baby, it's hot out there! 6/24 update

somebody please make it rain.  the grass is crunchy underfoot.  the garden is droopy and the gardeners are melting.  luckily, we have a few dedicated volunteers who make the trip out to the garden to water the plants.   here is a current view from the demo garden:

grapes in the arbor

 we have green grapes and red grapes.  these red grapes are coming along nicely-just don't eat them yet, they bring sour to a whole new level...

 many of the plants have a fungal infection, called black rot and we cannot eat them.

 i like to look at the leaves and see just who has been visiting.  any ideas who may have left these?

 looks like a leaf miner was here too

 cleome in full bloom in the zombie garden.  

 red noodle beans in the vertical garden

 missouri wonder pole beans also in the vertical garden

 mexican petunia in full bloom

 texas star hibiscus-love this one!  when fully opened, it is a bright red star shaped blossom.

 artichokes have wonderful foliage

 the herb garden, or perhaps i should say herb jungle

 the cannas would like to thank michael for their lovely new home and all of the room they now have to spread and grow.

 grasses have the most unusual blooms and are so tiny.  this is switch grass, cultivar heavy metal, in full bloom.

summer savory in full bloom.  how do i know it is summer savory and not winter savory?  summer savory has lavender blooms (the photo doesn't show that very well) and winter savory.has white blooms.  either way, the plant is under utilized in the kitchen.  the flavor is very similar to thyme but a little more earthy.   whatever you think of it, it is a great plant to use in your landscape since it needs little care and spreads nicely.

and speaking of summer savory, today's cake was an orange poundcake with summer savory leaves and blossoms in it.  it was rather tasty!  

just a quick look, 6/3

no matter how much time i spend out in the garden, i find things to love about it but nothing as much as the square foot garden.  it really is quite the show stopper!

look at the beans winding their way up the stakes.  no help is needed, they know the way!

 we decided to try one of those twisted stakes on a tomato plant, so far it looks like it will work.

 peanuts popping up all over the square

 pak choi ready to be harvested

 i think bean blossoms are so pretty, i love to see them in bloom

then you wander over to the herb garden...

 this my friends, is out of control!!!  somewhere in there is a walkway

 the st. john's wort that took over the garden-the yellow blooms are st. john's wort.  i will have to get in there and dig out a bunch of stuff to thin it.

one of our experiments with vertical gardening is with using branches.  i had a large shrub die in my yard (we had to move it for structural-flood repairs and it did not recover) and i broke down some of the branches to use for supports.  these are pole beans winding their way up.

be sure to come on out and visit!

july 10, mid-summer update

at this time of year, most gardens tend to die off.  intense heat and dry weather cause plants to shut down and die back.  we aren't seeing that yet; there has been steady rainfall and the plants are looking beautiful.  early morning arrivals make gardening a pleasure since it beats the heat!

taking it vertical;  asian long beans are climbing the strings while cucumbers are climbing tall stakes.

 a florida weave is holding up the tomatoes in this bed

 all of the rain has caused a serious plant explosion in the herb garden!

 basil anyone???

 the raised beds are doing well too.  here is the little garden that anne planted, the tomaotes are taking over!

 when you have rain, you get mushrooms!

look carefully, at about the 7 o'clock position is a red object, that is a stinkhorn growing out from the cluster of mushrooms known as little helmets or fairy bonnets (coprinus disseminatus).

 growing between the clumps of switchgrass that top the berm on the rain garden is thare these mounds of creamy white foam.  they are called crust or parchment fungi.

 witches butter on the work table, it is decomposing the wood pretty quickly.

 the passion fruit that ate the garden...i really need to get this thing in a pot with an arbor to climb on.

 this used to be a compost corral.  it is now a squash arbor.  unfortunately, it is a plant from hybrid seeds and no squash are developing-just plant and flowers.

 the good thing about flowers, you can stuff them, bread/batter them and fry them for a tasty treat!!!

 pretty painted lady getting a drink

 carpenter bee on a sunflower

 somewhere in here is the rain garden.  the plants in it have outdone themselves and have completely filled the basin.  no more erosion problems!!!

 coneflowers in full bloom

 phlox plants in bloom

 jack in the pulpit in bloom in the shade garden

and it just wouldn't be sunday morning in the garden without cake; little muffins to be exact.  mixed grain with carrots and apples.

it's swarm season! 4/24 update

it may have been easter but that didn't stop this group of gardeners!  we worked hard and it is really beginning to show.  with the upcoming field day event in june, we have lots to do and luckily for us, we have a small group of dedicated volunteers.  i would like to thank them for braving the weather-it threatened to rain and we heard the tornado siren go off 3 different times, and i would also like to say thank you for a job well done, we couldn't do it with out anne(and sam too), lynn, alice and virginia!  one other note of thanks to barbara and her crew of merry men-chuck and turner, for making the grass garden look as beautiful as ever!

have you seen those commercials on tv for the exterminating company-if its spring, its swarm season...well be sure to look closely at the next few photos.  i was working in the rain garden and all of a  sudden, i was surrounded by a cloud of flying insects.

a termite swarm was happening as we weeded

 darry lifted the lumber and we could see the tunnels that they built 

 the garden is also experiencing a problem with phlox plant bugs.  they are tiny and they make quick work of the leaves.  every phlox plant in the garden is covered with them.

you don't have to go to church to see the fancy hats and dresses on easter sunday-the plants in the garden put on one heck of a fashion show this week!

 false indigo in bloom

 chives in bloom

 feverfew

 thyme

when i ask for volunteers, i am serious-we really need more help to keep the garden looking like it is well kept and cared for.  otherwise, it is in danger of looking like this:

 our perennial garden, which is located by the old orchard, has been completely taken over by chickweed.  we must have gotten a load of seeds in some mulch.  it is choking out the plants in the bed.  luckily for us, our newest volunteer and intern from the class of 2011, virginia, is taking this invasion seriously.  she has been hard at work over the last week and what a difference it has made:

 if you think that by yourself, you couldn't make much difference.  think again.  one person saw a need and has worked to fulfill that need.  we would love it if more of our members would think that way and lend us a hand.

 things are taking shape in the vegetable garden too.  here is darry and sam as they plant the new bean garden.  the strings are for the asparagus long beans to grow up and at the ground level, there will be bush beans.  just goes to show you that you don't need huge spaces to garden.  by thinking vertically, as well as horizontally, you can maximize your space.

 anne and david are relocating the raised beds

 the raised beds line the walkway leading to the grape arbor.

 it will be beautiful when it is all full of plants

 after moving the beds, again..., we needed to spread out the soil and make the remaining space level for the other beds that will be located here.

and as always, on sundays, i come with a fresh baked cake for all to share

 cranberry orange bundt

and since it was easter, anne came with a basket full of eggs and sam had his own egg hunt in the garden.  aren't they pretty?  i love the pale blue one at the top of the photo!

come join us, from swarms to hunts, you never know what will happen out there but you can be sure that there will always be cake...