Apartment cure 2009 is almost over… (one minor chore and one two major left).  Some photos of the Den (Major makeover), study (clean up, declutter) and Kitchen (clean up/declutter and paint) are on Flickr.

And just in time for the garden.

We are having a very bizarre spring weatherwise – two weekends ago we had a heat wave in the 80s and low 90s even and then it dipped back thru the week to a week of rain and then a great weekend and this week a few days of 70s; then this weekend more rain and today in the 50s!  

Many plants in the garden are recovering from their winter sleep, however I am sad at the ones that have not survived.  This is the third full year on this garden.  After the first year of creation and initial foundation plants and then putting in perennials much too late, the second year about half of the perennials came back. That year the plants were put in earlier and now in the third year am seeing what works in this litltle microcosm. 

Unfortunately, my makeshift gate has been taken away and in light of continuing good will with the landlord, will not return; so the garden is thus WIDE open to any predator who may amble up the alleyway – which means, skunks (there is one that visits weekly during the summer), possums, racoons (!) and the neighborhood groundhogs.  

From the destruction in the first year (see posts from summer 2006) several plants went on the DO NOT PLANT BECAUSE THE GROUNDHOG WILL EAT list – of course many of my favorites – echinacea, daisies (!!), hollyhocks.  However, this year one of my black kittens (Tristan) is now a big 1.5 year old boy and LOVES to stay out at night.  Maybe he will help keep the groundhogs away?  Not that I want him to get in a fight with one – but just his presence?

I am not holding my breath.

Also I have much less financial resources this year to experiment on things that will be eaten.  I am sad that my favorite clematis has not appeared – and i know it was up much earlier last year.  I am going to keep my fingers crossed but try to find a replacement to put next to it to hopefully encourage it.  And then one order from my favorite place GRACEFUL GARDENS.  And a few more roses (can never have too many roses).  And seeds.  

so to keep you entertained, here is a photo during the brief bit of sunlight (?) we had today.  More here (Please ignore the seed pods – that’s the second batch of three billion that come down … sigh… one more rain and they should be done).