Linda's Orchard

2012 Scaregirl

Overgrown Weeds in the Orchard

Last year, life got busy and the garden got neglected. I should have expected that from the moment I created my annual scarecrow;  she was a pathetic attempt to start the season. The vegetables never were planted, the dwarf fruit trees grew too big, the weeds took over, and the giant pumpkins didn’t produce. And pumpkins, especially giant ones, have always been my forte. My only saving grace was the rose garden. It’s a funny thing about roses; people think they are so difficult to grow, but all they really need is water and a lack of attention.

2013 is going to be a bumper crop in terms of the garden. Denise sent me the most amazing Amaryllis for the holidays; not your typical deep red but a very vibrant coral now getting ready to open its fifth bloom of the season. I got so excited about that Amaryllis that I decided to take an early peek at my worms in the compost bin. The best way to tell if the worms are happy is by the number of black widows sleeping under the cover. This isn’t the year of the snake, it’s the year of the spider. And I’m betting that my roses, dwarf fruit trees and even the soon to be planted veggies and Big Max pumpkins are going to be very happy come spring.

Roses from 2012