catching up with the garden!

 summer is here!  just look at how the rain garden has exploded!  the yucca has put on its show and several other plants are too.

we aren't the only ones loving the yucca, leaf footed bugs seem to like it too.  i spent some time catching them and dropping them into a bucket of soapy water to kill them.

soldier beetles are always welcome-they are predatory and can eat large numbers of pests such as aphids.

 native butterfly weed and salvia in full bloom near the rain garden.

 beauty berry in the rain garden is blooming.  it won't be too long before it is covered in tiny purple berries.

 the three sisters are growing up and out!

the corn is already producing ears

 blue plate sedum, one of my favorite plants in the rain garden

 mexican oregano in bloom

 the lavender is in full bloom too and the bees are loving the nectar

a close up shot of the lavender

 we have a raised bed that if home to asparagus and potatoes.  did you ever see the blossom from a potato vine?  they are pretty and short lived.  these were gone in a day.

when you see this blossom, it is pretty obvious that potatoes are a night shade plant.

 just look at the square foot garden!  can you believe how nicely it is doing?  a big round of applause goes to shirley for such an impressive sight!

 there is so much to see in that 4x8 bed

 have you ever wondered what a carrot flower looks like?  wonder no more.  shirley let some of the carrots in the square foot garden flower.

thousands of tiny white blooms on each stem.  can you see the resemblance to queen anne's lace and poison hemlock; they are all in the same plant family.

radish blooms

 the vertical garden is finally planted and beginning to grow

 black and blue salvia in bloom

 monarda, commonly called bee balm, in the herb garden

 tarragon in bloom

 walk around the garden and you will find buckwheat growing in random places.  we just toss the seeds around so that it will grow all over.  it attracts green lacewings which are beneficial to the garden since they love to eat other insects.  it also attracts little bees.

 the next generation of buckwheat plants

 this year i have decided that thyme is one of my favorite plants in the garden.  there are so many types to choose from.  it is considered a beneficial plant because of the insects it will attract, it can be used in many dishes and some varieties, like this elfin thyme, make a great ground cover that can withstand some foot traffic.

 and i am not sure who we have here.  isn't it pretty?  this little metallic insect investigated that entire coneflower blossom-i wonder what it was looking for.

and as always, a cake.  this weeks offering was a strawberry ribbon cake with nut crumb topping.

sunday morning in the garden, may 26 garden update

just another beautiful sunday morning in the garden.  having arrived a little early, i was given the chance to enjoy the garden and all it offers by myself.  a little bit of quiet solitude that helped wash away the stress of a busy week...

 the rain garden is amazing!  how the plants have flourished and filled the basin.  

 a hearty thanks to the kind person who turned the soil in the basin of the rain garden!!!  this will allow for better absorption by improving the soil structure and eliminating the compaction that had taken place.

 vertical garden seedlings.  boy is it late this year!

 the new three sisters garden.  i am excited to see it doing well so soon after planting.  the extra rainfall has helped us by keeping the soil moist so that the plants can get established.

 the square foot garden is packed full of plants that are growing quickly.

 the theme for the herb garden this year-conquer and divide!!!

 the comfrey is loving the cooler weather and is bigger than it ever has been.

 earlier this season, i cut the southern wood plant back-severely.  to look at it now, you might not guess it has only been about 6 weeks...

 the keyhole garden is doing well too.

 the plants have adjusted to their new homes and seeds are beginning to sprout.

 the flowers and herbs around the bed will hopefully attract lots of beneficial insects.

 can you see the little beet seedlings?  it is so exciting to see them!

 sedums are one of my favorite types of plants. they require little care, thrive in poor soil and can withstand drought conditions.  there are also so many types of them.

 ice plant is not a sedum but it is just as hardy

 sedum variagated blue spruce

 love this one!  sedum blue plate

 sedum chocolate ball

sedum, jelly bean stone crop

and it just wouldn't be a sunday morning in the garden without a cake.  strawberry swirl cake made from strawberries in my home garden.  come on out and visit us, we will give you a tour!

urban garden festival, may 18, 2013

 after a frantic couple of months of planning, planting and just about anything you can think of as related to maintaining a garden, we finally had our chance to show it all off.  thankfully, the rain held off and we had some sun, especially nice since we set it all up in the rain on friday!    as you came in from the parking area, these electric pink azalea bushes greeted you.

the rose society had a lovely selection of roses for sale.

our own plant sale featuring plants from our home gardens.

the new kid on the block, the keyhole garden.  to see how we built it, be sure to look at the keyhole garden page by clicking the tab above.

 all around the outer edge are herbs and beneficial plants that will attract beneficial insects to help us control the damaging ones.

 henny penny abandoned her nest but we left it up in the arbor for another bird to use.

 the herb garden has exploded with all of the rain that has fallen.  the large plant in the left/back is a comfrey that is putting on quite a display with all of its blooms.

 beautiful iris in the herb garden

this orange thyme has become one of my favorite plants.

 so many people were intrigued by the pallet garden.  i answered many questions about building one.

 a new feature for the show, a wildlife garden.  it is easy to get your yard certified as a wildlife habitat.

 cute statue and a lovely weigela in a pot

 the coreopsis in the rain garden is showing off its color

 the rain garden had a real workout the last few weeks and it shows in the lush new growth of all of the plants.

 the square foot garden, a great way to produce large amounts of vegetables in a small space.

 the zombie garden looks a little sparse but that will change as we add more dead bodies...

 the shade garden is always one of my favorite places to be.  

 our sedum garden is filling in nicely.

sedums have become one of my favorite plant groups.  they are hardy, versatile and the number of varieties is so great that you can always find one more...

all in all, the show was a success.  we had two food trucks join us, your dish is our command  and the yum cupcake truck, the food was great!  we hope you come out again next year!