My Vegetable Garden in June

   The vegetables are in and growing quickly.  Mesclun lettuce is up and being eaten already.  Swiss chard is up, but still small.  I've never grown it before, so don't know what to expect.

   I've built a rack on the left for my cucumbers, and put watermelon plants under it with jalapeno peppers in front of them.  Less weeding when you crowd everything.  In the middle is a bean pole for my pole beans, if the bunny stays away from my bean plants.  Trying a little homemade fencing to keep him away.

   A new addition to the yard.  I hope it works cause I really miss my compost I used to have in the spring.  More Mesclun lettuce under it.

   Chives are flowering and taste great in potato salad.  Being buried in snow all winter didn't seem to hurt them.

   These are my cucumber plants that I grew from seed.  I also planted more seeds last week end.  I have a great pickle recipe that I want to try.

The Start of a New Season

    After a terribly cold and long winter, I'm ready to go again!  It's the first week in May and the weather is finally warming up.  All of the plants I started indoors have been brought out on the deck to slowly get used to being outdoors.  Hoping not to "sunburn" them as I have in the past.  I started dahlias from tubers, and geraniums and coleus from cuttings. I have basil, cilantro, parsley, and dill started from seed.  My rosemary did well over wintering in the house and was blooming for most of the winter. Riley, my grandson, helped me start watermelon, sunflowers, pumpkins, acorn squash, zucchini, and summer squash.  I'm trying a new yellow cherry tomato and of course my better boy tomatoes.  I also have some cucumber plants that are about 8 inches long, and a few armenian cucumbers too.  Earlier this week I planted mesclun lettuce and swiss chard in my raised bed.  Here's hoping everything makes it!

The Hummingbird and the Bee

     I'm keeping the Hummingbird feeder full, as it's almost time for them to go.  I've had 3 or 4 of them all summer and they've been fun to watch, chasing each other under the awning and around my tomato plants.   I've also noticed that the bees will try to sting them when they come to the feeder.  So have a safe journey and I'll be watching for you next spring!

What's new in August

    This is an Armenian Cucumber.  I was surprised to see it hiding on the other side of the pot.  Hope it tastes good!

                                      Cleome is about 5 feet tall and beaten over by the rain.

                         An old stand by, Black-eyed Susans , in numerous places all over the yard.

                                                    Larger Tomatoes since early August.

                                                           Sweet 100's up against the deck.

                           And last but not least, Purple tall Phlox, a favorite of the Hummingbirds.

Plants That Just Appear!

    This Spiraea came to me from my neighbors yard.  I now have four large plants and am constantly weeding them out of my flower beds!  I also have one out front called 'Goldflame' that has yellow leaves that are bronze-red when young.  I cut these back to about 2 feet after they bloom and usually get more flowers on them.

    I'm thinking this is Evening Primrose.  I had this years ago and lost it, but I noticed a small amount last year and moved it to a better spot.  Maybe some seeds were left in the soil and took a while to sprout?

    The shrub on the right was probably given to me by the birds.  They eat the red berries and spread the seeds everywhere they go!  I can never remember the name of this shrub, but we always called them 'Pricker Bush' when I was a kid.  They can tear your arms up when you're trying to clean around them.  I'm sure I've forgotten other plants that had wandered in, but these are some of the ones I've enjoyed for free.

Cucumbers and Tomatoes

    Started a bucket of cucumbers this year.  I never seem to have any luck when I plant them in the ground.  I have quite a few cucumbers on the vine, with a lot more flowers coming.  This may be the way to go, no critters climbing the 2 foot pot to get at them.  I haven't seen any cucumber beetles either.

    Tomatoes are about six feet high already.  No large tomatoes yet, but it was August last year before I got my first one.

    I do have cherry tomatoes though.  I grew them from seed, Burpee Sweet 100's, and they are tough and small.  Nothing like the Sweet 100's I used to grow.  I'm hoping they'll get better as the season goes on, maybe a new variety next year?

    Dill is taking over.  I just love picking fresh herbs right out my back door!  We've been eating alot of basil too.  Yesterday I picked my first green beans and we ate them for supper.  Great tasting!

Peonies and Baptisia

    The Peonies look great this year, although the flowers are smaller.  The white ones in the background are a little larger than the pink.  I love the smell, as they remind me of a neighbor who grew them as big as my head, when I was a child.  The Baptisia is also smaller this year.  It was a long winter.  After they finish blooming, they will have dark grey seed pods that can be dried for decoration.

    My Pink Iris have multiplied this year.  I thought I was going to lose them a few years ago, but they've finally come back.