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For years I’ve devoted a day every April to gardening with my oldest friend, Imogene.
In the beginning we raked and planted side by side. We got dirty, made a mess, planted beautiful things. Then Imogene’s husband would come out in his necktie and sweep up after us.
It was always a really good day.
More recently, Imogene couldn’t do much heavy work, so she pulled weeds (with a vengeance) from a lawn chair that I moved around.
The last few times we planted, she held the plant tags and watched from the window, too frail to navigate her own back stairs.
Then in late February, at the age of 97, my oldest friend passed away.
It was time, as they say. Still I am sad that we will not celebrate Spring in her garden this year. But it helps that Imogene is everywhere in mine.
Gardeners go on–
In the plants they share like the blue woodland phlox in the top photo. Imogene dug a clump from her garden for mine almost 30 years ago. Because of the cool weather, it is having a splendid year.
In the designs they inspire like this path I built with my own two hands after the brick knot garden that Imogene built with her own two hands became a problem for the mower guy and she told me I would be doing her a big favor if I carted all the hand-made brick away. 
In the knowledge and encouragement they pass on to younger gardeners which may be why I’m finally able to sit down and write about the loss of my dear friend. Husband Bill and I just spent a very hard but satisfying Saturday afternoon helping co-blogger Melissa limb up trees in her garden.
The best gardens are never solo projects—Imogene would be proud.
My oldest friend and garden mentor, Imogene and me
Like a lot of people who started gardening in the early 1980s, I was in love with Azaleas.
Since then, I’ve moved on to other shrub passions like this variegated Weigela–
and the native/Asian cross, Calycanthus Hartladge Wine. 
But one of my 80s Azaleas still makes my heart beat faster. 
This is George Tabor, two of them actually, flanking the path in our woods.
Every spring my passion for this big, beautiful azalea is rekindled. I love it very much!
So if you are just starting to shape your Southern garden (and planting shrubs is the way to do it, BTW), make room for at least one Azalea–George Tabor.
Any other suggestions? What are your must have shrubs?
What to do first? 3 of my favorite gardening events are scheduled this weekend.
Here’s a link to the PAX sale at NCSU. Click on woody plants on the right to see the list of shrubs they plan to offer
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/pialphaxi/plantsale.html
And the Garden Conservancy Open Days are in the Spring now:
http://www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays/open-days-schedule
Note that the fabulous Joslin garden is open. I will have to revisit that old favorite and pick out one or two more gardens on the list.
At the State Fair grounds, a cluster of great sales by local garden clubs:
http://www.raleigh-garden-club.org/plant-sale.html
If you like Azaleas, the Gardeners of Wake County sale will take your breath away. I prefer the Raleigh Garden Club Sale which usually has plants shared from members ‘ own gardens. They do very well in my Wake County woods.
So grab your hat, a check book and get out there. April 13 and 14 is a great weekend for local gardeners. Enjoy!
It’s time–
Time to cover the dinning room table with plastic, dust off the grow lights and sow tomato and pepper seeds indoors. 
Timing is critical when it comes to growing from seed. I want to have these plants ready to plant in the garden by our last estimated frost date, April 15th. Too early and they will be floppy and leggy. Too late and the plants will be stunted.
Let’s hope my timing this year is just right. (These plants were started March 8-14.)
It’s time to set out purchased transplants of lettuce, spinach and other cool weather crops in the garden.
And it’s time to eat lots of homegrown kale, collards, cabbage and other greens that wintered over so I’ll have that space empty when the aforementioned tomato plants are ready to set out.
It’s also time to fertilize, mulch, powerwash outdoor furniture, weed the beds, clean the porches etc, etc, etc. Spring is the busiest season in the garden, sort of like Christmas if you’re in retail.
So don’t forget to enjoy the fruits of your labors. Sit down and take in the view, even if your chairs are covered in winter’s grime. 
Bulbs, like these (Ice Follies and February Gold) daffodils planted in the woods last fall are looking good. 
And here’s another favorite bulb blooming in my garden–Spring Starflower (Ipheion uniflorum and Tristagma uniflorum). It will grow anywhere, even in the dry shade at the base of trees.
This tough little perennial will even grow between pavers, but since the foliage smells a bit like a skunk when it’s bruised, planting starflower on my little patio was not the best idea.
One day, maybe I’ll move these. 
Gardens are like mine are never really finished. Might as well relax and enjoy!
PS. It’s also time to start checking yourself for ticks. Can you believe I got my first tick bite on Sunday? Yikes that’s early.
When I was growing up, parsley was the curly stuff that nice restaurants used as a garnish. Everyone left it on the plate. 
Then in the 80s, I started seeing Italian parsley listed in recipes. Thank goodness. Italian or flat leaf parsley is packed with sweet, fresh flavor. These days, it is THE garden crop I am never without. 
A true biennial, Italian parsley winters over in my Wake County garden. I clip, wash, and chop green leaves even on the coldest days–then put them in many of my favorite recipes–like this quick and easy go-to pasta from the food magazine, Cooking Light.
![pasta-peas-ck-226527-l[1]](http://youshouldgrowthat.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/pasta-peas-ck-226527-l1.jpg)
tp://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-with-prosciutto-peas-10000000226527/
My Italian parsley crop is lovely now–but as the weather warms it will bloom, turn leggy and die.
Don’t even try to save it. That’s the life cycle of a biennial plant.
So new parsley plants are the works under grow lights on our dinning room table. This parsley is easy from seed or transplant, and very rewarding. In fact, if you have almost no garden space at all, I would tell you, find space for a few herbs (like my favorite–Italian Parsley).
What herbs do you love and grow?
