Two little victories appeared this morning. First, the tiny sweet potato vines I planted have spread enough that one of them is just about to trail over the edge of the planter box. I’ve been picturing this ever since I built the box last year—that pretty cascade of bright green over the side, softening the hard edges. I read last night that this plant can be propagated by cuttings, so I might take a snip from another part of the plant, and see if I can root more.

Next, one of the three new yellow Knockout Roses burst into bloom. One down, two to go. Actually, three to go, because I also transplanted the yellow rose from the backyard. So far, two have a tiny bit of greenery on them, so they’re still in there fighting. The third just got planted last week, and is in the sad, dead-looking, I’m stressed out stage. I’ve been clipping away dead leaves and talking to it daily, so hopefully it will get on board and start greening up soon.