May 2014 (First Editon)

 Nature has turned another year and the 2014 Growing Season has begum!.
1 our of 21 ,,, 

This year; as it was last year, Sum and Substance was up first!

There are now 6 weeks to June 1st. (42 days)  As a general rule whatever hosta survive the winter show themselves by June 1st ... if they all come up that means one every 2 days.  The count begins - although I doubt hosta know how to count!

4/27-29/14: First time I have ever noticed standing water during "casual rain".  Either this is new and the ground is becoming packed, or the ground is water saturated and can't take anymore; Ice melted and dissipated without issue however.  Taking notes as to where this is in this small garden.  The cool spring rains keep coming.  Warm up is forecast to start this weekend; forecast temperatures will be in the 30's but not freezing.  Let's hope not as that would destroy any pre-emerging Hosta at this point.

The Hosta Review

4/19/14: Here's the picture of the very first spike of 2014!

Sum and Substance on April 19, 2014 - with the first weed!  Photography by A.D.

It rose 3 days before I had 'predicted' seeing any hosta this year.  Sum and Substance (by my recollection) was also first last year!  Last year I had 4 spikes of this and this year I am expecting a total of eight (8).  This is it's fourth year here so we will see if it will give us some new height which generally happens at this stage of maturity!  My readers can sleep with ease as I can tell you that the weed was removed (by my roommate)!

4/22/14: The cut back tuft of Dixie Chickadee has been found.  This again is not a good or bad thing but an marker to help me know where the plant ought to come back up.  I have been considering adding more Dixie Chickadee to keep this one company this year,

Even thought they will be cool, rains will come Thursday, Friday and Saturday which I suspect will draw other hosta up.  Based on memory, Dixie Chickadee came up second last year - were about to see what happens this year.

4/25/14:  Pulled my first weed of the season ... Seeing two green 'things' around the tuft area of Dixie Checkadee.   Not ready to declare if it is up as weeds historically can disguise themselves as hosta at this stage of the growing season.