Today August 5th
It all started in May….with three seedlings. Just one of God’s miracles!
Melon seedlings with room for vines to run along retaining wall.
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Mother Nature’s glorious 4th of July
4 JulCrocosmia
Bee Balm
Blue spruce
Asiatic lilies
Bonus! Much quieter, no mess and expense….in contrast with neighborhood fireworks the last two nights. Happy 4th of July!
Gardener’s dilemma
17 May
“It’s my day to sleep in.”….”Did you say fresh catnip?”….”I’ll be right down!”
Spring mix of perennial volunteers…catnip, lemon balm, oregano and mint…an island in the garden plot. All (except the oregano) take a lot of effort to keep from taking over the garden.
Horehound
Rue
Love the foliage and the tameness of these perennials.
Six Tomato seedlings
Melon seedlings with room for vines to run along retaining wall.
I chose very young plants this year due to the unseasonably cool weather. May need to replant. I also chose to add a path for access to the six tomato plants.
Path-Before
Dilemma? 25 years ago my kitchen garden was two 8’X8′ raised beds in full sun. Over the years the transition has been to nearly full shade. The Earth Angel and Golden Edge Hostas as well as bird bath and feeders were the new look. A sweeping retaining wall replaced the original box plots enclosing about 400 square feet. The dilemma for this season is that we are back to full sun due to the loss of ash trees to disease. The hostas may not survive a hot August. Rather than fine tuning the stepping stone path (and have to redo), I took them up and mulched the path. Check back in the fall on how this season worked out!
Path-After
From Houzz: “Chihuly in the Garden”
3 May
Chihuly’s glasswork creates high drama in the garden.
Credit to Ann Wilkerson for sharing her photos of Chihuly’s exhibition in Dallas 2012. She had high praise and delight for this world class show.
From Houzz: Add a shed +++
26 Apr
I love this article from Houzz! To add a personal story, our custom shed was completed in 2010. One third potting shed, two-thirds mower parking, the arbor aesthetically bridges the shed to house meeting the minimum distance required by ordinance. The bonus features are shade to the French doors from the setting sun and obscuring the view of the neighbor’s driveway. Our shed was added long after the privacy fence was built. This called for a custom solution to rework section into a gate for the mower.
North facing window, full glass door and two loft windows.
Walk thru or sit and stay a while!
Look in the lower left corner….additional 3′ to original 16’X16′ concrete patio.
Ours is a “his and hers” shed.
From Houzz, Evolving garden
15 Sep
My Evolving garden…
I observed this year the abundance of large, long blooming flowers which had above average rainfall. Two dozen varieties of daylilies and hostas never looked so good!
It will be tempting to water more in dry spells.
Originally, (15 years ago) my garden was primarily full sun…then transitioned more to shade as the surrounding trees grew. This year we are transitioning back to full sun due to the lost of ash trees infected by a boring insect.
Some plants will be moved.
My third observation on evolving garden is the nature of perennial plant root systems which over time choke themselves. Division required!
More plants will be moved.
Gardening with aroma
18 Aug
Last week’s post featured catnip. We also indulge our senses with sage, parsley, basil, oregano, lemon balm, mint and lavender.
Happy Cat!
11 AugTime to harvest catnip!
Catnip in background, attracts bees and finches, even one hummingbird siting
Heliopsis in foreground
Catnip spilling over retaining wall
Catnip blooms drying
Eve is not happy.
She thinks wearing a shawl makes her an old lady.
We have had fresh catnip all season….sprigs upstairs and downstairs.
Life is good.
Moonbeams and Garden Dreams 2
21 JulThe metaphorical seed for a Moon garden was planted when reading Mary Francis’ article in the Indianapolis Star June 9, 2001. The garden manifested in 2005. It was designed and installed by Avon Gardens. The entrance to the patio is from the master bedroom. The golden quartz flagstone had the surprise quality of reflecting moonlight. The plantings on the perimeter are all white. Tulips, iris, perennial geraniums, lilies, White Swan coneflower, crab apple, …..
White Swan Coneflower
“One of the best things about moon gardens is that they lure us out at night to enjoy the fragrance of flowers that might be missed during the day. When it’s 8 p.m. and the sun’s going down, the fragrances come up. You miss them during the day. There are rich aromas at night, Booher said, adding that sometimes strong sunlight can burn off the fragrance or winds during the day can carry away the scents.”
Oak Leaf Hydrangea
elfcroft 