spring came early this year to midland, and many of my garden plantings are showing a strong start to the growing season. all of my herbs have put forth new growth and my chive border is beginning to form a nice protection for my new mixed vegetable and flower garden.
i divided my garlic chives last fall into several substantial groupings, since they had begun to take over a small section of my fenced garden. the focus of the garlic chives for me are the lovely flowers that appear later in the season. these garlic chives are very tough plants. i enjoy that they are known to confuse insects and pests, thus detering them from having lunch in my garden. one of the keys to garlic chives is to give it room to grow, however; it doesn't mind less than average soil or even partial shade. it seems to me that these garlic chives are some of the first plants to emerge from my garden just as the soil begins to warm.
just as i admire my garlic chives in the early spring, i also appreciate my rhubarb. a gardening friend shared this rhubarb start from her mother's garden two years ago. i enjoyed using the rhubarb last year, and can't wait to try some new recipes this year.
this rhubarb grows nicely in a partially shaded spot, but does receive about 5 hours of sun per day. it is one of the few edibles that can tolerate that much shade and still produce a nice crop for the season. rhubarb leaves are not edible, only the lovely stalks. i do think that these leaves also detract other garden pests from my fenced area.
both of these early garden plants have encouraged me to begin to walk around and admire the beginning of a new garden season.
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