Tag Archives: garden

Dirty job: composting

27 Sep
Yard compost bin

Yard

Kitchen compost bin

Kitchen

 

Compost bins

 

 

 

 

 

Composting is both a dirty job and “Black gold” to enrich vegetable garden….this season’s yield…100 pounds!

For fifteen years, I have used a three step process to mitigate the slime and smell of kitchen waste.  This year I added a fourth step.

  1. Compost kitchen and garden waste (very slimy and smelly)
  2. Compost yard waste (primarily trimmings of perennial flowers).
  3. Add kitchen compost to yard waste = black gold
  4. Top off with ashes from fire pit for enrichment

All gardening starts with dirt.  Yes, it is less expensive and messy to buy compost by the bag at garden centers.  Homemade is better.

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From Houzz: Monarch Migration

20 Sep

We have asters:

Purple Dome Aster

Purple Dome Aster

 

The joys of a butterfly bush!  aka:  Buddleia davidii, family Loganiaceae

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Friday Photos: Encore: I Ching No. 63 Already Done and No. 64 Not Yet Completed

5 Aug
Melon1_IMG_20160805_181820104 copy

Today August 5th

Melon2_IMG_20160805_181836733 copy

Melon3_IMG_20160805_181912567 copy

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.

Melon seedlings with room for vines to run along retaining wall.

 

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Mother Nature’s glorious 4th of July

4 Jul
4thJuly_IMG_20160701_150217439 copy

Crocosmia

 

Bee Balm

Bee Balm

Blue spruce

Blue spruce

Asiatic lilies

Asiatic lilies

Bonus!  Much quieter, no mess and expense….in contrast with neighborhood fireworks the last two nights.  Happy 4th of July!

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Gardener’s dilemma

17 May
"It's my day to sleep in."

“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.

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

Horehound

Rue

Rue

 

Love the foliage and the tameness of these perennials.

 

 

 

 

Tomato seedlings

Six Tomato seedlings

Melon seedlings with room for vines to run along retaining wall.

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

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

Path-After

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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.

 

 

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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.

 

 

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Happy Cat!

11 Aug

Time to harvest catnip!

Catnip in background Heliopsis in foreground

Catnip in background, attracts bees and finches, even one hummingbird siting
Heliopsis in foreground

Catnip spilling over retaining wall

Catnip spilling over retaining wall

Catnip blooms drying

Catnip blooms drying

Eve is not happy.

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.

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Friday Photo: I Ching No. 23 Splitting Apart

6 Aug
Ripe cantaloupe....best of the season

Ripe cantaloupe….best of the season

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Moonbeams and Garden Dreams 1

14 Jul

It was 3 a.m. and unusually bright outside from lightning of stormy skies.  The night sky will be at its darkest Thursday July 16th with a full new moon.  On July 31st this year, we will have a full blue moon, which is the phenomena of having two full moons in the same month (last occurring in 2012).

The inspiration for the master bedroom patio garden came to me June 9, 2001, fourteen years ago.  Mary Francis wrote “Moonbeams and garden dreams” for the Indianapolis Star.  It was my introduction to moon gardens.  White flowers, silver and variegated foliage may be subtle by day, however they glow in moonlight as does the golden quartz flagstone.

Anemonies

” ‘The moon garden is all about illuminating the night,’ said Grimm, owner of Kids in Bloom, a local heirloom seed company.”

Bold White August flowers

“For some, the evening may be the best time to enjoy a garden__with long hours, some people rarely get to see the garden in daytime.  Why not plan for moonlight viewing?”  GREAT question!

White Chiffon Rose of Sharon

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