I was in South Carolina over the weekend, and when I returned home, I kept thinking “it’s so green in Virginia!” Mendota really shows off in the spring. Just look at my yard and garden!

Here’s the meadow behind the house where my enthusiastic husband has planted 11 rows of beans.

That’s ELEVEN…as in TEN PLUS ONE…or TWENTY MINUS 9! And there’s many more beans to be planted. What in the world am I going to do with all these beans? And…just let me say, he does not pick or can green beans and barely eats them, but oh how he loves to plant them.

And may I show you my potatoes yet again?   I’m excited about how well they are doing in the raised beds.   These are planted with the no planning, no worries, no hills…no problems method of just sticking potatoes in the dirt with your hand.    And….if you live in Bristol, Virginia… thank you for your garbage…now my compost…although I could do without the occasional plastic lid.

Here they were a week ago…I am kind of bragging at this point.

And if you want a few chives with your potato…thanks to the Schanzenbach ladies for giving me chives many years ago. They are still performing. Everywhere.

Chives in Mendota

Or if you prefer onions…I bought my onion sets from my friend Dewanna at Enterprise Nursery in Gate City.

And here’s some other performers. Lupine is so pretty, and it’s a perennial. Notice the pink flower starting to peek out?  There are two planted near the guesthouse….hope to add more this year.  Yay to Phil McCroskey’s Horticulture Class at John Battle High School!

It’s raining, and I’m anxious to be outside working in the yard planting more flowers and veggies.

Thank you for reading RiverCliff Cottage.