Happy Easter to all!

Was there ever a more glorious Easter Day? It’s just been beautiful in Hays. Everybody got a chocolate bunny on their pillow today! My guests have fragrant lilacs in their rooms, plucked from the back garden. Fresh mint and chives for breakfast tomorrow.

I brought home two boxes of plants today, so tomorrow I can plant flowers in all the porch planters. As the flower beds’ lilacs and tulips begin to fade in a couple of weeks, the irises, peonies and spirea will take their place…just in time (I hope) for Fort Hays State University’s commencement weekend.

A few days ago the petals from the white crab apple blossoms started to fall. They were so thick this year, when the breeze blew they drifted like snow against steps and rocks. Those flowers have scented the air for nearly two weeks now. Heavenly. Join us while it’s still springtime!

Springtime Bustle

Spring is here, no matter what the calendar says! I have just gotten started cleaning out the flower beds in preparation for spring growth. I haven’t seen any buds yet, but the tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are all well above ground now, so it won’t be long. Sap is flowing in the fruit trees. I’m hoping for a peach crop like the one I got last year—almost more fruit than I could handle or give away, and as juicy and delicious as any peaches I’ve ever eaten. Next week it will be time to prune roses. It’s a rather tedious job, but the rewards are well worth it.

Of course, it’s also good weather for cleaning windows and painting and such. Not my favorite chores (I’d rather be gardening), but having spring in the air makes them easier.
Springtime also means high school graduations, FHSU commencement, and Mother’s Day. May is a very busy month in Hays, so if you’re planning a trip here, I recommend making reservations as soon as possible. We’d love to have you!

Ready for commencement visitors, with help from the garden

Hays is a bustling place right now because of Fort Hays State University's commencement on Saturday. Those who are attending convocations and receptions on Friday have begun arriving in town this afternoon--I'm waiting for a couple to check in as I write this.

Everything here is ready to go. I've tried to give a nod to FHSU's school colors of black and gold, but the black is a challenge. Dark chocolate cupcakes are perched on the sideboard, with gold napkins beside. I did see some black icing in a tube at the grocery store, and I know I've seen it on bakery cakes, but I just couldn't bring myself to use it. Instead I chose substance over style--dark chocolate cake with milk chocolate frosting--all homemade, natch. That'll have to be close enough to black.

There are dozens of yellow irises blooming on the south side of the house, so there's my gold for the dining table centerpiece. The closest I can come to black flora are the majestic dark maroon irises just starting to open in the front flower bed (the outer petals are almost black) and the dark maroon leaves of the ornamental plums in the back garden.

The spring flowers are so happy to be in the sunshine today after a week of rain and cool temperatures. I cut an armload of irises and peonies to place in the guest rooms and in the common rooms. They're all so beautiful and devinely fragrant.

Peonies are one of my absolute favorite flowers. Hays is the first place I've ever lived where they will grow, and they do flourish here (and all over Kansas). All of my plants were given to me by other gardners who were dividing their ever-expanding clumps, and I was very happy to take them. I learned that peonies require patience. Although the plants thrived, it was three years before any buds appeared in the spring, and most of those didn't open. I sought advice from local gardners wise in the way of the peony. After checking that all conditions were favorable, they patiently advised me to be patient. As predicted, my peonies gradually lived up to their promise, yielding more flowers each year. This spring I have a bumper crop. It's heaven.

By next week I should be able to start cutting roses! One of my Pat Austins has buds that are already showing a bit of color, so it won't be long now.