maxigolt' peas germinated about 100%, it appears.

With the help of my sister, tomato plants are in the ground.  I sowed crimson clover seed along with a third of them to see if there's any benefit of its nitrogen fixating properties on the tomatoes.

In addition to my favorite variety, 'Missouri Pink Love Apple', this year I'm trying 'Valley Girl' and 'German Johnson'.  After last year's intense heat spell thwarted fruiting for so many weeks, I wanted to find another variety that will stand up to the heat.  I chose 'Valley Girl' for the claim it will do that. I got both varieties from Johnny's.  

'Valley Girl' is a determinate variety, which means they grow and ripen at the same time, making them a good candidate for canning or juicing.  It's advertised to do well in both heat and cold stress.  If that's true, it's a boon, because here you never know which they'll get, but they're bound to get one or the other.

'German Johnson' is an indeterminate variety like 'Missouri Pink Love Apple', so the tomatoes come on consecutively throughout the growing season, rather than all at once.  It's a regular leafed pink variety, as opposed to the potato leaf of 'Missouri Pink', and is advertised to be more productive.  I can't imagine it tastes better than 'Missouri Pink', but if it tastes as good, and it produces more fruit, it may become my new go-to slicing tomato.  

By the way, "pink" tomatoes are red.  Just not as deep red as red tomatoes.

Lettuce and carrots are gaining now.  The lettuce is harvestable as tender baby leaves.

Mixed varieties from saved seed

'Merveille des Quatre Saisons'

The pea and lettuce beds are on the east end of the garden around the tulip beds and under a mimosa tree which is just now leafing out.  Warm season plants that require full sun don't do well there, but the cool season veggies are just fine, and in fact seem to appreciate a little shading as the weather heats up.

My sad, sad basil seedlings have not liked this cool spring at all.  Had I known we'd be having one, I would have waited longer to start them.

I chose not to purchase another trellis for my cucumbers this year (they lost their previous years' trellises to grapes and melons) and just make do with what I could cobble up, which turned out to be old fencing materials.  This is it:

How's THAT for "rustic"?  It won't win any beauty prizes, but in a few weeks, it will be covered with vines anyway.

The 'Golden Muscat' grapevines are in their second year, and I'm excitedly hoping they'll actually produce grape clusters.  Last year, there was only one flower cluster, and it aborted.

This year, there are quite a few little flower clusters. Hopefully, they'll get fertilized.

Stay safe.  Wear your coronavirus mask in public to keep others safe.  Take in the Missouri spring.  We may not get another one like it.