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!

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: