Seed Sowing Success

On May 22, I raked the Combine Garden and threw down several varieties of seed. It should have happened much earlier than that but this year, we went from frost, into a rainy season that lasted through most of June. It was a season of guerilla planting that demanded I be at my most creative. Some days I would run out in the rain, plant and run back in to dry off, leaving all the tubers and roots inside to sort. Some days I would work outside all day in a steady drizzle, weeding when I couldn't dig. In the end I was doing two things I would never recommend: planting in ground with bagged soil and potting up over 50 variety of dahlia. It was an unusual year requiring equally unusual tactics. In addition to sowing late, I had forgotten how much Yarrow was in that garden. Having only recently discovered it was my garden and not being the person who planted it, I am forgiving myself for the memory lapse. Despite the terrible odds my best intentions produced for the poor little seeds, 10 weeks later I am rewarded with the first blooms. Bachelor's Buttons 'Black Ball' (above) are blooming right beside Marigold 'Citrus Mix' containing this Lemon Yellow and this Orange. This is one of the true joys of gardening. Just when Mother Nature convinces me I should give up hope, a new colour shows up across the yard. This Fall, the Yarrow is being brutally thinned so the Bachelor's Buttons can self-seed happily.