Dear Curiosity Journal,
Sunday was an idyllic May moment for planting flowers. Newly arrived orioles were singing, the sun felt summery on my skin, and (most importantly) there was minimal wind. In the greenhouse, I seeded a second wave of nasturtium and calendula, as well as lupine and moon flowers. On the hillside in front of the barn, I transplanted strawflowers, seashell cosmos, zinnias, magic lime, nasturtium, calendula, and an unlabeled mystery perennial. I pulled the thistle and quack grass that was crowding around the 2023 planting of yarrow and echinacea, happy to see these perennial herbs coming back strong. Then I cleared the remnants of the 2023 flower tunnel, pulling long marigold stems and brittle spirals of morning glory skeletons out of the trellis. After reshaping and hoeing the beds, I transplanted a dense row of morning glories (around 320) along the edges of the tunnel. My hope is that these violet studded vines will climb the walls of the tunnel to create a whimsical floral portal – giving “The Secret Garden” storybook vibes. The moonflowers, another climbing vine with white flowers, which open in the evening, will also be in the mix, beside many marigolds later in the season, as this is the entrance point for the Driftless Region’s Dia de Muertos Celebration, leading down to the ofrenda. Let the floral fiesta begin.
~Joy
