Here are some pictures of the garden taken in the last week or so -- feel free to skip to the next post if this bores you, but I like to use the blog as a sort of on-line garden journal. My water lillies are doing better than ever -- supposedly they are "tender" - meaning they won't survive our winters, but this year I got lazy and left them in the pond all winter and they are doing great - I think they must have developed bigger root systems.
We also had alot of rain last week and you can see that my perennial border really responded -- the lillies are in their glory, and everything else is blooming well!
I recently moved these urns off of the porch and into the sun -- and that meant I needed new plants that could handle the hot, dry conditions. I found these sedums at a local nursery and I just love them - the rock moss (the ferny plant) blooms during the day and the flowers close up at dusk.
These containers are new additions to the garden - and I love them! They are "self-watering" which means they have a resevoir underneath so I don't have to water as often. I have two on the deck outside of our new screen porch and I love the look of the grasses waving in the wind. Plus in the evening I sometimes see hummingbirds at the lantanta and petunias.
This bright green plant is called "Jewel of Opar" - I bought one plant at Home Depot a few years ago. It dies every winter but reseeds all over the garden - I love the chartreuse color, and it has bright pink tiny flowers on long stems that are so pretty -- it seems to love the heat of the summer.
This is one of my experiments -- an artichoke! I think its kind of a pretty plant - the silvery, spiny leaves are a nice contrast in the veggie patch, even if I don't get anything to eat. It should send up long stalks with flower buds on the ends - those buds are the artichokes that we eat.
And here is another experiment -- a fig! This tiny tree is only about 2 feet tall, but it has one little fruit on it, and it looks like it is forming several more. Fingers crossed!
I recently moved these urns off of the porch and into the sun -- and that meant I needed new plants that could handle the hot, dry conditions. I found these sedums at a local nursery and I just love them - the rock moss (the ferny plant) blooms during the day and the flowers close up at dusk.
These containers are new additions to the garden - and I love them! They are "self-watering" which means they have a resevoir underneath so I don't have to water as often. I have two on the deck outside of our new screen porch and I love the look of the grasses waving in the wind. Plus in the evening I sometimes see hummingbirds at the lantanta and petunias.
This bright green plant is called "Jewel of Opar" - I bought one plant at Home Depot a few years ago. It dies every winter but reseeds all over the garden - I love the chartreuse color, and it has bright pink tiny flowers on long stems that are so pretty -- it seems to love the heat of the summer.
This is one of my experiments -- an artichoke! I think its kind of a pretty plant - the silvery, spiny leaves are a nice contrast in the veggie patch, even if I don't get anything to eat. It should send up long stalks with flower buds on the ends - those buds are the artichokes that we eat.
And here is another experiment -- a fig! This tiny tree is only about 2 feet tall, but it has one little fruit on it, and it looks like it is forming several more. Fingers crossed!
My swiss chard is so pretty in the garden - even if I am getting a little tired of it! I need to start freezing it - I love it in omelettes and casseroles in the winter.
My tomatoes are doing great this year, too! These are called Yellow Marzano -- they are a yellow version of the plum tomatoes that you make tomato sauce from. I am planning on freezing them to make a "fresh" tomato sauce in the winter -- you just wash them, put them in a freezer bag and pop in the freezer. When you want them for sauces or soups, you take them out, defrost them, and the skins and seeds slip right out. Them cook them up and they taste pretty close to fresh! I'm also freezing basil (chopped up with some ogarlic and olive oil in the food processor) which I also use for soups and sauces.
These lillies smell amazing early and late in the day -- I love to sit on the patio in the morning and have my coffee . . . which admittedly only happens for about 4 minutes once a week, but it is nice while it lasts!
This is a pretty combination -- the purple coneflower and an ornamental oregano called Kent Beauty -- the oregano is edible but I grow it mostly for these pretty flowers that dry well, too.
My pots on the patio are doing well this year - I added saucers underneath (the cheap clear platic ones - so you don't really see them) - and its made a big difference -I don't need to water very often.
My limelight hydrangeas!
My swamp sunflowers.
I planted these begonias in my flower boxes -- they have never been my favorite flower, but I may change my mind. They are blooming like crazy and don't need watering very often. Next year I'll try and shop earlier so I can find the clear pink ones with the bright green leaves.
My red onion harvest -- they are a variety called "Red Torpedo" - you can see from the shape why they are named that!
My tomatoes are doing great this year, too! These are called Yellow Marzano -- they are a yellow version of the plum tomatoes that you make tomato sauce from. I am planning on freezing them to make a "fresh" tomato sauce in the winter -- you just wash them, put them in a freezer bag and pop in the freezer. When you want them for sauces or soups, you take them out, defrost them, and the skins and seeds slip right out. Them cook them up and they taste pretty close to fresh! I'm also freezing basil (chopped up with some ogarlic and olive oil in the food processor) which I also use for soups and sauces.
These lillies smell amazing early and late in the day -- I love to sit on the patio in the morning and have my coffee . . . which admittedly only happens for about 4 minutes once a week, but it is nice while it lasts!
This is a pretty combination -- the purple coneflower and an ornamental oregano called Kent Beauty -- the oregano is edible but I grow it mostly for these pretty flowers that dry well, too.
My pots on the patio are doing well this year - I added saucers underneath (the cheap clear platic ones - so you don't really see them) - and its made a big difference -I don't need to water very often.
My limelight hydrangeas!
My swamp sunflowers.
I planted these begonias in my flower boxes -- they have never been my favorite flower, but I may change my mind. They are blooming like crazy and don't need watering very often. Next year I'll try and shop earlier so I can find the clear pink ones with the bright green leaves.
My red onion harvest -- they are a variety called "Red Torpedo" - you can see from the shape why they are named that!
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