2026 CW16 - Double Amaryllis!

The Cover Story: A Double Amaryllis Debut

This week’s garden update has an undisputed "Cover Story." Our double Amaryllis has officially decided it’s time for the spotlight, unfurling its layers into a truly dramatic display. The sheer scale and complexity of those petals are something we’ve been waiting for, and seeing them finally fully opened is worth every bit of patience. It’s the kind of bloom that makes you stop in your tracks whenever you walk by the front porch.

Foundation Updates: Spears and New Arrivals

While the Amaryllis takes center stage, the rest of the foundation beds are busy setting the scene. We’ve been watching the Gladiolus intently, and finally, those signature, sword-like spears are starting to poke through their foliage. They’re standing at attention, promising a great vertical show once they get a bit more height under their belts. (The pink is always first for us, but more colors will follow!)

Right beside our Amaryllis, we’ve found a lovely new friend: a Day Lily that’s just beginning to show its face. There’s a wonderful contrast between the structured, double-layered drama of the Amaryllis and the bright, classic charm of this Day Lily. Having them side-by-side really rounds out the bed, giving us that perfect mix of high-impact showstoppers and reliable, cheerful color.

Special Feature: The Lawn

We usually focus our posts on the garden beds—the tomatoes, the roses, and the amaryllis. The lawn is typically just the green negative space that frames the real action.

However, this week, we have to admit: the lawn is looking spectacular. After all the recent rain, it’s vibrant, lush, and undeniably green. While it primarily serves as a dedicated "play zone" for the pets and family, we can certainly appreciate the vital role this green space plays in making our yard usable right now.

Backyard Blooms: A Floral Update

Heading around back, the garden is hitting that sweet spot where different waves of color are starting to overlap. The Zinnias have really settled in, looking even more vibrant and robust than they did last week; they’re clearly enjoying their space and are turning into the backbone of our late-spring color palette.

We’re also keeping a close eye on the Blue Agapanthus. They’ve begun to spread, and seeing those clusters of buds forming is a great sign that we’re in for a massive show of those tall, dramatic blue spheres soon. They’re adding such a wonderful structural element to the border.

Finally, we have a bit of a garden mystery on our hands. We planted a bulb a while back—and in the whirlwind of planting season, we completely forgot what it was! Now that it’s finally pushed up its leaves and is ready to reveal its identity, we’re playing a waiting game to see what color and shape it settles on. It’s a fun little "surprise guest" that we’re looking forward to identifying once it decides to bloom.

The Edible Engine Room: Spring Harvest

The vegetable garden is officially hitting its stride, transitioning from the quiet growth of early spring to a full-on production zone. The Sugar Snap Peas have been the highlight of the week; they are absolutely covered in delicate white blooms, and we’re already anticipating the harvest that’s following closely behind those flowers.

Down in the beds, the summer heavyweights are making their presence known. Our tomatoes are steadily swelling, and the squash plants have filled out beautifully, with their broad leaves creating a lush canopy across the soil.

The peppers are looking healthy and sturdy, and we’ve even got some fresh basil coming along, ready to be paired with those first summer harvests. In fact, we've already started harvesting a few of our first peppers!

Of course, the best part of the week has been the strawberries. They are ripening perfectly, and there is nothing quite like heading out to the patch and finding a few sweet, sun-warmed berries waiting to be picked. It’s the kind of garden "payday" that makes all the daily weeding and watering completely worth it.

Garden Friends and Official Inspectors

To wrap up this week's progress, we have to recognize the "helpers" that make the hard work so enjoyable. We’ve finally spotted our first Ladybug of the Year—a welcome visitor that signals the garden’s ecosystem is truly waking up. It’s always a highlight to see these natural protectors showing up just as the plants start to really hit their stride.

We also caught Sara in the act of multitasking: holding fresh-cut Zinnias in one hand, clippers and a dog leash in the other, and impatiently munching on some fresh Chard leaves right out of the bed. It’s the ultimate "gardener’s snack" moment—being able to grab a bite of something you grew while you’re out tending to the rest of the patch.

Of course, the official "Garden Purrr-visors," Scout and Yoda, are on duty as usual. Whether they are "gardening the garden" with their help or just supervising from the sidelines, their presence is the best part of the routine. They take their role in the yard very seriously, even if their version of "work" mostly involves finding the perfect spot to nap in the sun.

See you next time!

That brings our third blog post to a close! We’ve covered the cover story, the lawn feature, the backyard blooms, the vegetable harvest, and our garden friends.