Update - Pt. 3

The Deck

I have confined myself to "container gardening" on the deck for the past several years, due to the fact that it seemed whenever I took the notion to do actual gardening on our property, my husband would get "activated" (when he had no inclination to do so previously) and interfere. I would plant an entire raised bed with seeds, inform him not to disturb that raised bed, and the next time I looked at it, it would have PLANTS planted on top of my seeds! :>( Or, there would be other ways in which we would "butt heads", so I swore off gardening for some time. Now the raised beds have lain dormant for some time, and since he has occupied himself elsewhere (basement workshop, the garage, etc.), I have taken the risk of gardening again. However, I so enjoyed the way my deck looks "planted", that I will continue to do so. I love to sit and read while enjoying a glass of sun tea, the bubbling of the water in my half-barrel water garden, and the beauty of the plants and blooms around me.

I love Mandevilles... they're my one summer luxury

A container mix... and a frog

A Mother's Day basket personalized
by my grand-daughter

This year's "fun" plant!

Update - pt. 2

The Vegetable Garden

Mesclun & Romaine

Green bush beans

Onions

Sugar Snap Peas

Rhubarb & Raspberries

Not pictured: Sweet Spanish onions, chili peppers, carrots, zucchini, leeks, tomatos

Time for an update; I finished planting the majority of my vegetable garden and my deck (containers). The herb garden will be an ongoing project, as it will take *time* to find all that I want, and to sort out what I wish to do with them. I searched all over locally to no avail to find leeks, and then on an out-of-town shopping trip for something completely unrelated to gardening, we happened to stop on a whim at a gardening store and found them! And of course, some of my things got bit by a late, "mild" frost and I'm hoping they will recover. Anyway, I have updated photos to share:

The Herb Garden

The chives are blooming

I added French Tarragon

Lemon Balm (great in iced sun tea!)

The sage has recovered nicely!

The thyme has gotten huge!

I added Summer and Winter Savory

The strawberry bed is back!

And last but NOT least, that Green Envy Echinacea (Coneflower)
is continues to thrive and is growing!

Happy May! I like MAY... I got married in the month of MAY --- 28 years this year, and I always make my husband *pay* by taking me to a classy restaurant. In this case, that means to an establishment that requires the use of silverware (lol). The other thing I like about MAY is, it's my much-older brother's birthday, and I get to rag him about his age. But of course, MAY is really about the nice weather and getting OUTDOORS.

I am not one to jump on bandwagons and run out and purchase new plants when they come along, but when I read about the new "Green Envy" Coneflower (Echinacea) in Backyard Living Magazine, I have to admit I was green with envy. I wanted it! I balked at the price, though... and shipping... and what if it died? Oh bother... Then a few days ago, I was browsing around my local garden store and OMG --- there it was! Should I? Yes, I should... after all, I'm worth one splurge a year, aren't I? (yeah, right, only once a year!) And, doesn't THIS pot look like there are two plants in it?? OY, whoever heard of paying $16.95 for a coneflower?? Ugh... but I did...

I have planted the little baby(s) in my raised bed herb garden where it can be babied and faithfully watered until it matures (and hopefully reproduces!):

In case you haven't read about "Green Envy", it's blossoms start green, but as the summer progresses, they gradually turn magenta pink from the center outwards. Truly a unique plant!

THE HERBS

While there in the herb garden, I may as well share how things have fared over the winter. I transplanted my chives from a large planter on my deck (they come back every year in the planter, which will now be filled with flowers), and don't seem to have suffered much shock:

Then I purchased a rosemary plant:

The rest of these have over-wintered OK:

Sage (looks like it took a hit!):

Thyme:

I have more herbs/seeds started and waiting for planting.

Back in front of the house, the flowering crab is in bloom, although the sun is not cooperating today, I took a few closeups of the blossoms (wish I could capture that smell!):

And I do like coming up with colorful combinations for my containers, and this one is in front of my front porch: