May is one of those months where nothing feels dramatic, but everything changes. The wildflowers wake up, the food garden shifts gears, and the infrastructure projects that have been waiting all winter finally move forward. This month’s walkaround captures all those small, steady steps that shape how this place works—inside the greenhouse, outside in the gardens, and across the whole property.
Landscape
The landscape this month felt like a series of small awakenings. Even the driveway had its moment—coming home and seeing the ridge vents fully open still gives me that archetypical greenhouse silhouette. A reminder it’s almost time to put the screen door back on the front door, a seasonal ritual that marks the shift toward warmer days
The gardens on both sides of the ramp are slowly becoming the layered, year‑round tapestry I imagined. Inside, the wildflowers have absolutely exploded—California poppies, columbine, and even the catnip. The clematis I planted last year is flowering, though the new one hasn’t yet. And the deer repellent continues to work, which means the lilies might actually bloom this year. Outside, the ramp garden still shows the scars of pulling out ox‑eye daisies, but those bare patches will eventually be filled with wildflowers transplanted from other areas.
The drainfield is also recovering from its ox‑eye daisy era. For years it was a monoculture of white petals, but after 2 years of digging them out and spreading native grass and wildflower seed, the diversity is slowly returning. Lupine, Deptford pink, globe gilia, and marsh grass of Parnassus are scattered through the area—fewer than I expected from the seed mix, but still a welcome shift. The ceanothus I planted last year flowered for the first time, a small but satisfying milestone.
The courtyard remains in a holding pattern thanks to the ferry outage delaying materials, but the bed continues to fill with greenhouse transplants. Because the trees block most of the rain, everything here has to be drought tolerant. The irises that bloomed this month were a bright spot in an otherwise paused project.
The ramp to the trailer has become my string‑trimming loop. With two batteries, I work until both are dead, every few days. It’s mindless, but it gives me a sense of progress—even if the entire yard is never “done” at the same time. That’s just the rhythm of this place.
Down at the lower lot on the ‘working’ end of the yard, used to be completely hidden from the road by thick shrubs, but now the maple tree and the rhododendrons the neighbor planted after he cleared the brush are settling in and giving the area a more intentional feel.
On the north side and west ramp, I reshaped the path and stacked rocks along the slope to the rainwater tanks. I also cleared weeds and added rocks along the north greenhouse wall—partly to level the area for ladder access, partly to plug any gaps where critters might try to sneak in.
And over by the greenhouse west door, the ajuga flowers have finished but are starting to cascade nicely over the rock wall. The foxglove is coming on strong, and with the deer repellent holding, I may finally get to see the coral bells bloom for the first time.
Infrastructure
The infrastructure projects this month were a mix of practical maintenance and one major upgrade.
The office cabin is finally warm enough to work in with the door and windows open. Kitty has fully integrated this into her morning routine—she races me down the rock wall, under the tool shed, and into the office, where she hops up to her perch in front of the cat TV. Sometimes she pauses to check her food dish, just in case. I weeded the rocks on the tank‑facing side and created a small garden bed lined with stones. I also got primer on the siding and finish paint on the trim around the new windows.
The tool shed got a bit of attention. I started landscaping the west side by leveling a section with coarse rock for drainage. I primed the wall I missed last year and painted the trim I could reach. The door and the tank‑facing trim still need attention, but it’s progress.
And then there were the rain tanks—the biggest change of the month and probably the biggest infrastructure upgrade of the year. Two new 2,500‑gallon tanks finally went in. The greenhouse downspouts now feed the new tank first. After about an inch of rain and returning water from the pool, the system is sitting at about 3,200 gallons total. Episode 114 covers the full installation, but the short version is: it works, and it feels like a major step forward in making this place more resilient.
Food Garden
Inside the greenhouse, the food garden is shifting into early summer mode, each area with its own personality.
In the arbor and fruit tree garden, the sunflowers and tomatoes are taking off. The asparagus continues to thrive under the peach tree, though next time I prune, I’ll need to limb the tree up a bit more. The peach tree is loaded with fruit, but the cat has discovered it’s an excellent scratching post and climbing structure. I’ll need to intervene before she decides it’s her new jungle gym.
The west perimeter bed is currently hosting water plants meant for the ponds. They’re staged under the hosebib to catch drips from the standpipe. This bed was supposed to have basil and bok choy, but the cat chased a mouse through it and tore everything up. Sometimes the garden has its own plans.
The tall purple bed and south arbor are a mix of successes and failures. The radishes bolted, but the carrots look great. Volunteer romaine has been popping up through the carrots, which has been a nice addition to lunch. The yellow wax beans are flowering, and the artichokes are the stars of the month. I started them from seed last year, and they must have gotten enough chill hours over the winter to form buds—about five so far. The cucumbers, on the other hand, sprouted and died twice. I’ve surrendered for the season. At least the peas have been perfect for snacking.
Over in the olive and colamondin area, the first strawberries ripened mid‑month. They’re an everbearing variety, so I’m hoping for another crop at the end of summer. The olive tree is covered in flowers, and I check every few days for signs of fruit forming. The calamondin is doing the same—lots of flowers, but no sign of fruit buds yet.
Ornamental & Herb Garden
The ornamental and herb garden is beginning to take shape along the south and east walls. My goal is to build a base of perennials, herbs, and small shrubs, then layer in annuals for color.
The borage went wild this month, spilling across the path until I cut it back. The mint is so full you can’t tell that it’s safely contained in a pot. Lavender has started to bloom, and I planted three perennial salvias for height and color. The ornamental oregano and white sage are both doing well. I spread leftover flower seed from last year, but nothing sprouted—probably too old or not kept moist enough. The first calendula just opened, a small but cheerful milestone. I’m trying to keep the nasturtiums under control this year by pulling unwanted sprouts every few days.
The sitting area has become one of my favorite places to be. A few months ago I lifted the rosemary onto a tomato cage so it wouldn’t hang over the side of the planter, and this month it finally started growing upward so it looks more like it has always been on the cage. The coneflower seed didn’t sprout, but the hollyhock has buds, and the lavender looks happy. I finally removed the placeholder plants from both sides of the ring and planted a Hebe ‘Champion’ on one side and a caryopteris ‘Dark Knight’ on the other. I added pansies for color while the shrubs get established. Inside the ring, the sage, oregano, mint, and lavender smell incredible—though pill bugs nearly killed one plant overnight.
Pool and Ponds
No forward progress on the water features this month.
I drained most of the pool water back into the rain tanks and used the rest to water the peach tree directly. The pool should be fully dry in June, when I’ll clean it and try to rent a leak‑detection sensor. I’d hoped to hire professionals to find and patch the leak but their base quote was more than I can afford after the rain tank project. This is just one of those projects that requires patience and timing.
The east pond, on the other hand, delivered good news. During the last attempt to fill the pool, the pond held water—meaning the seam repair I did a couple of years ago is still holding strong.
Closing
This month, temperatures inside the greenhouse were warm enough from early morning until sundown to sit in the greenhouse with my coffee in the morning and to unwind after work. I still can’t decide where I like sitting most—on the sofa with my feet up, looking at the painting and the herbs and flowers, or in the swivel rocker looking down the length of the south wall toward the food garden.
If you’d like to see how all these spaces look and how they connect, you can watch the full walkthrough in Episode 115 on YouTube.