August 21, 2009

Trying to keep up with the weeding and the Japanese beetles is the daily mantra these days. My summer has been interrupted by a sewer project, which shook and rattled our home continuously for weeks on end. The constant vibration put a hole/leak in our water main, which had to be replaced, and of course the water department denied any responsibility. Figuring if the incoming water pipes have been damaged, the possibility is good the outgoing water pipes may be damaged as well and we may as well connect to the city sewer, since we're doing this major plumbing work anyway. The project which was not to cost us one red cent, is now to cost us $5,000. In addition, our front lawn was dug up, rocks brought up to the surface, raked across, and grass seed spread out on top of the rocks to grow! "Duh" is all I can say.

Good things continue to grown and come from the garden, including zucchini (of course!) and now, hot peppers!

July 19, 2009

I thought I would share some of my favorite plants that are now coming into bloom: daylilies. I like them because they are no fuss: they come back every year with out special care, and they do fine suffering my neglect. :)

These small ones run alongside my garage

These are wild ones that I've always liked, so my hubby brought some home to me.

A "volunteer" rudbeckia appeared on my front lawn,
so my hubby just mowed around it... lol

Hostas in bloom alongside the dog kennel

I'm sure everyone's convinced I'm obsessed with the Green Envy Echinacea,
but it seems every time I take photos, it's a cloudy day! Today the sun was out...

July 18, 2009

July 18, 2009

Well, that huge zucchini we picked a few days ago has made four loaves of zucchini bread (pineapple zucchini and chocolate zucchini) and I still have plenty of grated zucchini left over!

Just wanted to show how my Green Envy Echinacea is doing; the blossoms are turning pink now, and it is truly a stunning plant; I just love it.

July 15, 2009

First zucchini harvested!

Daylily in the front flower bed

Monarda close up

Monarda view

"Green Envy" Echinacea starting to bloom!

June 30, 2009
I like the wild daylilies that grow along the roadside around here, so my husband snatched me a few one year, and they are very happy alongside our shed and have multiplied.

Baby Romaine ready for salad

Sugar Snap Peas for stir fry tonight!

On the Deck

Summer arrived with a bang; griping about it being too cool, and suddenly we are hit with 99-degree temps. Some of the plants are just lovin' it (still benefitting from the rain) and some of the potted plants are wilting over even if I just watered them the day before... sheesh. Oh well, this is only my little yard, not the Garden of Eden -- and I certainly am not Eve, LOL!

Not much is happening in the "pond"; much of the water has already evaporated due to the heat, and I moved the barrel a few feet over because it looks as if the plants haven't been getting enough light. As soon as things settle, I will move the fish in. Oh, and the Green Envy echinacea is growing, and looks like buds are forming!

There was an article in "Chicagoland Gardening" magazine on combining flowers that blend, or in many cases, contrast well with each other. In this article, I found another plant to lust after --- last month it was the Green Envy Echinacea, this time it is Rudbeckia Prairie Sun; a "black-eyed Susan" that isn't black-eyed at all, but green-eyed --- with two-toned petals of yellow and orange. A striking plant that is a tender perennial; it may or may not survive the winters here, but it may well re-seed itself. In the example, it looks striking combined with purple or blue flowers, of which my latest complaint in my front flower bed is that I have too much purple and blue... so I am on a quest to fine R. Prairie Sun and brighten things up with this unusual plant! See it photographed here: http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/77672-product.html

Mid-June Update

Time for a mid-June update; it has FINALLY warmed up a bit and the regular rains have kept things growing and green. We have gotten some good mesclun salads, and I have harvested sage, thyme, and some "volunteer" oregano that is drying in the house.

The catmint has perked up considerably
and is blooming; my cat doesn't care about it! LOL!

The herb garden; the thyme is blooming and the
pigs got in again...

View from the end of the raised bed: veggie garden

The mesclun and baby romaine
(We and the critters have eaten it regularly!)

Sugar-snap peas (and bush beans behind)

Time for a quick update; not a lot going on, but I managed to rescue the Five Dwarves I have left and set them out; my husband murdered (decapitated) Snow White and I think two of the Dwarves must have fled the scene in horror (Scaredy and Jumpy).

The great Sewer project is still ongoing and all in all it isn't too bad; this week they yanked out my televison cable and didn't let me know; decided it would be rude to awaken me to let me know my driveway was being blocked off by the gigantic hole they were digging in the street and I wouldn't be able to drive my van ANYWHERE. Weren't they surprised when my garage door opened up and I was preparing to leave for a doctor's appointment... and they had to FILL IN their BIG HOLE so I could drive out? Anyway, that is the reason for some of the interesting machinery in the background of some of my photos... not my gardening tractors! LOL!

My Lupines... they started out as multi colored, but now all of them are purple; still, they are quite attractive... I only wish they bloomed longer. Some people can't grow them for some reason, but for me, they grow as weeds in my flower bed; literally, I have to pull many of them up and throw them away, for they reseed themselves and take over the place.

Some daisies... a new addition

Also a new addition, the correopsis... had to add some brighter color,
everything in this bed was blue or purple!

The blue Thingamabobs are doing well this year

My garden grows, time to update the pics...

We've had a lot of rain, but cool temps overall... the veggie garden looks good, but the green beans and carrots are having a hard time of it; the lettuces and onions are having a grand time.








Mesclun:



Sugar-Snap Peas:



Bush Green Beans:
Onions:



First Fruits: Strawberries



Herb Garden: Sage, Rosemary, Thyme
(top to bottom)

Catmint:

THE YARD HELP

Blaze (2):

Kelsea (10):

Keeper (6):

Kirby (5)

Madeline (12)

NO YARD HELP

City Sewer Project -- in front of my house!

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!